Proactive property management can often be confused with passive property maintenance. Receiving a call about a faulty appliance and booking a contractor to visit is certainly a part of the role, but proper property management can be complicated and intricate. Our East Oxford office recently had a tricky problem to deal with at a two bedroom house in Littlemore:
The tenants reported a leak in the living room of the property. Water was coming up from the ground through the concrete floor via the mains water supply. Their Property Manager immediately booked a plumber to visit and also involved Thames Water. The leak required several visits from Thames Water before it was fixed, but we were persistent with them about the issue, and we provided regular updates to the tenants who were understandably frustrated about the problem.
Being based locally to the property, the Property Manager was able to visit in-person – also bringing along the Deputy Office Manager at times – to reassure the tenant that resolving the problem was a priority. We find that this hands-on approach where we see the property leads to more thorough property management, meaning the landlord’s asset is truly being ‘managed’.
The tenants were not able to live in the property due to the leak, and so the tenancy contract was frustrated. To make matters more complex, the tenants were in the process of purchasing a property and so couldn’t simply find a new property and sign a standard AST agreement. The Deputy Office Manager, who was aware of the complicated situation, applied some excellent problem-solving. He was aware of another rental property which was empty due to the landlord selling. Having a good relationship with his client, he proposed a short let, which the owner was pleased to agree to as it meant the property would be occupied for a short period and they would receive a rental income for the period. The tenants were also pleased that we had found a solution to their problem.
The leak at the Littlemore property has been resolved and the carpets replaced, and new tenants have now moved in. It’s hard to imagine this lateral thinking being applied to this scenario if the Property Managers had been based elsewhere in a call-centre, having never seen the property or met the tenants. Whilst this was a complicated problem, our experience and expertise enabled our team to work through to find a solution that worked for all parties.
If you need excellent property management for your rental property, call our team on 01865 307207.
Published October 2022
