BBC landlord show serving as eye-opener to industry

A BBC One landlord programme should serve as an eye-opener for the entire lettings industry, according to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks.

The Week the Landlords Moved In, airing at 9pm on Wednesday evenings, allows landlords the opportunity to spend a week in their tenants’ property, living on their weekly budget.

Serious Issues

The AIIC believes that the single largest issue uncovered by the documentary series is the lack of communication between landlords, their management companies and tenants.

In the first two episodes of the series, problems ranged from mould and damp, to broken windows and leftover rubbish.

Living their tenants’ daily life has proven to be an eye-opening experience for all landlords taking part in the series. The AIIC says that the documentary should serve as a wakeup call for the entire industry.

Communication

Danny Zane, Joint Chair of the AIIC, noted: ‘It’s been interesting to watch this series and see that arguably the most significant problem for tenants, landlords or those managing rental properties is a lack of communication.’

‘Tenants failing to report maintenance issues or their landlords or managers failing to deal with requests resulted in some fairly serious problems in these properties which could have been avoided with better communication.’

‘One landlord taking part in the show noted that he would no longer be going on the ‘happy assumption’ that tenants would call him if there was a problem.’

‘Alongside a lack of communication, another issue raised by the series is a lack of site visits and inspections. When the landlords taking part in the programme actually visited their properties, the true extent of some of the problems became instantly apparent.’[1]

Inspections

The programme highlights the paramount importance of mid-term inspections. These are crucial in helping landlords assess how the condition of their property has altered in comparison to the inventory conducted at the start of the agreement. In turn, this will lower the chance of any disputes at the conclusion of the tenancy.

Emma Glencross, Joint Chair AIIC, stated: ‘Mid-term inspections and regular site visits to rental properties are essential. If landlords and property managers can attend to problems quickly, this is better for the tenant and the long-term condition of the property. It’s well-known that small maintenance issues left to get worse over a long period of time could end up costing a landlord a significant amount of money at the end of a tenancy.’[1]

Danny Zane concluded by saying: ‘It’s positive that this series has been given a primetime slot on BBC One as it will hopefully act as a reminder to both tenants and landlords that communication is all-important and maintenance issues should be reported and dealt with as swiftly as possible.’[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/aiic-bbc-landlord-show-is-an-eye-opener-for-the-industry.html