It’s no secret that the management of a rental property in London is often too difficult for many landlords and professional managers to handle. We understand that it is not easy to find a decent plumber or builder whom you can trust, and count on. But in too many cases it seems that managing a rental is such a daunting task, so stressful, that it induces procrastination.

I recently had an acquaintance wait for a professional manager to fix problems in the newly rented apartment for – 6 weeks. The deal was that everything would be done very shortly. After dozens of calls and a few letters, when no-one showed up for over a month, she finally went to the manager’s office, and basically said she’s not leaving until someone gives her an exact date and time when the plumber comes. The next day the plumber came and the problem was fixed. But the management company still ended up paying for delaying with the works. The tenant asked for a compensation, and as a reputable company, they agreed to pay for the inconvenience.

One of the worst problems the managers have, is that they fail to communicate with the tenant. The manager could have at least talked to the tenant, let her know what is going on, how much longer it is going to take. Maybe the tenant could have organized a plumber herself but how could she if she’s not sure she’s going to get a refund?

Here is some advice on what you can do to speed up the process of getting things fixed in your new rental:

Do not sign the agreement before the problems are fixed.
Never if there is no heating, no water or if the conditions are hazardous to your health.

Before you sign the agreement:

Check everything in the rental before signing the agreement.
Try to imagine a day in your life, and act it out doing all those things you normally would do during a day.

Take as much time as you need to do the check-up.
Tell the agent or landlord before meeting for the final viewing that you will need time (depending on the size of the place) to check that everything is the way it is supposed to be.

The final checking should be done after the previous tenant has moved out.
Otherwise you will most likely be more reserved to look everywhere, and could end up missing something important.

Look at the EPC
Check the rating and see what is advised in order to get the place in better condition. Ask what the landlord is willing to do, then put it down in writing.

If there are no major problems in the rental, and you do sign the agreement:

Always make sure to have in writing everything that needs to be fixed or done, along with the approximate dates by which the landlord promises to fix each problem.

Take action if the problems have not been fixed when promised, don’t just wait around hoping.
Best bet is to remind the landlord by sending him the list by E-mail or mail. If noone reacts, go to their office.

If you think you can fix some things yourself – tell the landlord.
Write down how much is the refund for that.

Want to read how bad it can really be? Here’s a link to a thread in LandlordZone forum: New flat’s ceiling collapsed and neighbours are noisy.

Photo: West London

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Maintenance, Tenancy Agreement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.