Are you doing enough to attract and retain good quality tenants?

The local area is teeming with good quality (and not so good quality) tenants.   So how do you manage to attract and retain the good ones? Create an awesome first...

The local area is teeming with good quality (and not so good quality) tenants. So how do you manage to attract and retain the good ones?

• Create an awesome first impression:- a house that looks clean and tidy from the first moment a potential tenant drives past will attract the right sort of tenant. A house that looks unkempt and untidy will attract the opposite.
• Show off your Landlord skills:- Once inside the property, good tenants will want to see that you have been looking after the property, so be sure to see to any maintenance issues before viewings go ahead and, if any major works are to occur before the next tenancy, let your agent know so that this information can be passed on.
• Deal with Tenant requests promptly:– Landlords who treat Tenant requests promptly are likely to be held in high regard. Good tenants appreciate this and are more likely to remain at the property for a longer term. If they do decide to leave and are present at viewings for the next tenancy, they will likely pass on their high regard for you to any potential tenants.
• Offer an all encompassing rent:– For those of you trying to attract some of the many people looking for a base whilst working in the local area, why not make life easier for them and offer a rental that includes some or all of the following: good quality furniture, kitchen essentials, utility bills, a cleaning service and/or a gardening service. Not only will you be attracting professional people who will cause less wear and tear to your property (being at work all day and in their own home at the weekends) but you will also be keeping your property up together at the same time.
• Visit your property often:– It’s important to keep in touch with your tenants and your property. Please take a look at our blog regarding why you should inspect your property http://www.robinsonreade.co.uk/why-you-should-inspect-property/
• Have a maintenance schedule in place and publish this to your Tenants:– Keeping to a planned schedule of maintenance will prove your commitment to keeping the property up together.
• Keep to the terms of the lease and the law:– Keep your tenants happy by abiding by the terms of the lease and housing law and you’ll find that they will too.
• Consider providing some services yourself:–
  • Gardener:– Most tenants are not keen gardeners so if you have a garden at your property you could hire a gardener yourself to keep it looking neat and tidy.
  • Window/External Cleaner:– You could offer this as a regular service or you could agree to pay for the window, soffits, fascias and guttering to be cleaned at the end of each tenancy so that these areas are clean for each new tenant.
• If you value your tenants
  • Tell them:- Long term tenants have a vested interest in keeping your property clean and tidy and to report maintenance issues as and when occur. They will often even deal with the small issues themselves. So, if you value your tenants make sure that they know that you do.
  • Reward them:- Once the initial fixed term has expired, reward good tenants with a the offer of a further fixed term. Your Tenants will appreciate the gesture (even if they don’t take you up on it) and will feel reassured that they have a long term home at your property.
  • Keep the rent fair and reasonable:- It may be tempting to increase the rent every year to the market value but keeping the rent just below the market value will help to keep your valued tenant from looking elsewhere.

If you’d like to discuss how Robinson Reade can help you attract and retain good quality tenants or any aspect of our lettings services then please feel free to call Emma or Megan on 01489 579911 or email us lettings@robinsonreade.co.uk