Repair Tips For Landlords from @Fixflo:
January 12, 2016
Investing in property may be seen as a safe way to make money, but it can be an expensive one too!
If you’re new to buy to let you’ll quickly find out that the costs don’t stop once you’ve purchased the property.
While ensuring that rent covers your fixed outgoings (mortgage, insurance, service charge etc) is a critical first step, overlook variable repairs/maintenance costs at your peril.
For those landlords who self-manage and are uncertain as to the scope of their repairing responsibilities, Government website gov.uk lists them as the following:
- heating and hot water
- gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation
- the property’s structure and exterior
- basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings including pipes and drains
- electrical wiring
- any damage caused by attempting repairs
It’s also worth noting that upcoming changes to the rules around serving a section 21 notice are reframing landlords’ responsibilities in terms of the condition of their property rather than disrepair. (see more at: www.fixflo.com/Section-21)
Many landlords outsource the additional stress that managing a property causes to their local letting agency.
Professional property management costs but it should mean that your property is managed by someone who knows the sea of legislation and regulation that governs property management and which changes all too frequently!
In addition professional property management should shield you from the day-to-day dramas that tenants may call to their attention – from broken boilers to cracked guttering and anything in between.
They may also benefit from having a wide and deep pool of local contractors who will be available to fix your property around the clock if something serious goes wrong.
If you choose to take up this option, it’s essential to ask your agency exactly how they deal with repairs, what kind of timescale they work on, and how much they plan to consult you on a short-term basis.
Some agents may suggest you provide a working float which they can dip into for minor repairs rather than having to constantly consult you. This means faster repairs for your tenants and a more hands off investment for you.
Others may opt to run each and every repair by you instead.
For landlords who choose not to exercise their right to outsource property management and want to take a more DIY approach, the most important pieces of advice we have is to always deal with issues promptly and to be accessible to your tenants.
Many landlords find out the hard way what a negative effect waiting even a few weeks can have on their property following leaks. This truly is a case of time costing money.
Click here to see if the agency you use has is one of the hundreds across the UK that have invested in a Fixflo system to protect their clients’ properties.
If they haven’t ask them what processes they have in place to:
-communicate with tenants who don’t speak English proficiently
-boost first time fixes and reduce your costs
-ensure your tenants know what to do to protect your property in an emergency
You May Also Enjoy
High Quality Modular Homes for the UK
Are you looking for added accommodation space in your garden / on your land? Modular Living Homes by tutumHOUSE offer a new way to live – minimalist in form, rich in experience. “There are approximately 9.6 million homes in the UK with a garden shed, and around 52% of the population owns one.” asgardsss There…
Read More 
The most stressful places to move to in the UK
With more people in the UK moving homes during summer than any other season and the average cost of moving in the UK rising to over £14,000, picking the right place to move to has become more crucial than ever. Luckily, new research from Pay Less for Storage reveals the UK cities that make life easiest…
Read More 
Time-Traveling Estate Agent Sequel Climbs Amazon Charts
A UK Estate Agent Currently Bringing Joy to People’s Lives – Shame He’s Fictional… Eric Meek, the fictional estate agent created by author Dale Bradford, is back for a second outing in The Time‑Travelling Estate Agent 2, a sequel that is already climbing Amazon’s bestselling time‑travel rankings. Estate agents were recently highlighted as the third…
Read More 
Is it finally time for lenders to back green homes?
Andrew Smith weighs the risks and rewards Property developers are increasingly pitching green homes to lenders; however, with sales cycles slowing down and repair costs rising, is now the right time to back sustainable builds and at what price point is there market demand? Sustainability is continuing to shape our future of construction with the…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 24/07/25
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. OpticWise – digital infrastructure in commercial real estate If your building were a product, how would it perform on the user experience scale? Week 9: Experience as Infrastructure – Designing for Human-Centric Buildings Welcome to Week 9 of our 52-week journey into the future…
Read More 
UK Housebuilding Falters as Construction Hiring Flatlines
New research from Inventory Base reveals that UK construction industry employment has increased by almost 11% in the past five years, but there has been less than 1% growth in the past 12 months. Inventory Base’s analysis of the UK construction industry shows that in 2024 (latest data available) it employed an estimated total of…
Read More