The Tenant Is In. Now What?
Getting the tenant moved in is only the beginning. From rent collection and maintenance to inspections, compliance and keeping your tenant happy, effective property management protects your investment and keeps everything running smoothly. Here’s what happens once the tenancy begins.
A let-only service does one thing and it does it well.
It finds you a tenant.
And for the right landlord, that is genuinely all they need. They are experienced, they have the time, they know what they are doing and they are completely set up to manage everything that follows.
But for a lot of landlords who go the let-only route, what comes after move-in is not quite what they expected.
Because finding the tenant is actually the easy part.
What life looks like after the keys go across
The maintenance calls start. Maybe not straight away, but they come.
The boiler needs looking at. There is something dripping under the sink. A fence panel has come down. The bathroom extractor has stopped working.
None of it is a crisis. But all of it needs sorting. Quickly, properly and in line with your legal obligations as a landlord.
Then there is the rent. Most of the time it arrives fine. But what about when it is late? Who chases it? How quickly? What happens if it becomes a pattern?
And the compliance. Gas certificate to renew. Electrical inspection due. The How to Rent guide has been updated again. Deposit rules to stay on top of. All of it sitting with you to manage, track and stay current on.
What a let-only service does and does not cover
A let-only service ends when the tenant gets the keys.
Everything after that is yours to deal with.
That is not a criticism of let-only. It is simply what it is. The question is whether the landlord on the other end of it is genuinely set up to handle everything else.
In my experience, a lot of landlords who choose let-only do it to save money without fully working out what they are actually taking on. And then they find out.
One emergency plumber call-out on a Saturday night can cost more than six months of management fees. One missed compliance document can cost considerably more than that.
Your action point this week
If you are currently on a let-only arrangement, spend ten minutes this week totalling up what managing your property has actually cost you since the tenant moved in.
Your time. The tradespeople you paid directly. Any professional advice you needed. Any compliance gaps you have been carrying.
Then compare that number honestly to the cost of full management. Most landlords find the comparison quite revealing.
If you are on a let-only arrangement and you are starting to wonder whether it is actually working for you, come and talk to us. Switching to full management is a lot simpler than most landlords expect, and we will walk you through exactly what it involves. Call us on 01204 659670, email katie@harrisonsnet.co.uk or visit harrisonsnet.co.uk.
Here's to your property success!
Katie
Harrisons Estate Agents
01204 659670 | katie@harrisonsnet.co.uk | harrisonsnet.co.uk