How to manage your property remotely… Remote working offers a great number of benefits for both employees and employers including better productivity, a happier workforce, and lower costs. It’s something that many businesses are now offering their employees as a matter of course where possible, and although this has been hastened due to the rules around coronavirus, it is something that was always going to happen eventually.
But what about landlords? Can they take care of their properties remotely? Should they? Let’s look deeper into this idea of how to manage your property remotely.
New Tenancies
Before a new tenancy can take place, the property needs to be inspected and any repairs that have to be done before someone can move in must be seen to. Yet if you live a long way from the property, or perhaps even in another country entirely, how can you do this if you plan to manage your property remotely?
The answer is simple; you have an inventory clerk do the inspection for you. An inventory clerk like us here at Looksy will carry out a checkout, full inventory, and then a check-in on your behalf, meaning you don’t have to step foot in the property if you don’t want to.
Of course, if work needs to be carried out you can then choose what to do next. This is where having a trusted team of tradespeople on hand can be ideal – you will see the extent of any damage from the inventory report, and you can instruct your painter, plaster, gardener, carpet layer, kitchen fitter, or anyone else to do the work that needs doing. Simple.
Tenant Relationships
Although a lot of the time the interaction between landlord and tenant ends after the tenant moves in, and the only connection between them will be the monthly rental payment, sometimes more needs to be done. If there is an issue in the property, for example, there should be a clear line of contact and communication so that the problem can be dealt with swiftly before the tenant becomes unhappy (possibly unhappy enough to leave which will then cause the landlord the hassle of finding a new tenant) or the problem escalates into something much more expensive.
Using an agent to help you is a good idea if you want to manage your property remotely. Yes, it will cost you money – often a certain percentage of the monthly rent – but it does mean you don’t have to be dealing with issues when you can’t do much about it. Instead, the agent will be the first port of call and they will have people on hand to fix issues quickly. Agree a maximum price for repairs, and they can organise everything without even having to bother you.
Conclusion About How To Manage Your Property Remotely
It is entirely possible to very successfully manage your property remotely if you are a landlord. The key, however, is to remember you can’t do it alone. You are going to need a good support network behind you to help you, and only then can you really cut the apron strings and be much more independent.
If you want Looksy Inventories to be part of that network, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and chat about what we can do for you.