Being a letting agent sounds straightforward. You find tenants for properties, arrange viewings of those properties, manage the paperwork required to let those properties and help those properties to get rented.
However, anyone who has worked in the letting of properties knows that there are often some unexpected problems that arise during the process.
One minute you could be arranging a viewing for your rental property. Next, you’re trying to work out why a tenant has no heating on the coldest morning of the year.
Keys are known to disappear at the most inopportune moments.
Perhaps the tenant who rented the apartment has lost their keys. Maybe the tenant did not return the keys to the apartment after viewing it. Or perhaps the contractor who was hired to perform work on the apartment took the wrong key with them when they left.
Though it may seem like a small problem to those who are not experiencing it, being unable to enter one’s own home can be an important problem for people who are trying to enter their home.
The problem of heating and hot water in a home is unlikely to happen at a convenient time.
The boiler may appear to be in good health for several months before suddenly deciding to cease functioning altogether. The letting agent must then attempt to contact the tenant, landlord and heating engineer in order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
It’s a lesson in staying calm under pressure.
The “Small” Maintenance Issue
A dripping tap may not seem like an important issue. Neither does a loose door handle or a toilet that occasionally has trouble flushing.
But small problems have a tendency to become bigger ones if ignored.
Good letting agents will take these complaints seriously, even if they seem minor. A quick response can help prevent more expensive repairs from being required of the tenant. For Cheltenham Letting Agents, contact www.meandyouestateagents.co.uk/lettings/
Communication Problems
Sometimes the hardest problem isn’t physical at all.
The tenant may become frustrated if they have not received any updates from the landlord. The landlord may be waiting for an update from the contractor that was hired to perform repairs on the rental property. The letting agent is typically the one that acts as the liaison between the landlord and the tenant, attempting to keep both parties informed of any developments regarding the rental property.
Clear communication can make an enormous difference in the situation. Even if there is no immediate solution to the problem, people generally feel better knowing what is happening.
The Unexpected Human Situations
There are also situations that cannot be prepared for by any training manual.
The circumstances of a tenant can change in an instant. The landlord may experience an unexpected issue with their rental property. A neighbour may make a complaint that needs to be investigated by the landlord.
These situations require more than knowledge of property law. They require patience, empathy, organisation and good judgement.
