Lettings - good property maintenance
Sun, May 13, 2018
Maintaining your rental property gives your tenants a safe living environment, which they are entitled to by law.
Follow our essential advice as a good standard of maintenance also helps the property keep its value and reduces the risk of emergency repairs, which can prove costly:
Carry out regular inspections of your propertyTenants may not tell you about problems until they leave. Regular checks will also give you a good insight into how well your property is being looked after. Our managed landlords are sent regular inspection reports detailing the condition of their properties.
Budget for repairs and replacements
If there is a problem it is best to act quickly; the problem won’t go away and may end costing more in the long run. Landlords using Andrew Grant’s managed service are safe in the knowledge that they can rely on our pool of highly vetted and trusted local contractors. We have long term contractor relationships that benefit both the landlord and the tenant.
Boilers and appliances need frequent servicing to keep them safe and to also reduce the chances of anything going wrong.
It's important to remember that all properties are subject to wear and tear, this can depend on the type of tenant (family, single occupancy) and the length of tenancy, if you allow smoking or pets. You are not allowed “betterment” (old items cannot be replaced with new) at the full cost to the tenant, an allowance must be made for depreciation.
Decoration
Your contents, décor, fixtures and fittings all have a typical life expectancy given that such items are of a medium quality at the start of the tenancy. The figures below give a broad overview of life-span, but should only be used as a guideline when assessing replacement values or compensation by the tenant to the landlord at the end of the tenancy.
| Decorating | |
|---|---|
| Hallway/landing/stairs | 2-3 years |
| Dining Room | 6 years |
| Kitchen/bathroom | 2-3 years |
| Living room | 4 years |
| Bedroom | 5 years |
| Carpets | |
|---|---|
| Budget Carpet | 2-3 years |
| Medium quality carpet | 4-8 years |
| High quality carpet | Up to 15 years |
| Appliances | |
|---|---|
| Washing machines | 3–5 years |
| Cookers/ovens/hobs | 4-6 years |
| Fridges | 5-8 years |
