.png)
Cost of property maintenance on the rise
Last year our Elliot Leigh 2023 landlord survey revealed that the number one challenge/frustration for landlords was keeping up with maintenance, and this is a challenge that doesn’t go away. A recent report by Fixflo has revealed that landlords are having to spend more than £1,000 every year on maintaining and repairing their rental properties. Considering landlords have their own homes to maintain plus possibly other rental properties, the cost does add up.
How Elliot Leigh combats property maintenance
One of the key benefits of the Elliot Leigh Guaranteed Rent scheme is our in-house property management and maintenance teams, allowing us to respond promptly to any maintenance issues that arise in the managed properties. The in-house team becomes intimately familiar with the properties they manage and get to know the layout, systems, and any unique features or challenges specific to each property. This familiarity allows for more effective and tailored maintenance solutions.
Each property is assigned a dedicated property inspector who visits each property every 3 months to ensure that it is being maintained to a high standard. Regular inspections and scheduled maintenance tasks help to identify and address potential issues before they become major problems.
Top 5 maintenance repairs
But what are the most common maintenance queries that landlords are facing? We looked at over 300 tenant repair reports submitted through our online portal from November 2023 – February 2024 to find out the top 5 issues that the tenants in our properties have recently been reporting.
According to the findings, boiler-related problems emerged as the most frequently reported emergencies, constituting 23.1% of the total issues reported. This category includes a range of issues, including dripping taps, burst pipes, and various boiler malfunctions. Leaks secured the second position, accounting for 12.66% of reported concerns, including everything from dripping taps to pipe and toilet leaks. This was followed by blockages (7.28%), broken doors (6.65%), and appliance-related issues (6.33%) such as cookers and fridges, rounding up the top five maintenance challenges reported by Elliot Leigh tenants.
Emergencies are more likely to happen out-of-hours
According to the survey by FixFlo, two in five repairs are reported outside of typical letting agency office hours (between 6:00 PM and 9:00 AM, or at weekends). Elliot Leigh combat this by providing an out-of-hours/emergency service, meaning tenants are able to reach us 24/7 and issues are always dealt with, no matter the time/day.
Are you keeping up with maintenance?
Keeping up with property maintenance is not easy for landlords, especially when you potentially live far away from where the property is. A property management company like Elliot Leigh can offer landlords convenience, expertise, and peace of mind by handling various aspects of property ownership and management. It's a valuable investment for those looking to optimise their time, mitigate risks, and enhance the overall performance of their rental properties. If you’d like to hear more, get in touch today.