Monday, September 22, 2008

Landlords Struggle to Keep Up with Rising Standards of Rental Property


Here's a thought for landlords.

Remember the days when tenants would be pleased to find a property that was clean and dry with no signs of 'rising damp'.

Those days seem to have gone and the knock on effect is an increase in maintenance costs.

With the over supply of 'shiny and new' new build flats on the market those landlords holding established rental property have now been forced to compete with these havens of polished stainless steel cookers ( buffed up with baby oil apparently).

Landlords are finding that the typical toll of 'wear and tear' on rental property by each set of tenants is forcing them to constantly re-decorate and re-fit to keep up with the competition.

Where as before a quick clean and a few dabs of paint to cover any major marks in the paint work would of sufficed between lettings. however in the current competitive climate landlords are been forced to re-decorate and replace to retain rental levels.

As landlords know the nature of many tenants is to bang and bounce around in a rental property , the question 'would you treat your own property like this?' often falls from my lips.

The reality of the situation for many landlord is that these added costs required to retain rental levels and to let property quickly is eating into rental profits.

It is also another factor that for many new landlords who have bought over the last few years, might find to be the straw that broke the camels back as regards keeping hold of potentially non profitable rental property.

Especially as those 'shiny and new flats ' start to lose their sparkle over the coming tenancys 'wear and tear'. Landlords might find that however much baby oil they rub into their appliances and worktops the shiny and new will become tarnished and will require refurbishment to compete.

My advice is to create a detailed inventory when letting a property - try our new FREE landlords inventory software to create a bespoke inventory quickly.

Anyway I'm off to buy a new work top and taps for a kitchen in an empty flat I'm trying to let.

Tenants have become such fussy buggers.

Love darling Margo.

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