Look after your rental property | Lillywhite Home Renovations

Please see below a few tips for Landlords to save money and time on their let properties

1. Act on maintenance issues as soon as you are aware of them

When an issue is reported don’t ignore it, chances are it will get worse and then it will cost you more time and money to put right. Encourage tenants to report issues as and when they happen.
Make sure tenants know how and when to report an issue. When your tenants move in, explain to them how you deal with property maintenance. Some tenants are reluctant to report damage as they’re afraid they’ll be made accountable for the damage. Explain to them that sometimes things go wrong with the property and that you are prepared for this. Explain your maintenance process to them and assure them you want to keep the property in good condition. Give tenants a way to report issues promptly. This will save you time and money in the long run as a tenant will be more likely to report the issue straight away and prevent an issue from getting any worse.

2. Have a process in place for managing maintenance issues

A process can be just a way of dealing with things that you remember and implement when it’s needed. So, when a tenant reports an issue you don’t spend any time thinking about what to do, you already know. The process could be something as simple as: tenant reports issue –> landlord contacts correct professional to relay issue –> landlord contacts tenant to let them know when professional will attend –> professional reports to landlord who pays invoice.

3. Build relationships with good tradespeople

It’s hard to find a good and reliable tradesperson that charges a reasonable rate. Instead of looking them up when you have an issue, build relationships with them, keep their details, remember their names, follow them on social media. Whatever you do, hang on to the good ones and you’ll save yourself a lot of time in the future. And pay their invoices timely to keep a good relationship. They will prioritise you if you do this.

4. Carry out regular maintenance checks to spot issues before they become issues

I mentioned this in the previous point, but you should be checking your properties for maintenance issues especially before the seasons change. If you notice issues, it’s easier to sort them out before those who aren’t as prepared as you also need the same kind of help! It takes 5 minutes to arrange for someone to go and lag pipes at your rental property, it takes months to return a property to normal after a pipe bursts. It’s a no brainer. A little preparation can save a lot of time and money.