Landlords often have bad press. Many are accused of being rogues who are only in the business for the purposes of making money, but according to a recent survey carried out by the AA, this simply isn’t true. Instead of turning a deaf ear to pleas from their tenants to fix boilers and other common household problems, caring UK landlords are going the extra mile to put things right.
A Change of Plan
Somewhat surprisingly, seven out of ten landlords have changed plans at the last minute to help their tenants. One in five UK landlords have come home early from their holiday, 8% have chosen to leave a family event, and 16% have taken time off work to help sort out a tenant’s problem, which is pretty nice of them.
The majority of landlords don’t use a letting agent, so it is up to them to sort out problems their tenants may have. This can include all manner of things, from broken down boilers to storm damage. Unfortunately, this means that landlords are effectively on call 24/7.
Organise Holiday Cover
It is sensible for landlords to have arrangements in place for such times when they are not available to sort problems out. Make sure your tenants have a point of contact—a relative or friend will do. It is also a good idea to let them have the contact details for tradesmen you normally use, so if the boiler breaks down they can call out an engineer you are familiar with and whom you know won’t overcharge. You may also wish to let them have telephone numbers for your insurance company in the event of a home emergency.
