One of the most significant choices a Landlord will make aside from purchase of properties, will be how they manage the maintenance of their portfolio. A Landlord is expected to maintain each property to a certain standard. They cannot leave upkeep issues until they have “saved” enough money, their renters can expect repairs to be carried out as a when they occur so as to ensure their safety for the period of the tenancy and Landlords have responsibilities like the Gas Safety Inspection which have to be undertaken every year.
When it comes down to deciding if a Landlord should undertake their own upkeep of their properties then various factors should be considered:-
If the property is located locally then the quantity of time spent travelling to check any upkeep issues might be controllable, however if it is county or nationwide then being able to check every concern a renter has, could become difficult when it comes to both use of time and gas costs. A landlord with numerous properties could also end up in a scenario where they have multiple tenants ‘ miles apart with problems at the exact same time.
It is suggested that a minimum of 3 quotes are obtained each time an expert is needed to carry out works at a property. This could end up in the renter having to order 3 separate appointments with trade’s folks before the ensuing one whereby works will be carried out and again involves use of irreplaceable time for both landlord and renter, not to mention the cost of calls.
When it comes to the renter, a landlord should be expecting calls at any time of night or day if they have a maintenance issue; this could not bode well if that call comes in the early hours of the morning or whilst on holiday!
It may therefore be favourable for a landlord with multiple properties or where a property is not local to where they live, to investigate the utilising of a Single Landlord Maintenance Company. It will eliminate lots of call and travelling costs, as the renter would contact the company direct and all parties involved could save valuable time. Both tenant and landlord could be assured that the property is being maintained efficiently and effectively within a suitable timescale for all.