Managing Cold Weather and Winter in Rental Properties
As Storm Bert took hold on parts of the UK, there are still a number of National Severe Weather Warnings in place for snow and ice. It is therefore important to think ahead and prepare how the weather will impact landlords and tenants. The Met Office is working with the Cabinet Office and their Weather Ready partners to help prepare for and cope with severe weather.
As temperatures drop, rental properties face unique challenges that, if left unaddressed, can lead to significant damage, costly repairs, and tenant dissatisfaction. Landlords have legal obligations under Sections 11–16 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to ensure that their properties are kept in a safe and habitable condition.
The Importance of Property Visits
Property inspections have become a topic of discussion for many lettings who manage properties. Since the pandemic, letting agents faced challenges with ensuring that the backlog created by the various lockdowns has been reduced. With the property inspection forming part of a managed service, landlords benefit from the interim property visits that take place and as such provide landlords with information about the condition of their properties.
It is important to note that the property visit is not purely a contractual agreement between the landlord and the letting agent. Section 11 (6) of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 states that a landlord :- ” may at reasonable times of the day and on giving 24 hours’ notice in writing to the occupier, enter the premises comprised in the lease for the purpose of viewing their condition and state of repair.”.
GLM are proud to announce partnership with Block Management Utilities
We are delighted to announce a new partner association with our friends at Block Management Utilities. BMU have a wealth of experience and work with many familiar names across the UK property management industry. Their trusted and proven utility management services are designed to save letting agents precious time and money and not least the hassle of dealing with multiple providers. Their aim is to simply make our lives easier! James Riley a Director at BMU said “We are delighted to be partnering with the Guild and supporting them with their excellent range of Training and Development programmes. We look forward to being able to pass on some of our vast knowledge of the energy market to Guild members and course delegates.”
Autumn Prep for Landlords
As Autumn draws in, landlords, with the help of their letting agents, will take stock of their “to do list “ for the Autumn. The weather will change, the temperatures drop and tenants expectations are that they will have a nice, warm home to live in over the colder months.
Taking into consideration how drastically the weather can change, property managers will be ensuring that the properties they manage are “weather ready”. The following is a useful “to do list”.
1. The Boiler - Heating Supply & Hot Water
This time of year and right the way through to March and April, one of the most common concerns is heating and hot water. If the boiler has not yet been serviced, now is the ideal time diarise those appointments for Gas Safe Engineers. Whilst S11 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 makes reference to the supply of heating/heating space and water, it is important to remind tenants that contractors are extremely busy this time of year, and this reactive approach can save a lot of issues. Remind them that access is important and Covid protocols will be adhered to.