Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Funny little maintenance jobs

You've got to learn to trust your letting agent!
Don't you just wonder about some of these little maintenance issues that crop up with a rental property when it's been managed by a letting agent.

You know, the dripping taps, light bulbs blowing, sticking doors, broken handles etc.

The little jobs that involve a call out of some maintenance guy to spend 5 minutes, tweeking, fiddling, scratching ( largely his backside).

The kind of little jobs that cost £38 plus vat.

These jobs leave no sign or trace of work, no change, nothing to check. A landlord especially one who lives hundred of miles away would never be able to check over the work as it leaves no footprint other than the one on the monthly statement deducting it from their balance.

So if a letting agent is friendly with a couple of property maintenance bod's it's just about an evening of creative invoice writing and spreading the jobs across the portfolio.

Am I just too suspicious, maybe I have trust issues, get me on Jeremy Kyle.

Bookmark and Share
at

2 comments:

  1. Highmoor ASHOctober 7, 2011 at 2:23 PM

    So what would give you confidence.
    We take photographs before and after repairs, audit our maintenance contractor for quality and cost.

    Can you suggest anything extra to this?

    Steve
    Highmoor ASH (Londonderry)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Paul BarrettOctober 7, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Letting agents are only needed by a few landlords.
    You don't need them anymore to source tenants as there are several fee only online agents which advertise your property just like the lettings agents do; but at a fraction of the cost.
    It is about £50 compared to £500 with a LA; lot of difference eh!?
    You are better off establishing a relationship with a good local builder and manage things directly with them.
    Yes there will always be a requirement for some landlords to use LA, but not many as we landlords can manage an awful lot of the business online.
    I also think that landlords are far more interested in the fabric and amenity of their investment than any LA and therefore will ensure things are done when needed and correctly.
    I think what the LA above is doing is admirable but I think they are exceptional as I don't believe many LA opertate like that.
    Everybody uses the internet these days so a LA hight st presence is not really necessaary as most prospective tenants will do their searching online.

    ReplyDelete