Advice For Landlords

Table of Contents

• Communication Is Key
• Our Aim To Deliver Results, Fast!
• Our Competitive Pricing Structure, It’s A No-Brainer!
• You’ll Have a Dedicated Account Handler
• We’ve Tackled Modern Problems, With Modern Solutions
• Long-Standing Contractors Working On A Fast Turnaround
• Complete Transparency With Payments
• Opening Hours At Your Convenience
• Our Finishing Touches Are Second To None!
• Location Isn’t An Issue
• What Next?

With the multitude of agents in and around Luton, it can quickly become a minefield of information thrown at you, making your decision on who to work with that much harder!

With this article, as well as our "How Much Will Abbey Property Charge To Rent Your Property?" article, it's a sure-fire way to gain knowledge with what we offer as a business, and for you to gauge whether we are best suited working with you and your property.

Communication Is Key

Communication is key. Sorry, I just had to reiterate it!

It sounds like such a cliché thing to say, but it's true. You entrust an agent with one of, if not the most valuable asset you own. You want to be kept updated with everything. From what kind of tenants will be living there, when they'll be moving in, when the check-in inventory inspection was done, when payments will be released, so on, and so forth.

Without being updated regularly, how can you be sure your property is being looked after in your best interests?

This is where we are proud to excel! Communication is incredibly important to us, whether you're a long-standing, or a new landlord, the treatment and expectation is consistent. For this reason alone, in the last 12 months we have gained instructions from landlords that have taken their properties away from their initial agent! And as of yet, no complaints.

Our Aim To Deliver Results, Fast!

No matter the circumstances, all landlords want their property to be tenanted as soon as possible to minimise rent void period as best as possible.

We promise to market and list your property within 48 hours upon your instruction! All with professional photography, floorplans, and an in-depth video tour... But more on that later.

This doesn't necessarily mean we skimp on the quality of tenants; we strive to receive the applicants supporting documents and references within a requested time-limit. And also endeavour to complete referencing within 24 hours of receiving all the relevant documents we need!

Our Competitive Pricing Structure, It's A No-Brainer!

So, as I mentioned previously, we have an article... "How Much Will Abbey Property Charge To Rent Your Property?".

Clear as day, the options you have when working with us, and rough ball-park figures on how much you can expect to pay for each level of service.

We definitely aren't the cheapest, neither are we the most expensive. The bracket we sit in is comfortable for us, a sensible fee, in return for a sensible and proven level of service.

Nice and simple, no frills. 

You'll Have a Dedicated Account Handler

Believe it or not, as of April 2022 (when this article was first written), we only have two negotiators working in the office. Myself (Nihal), and Naeem.

We tackle everything, from meeting potential clients and landlords, conducting all viewings and referencing procedures, move-ins, inventories, inspections, majority of the admin and paperwork, pretty much everything other than the accounts! (We aren't amazing with numbers, and leave that with our director Zahid)

Amongst all this, we currently have circa 100 managed properties, which don't include the previous landlords that we have helped on a Let-Only or Rent Collection basis!

It does keep us busy, however keeping a prioritised idea of what should be done in our scheduled days, means it's never too much for us!

So, whether you work with me, or Naeem, one of us will all always be your sole point of contact. You can say good-bye to the franchised companies that are only there for you whilst finding a tenant, to then find out anything to do with management has been passed to their head office miles away split amongst a team of 10, all overlooking different areas!

We've Tackled Modern Problems, With Modern Solutions

Time is everything for us, in order to be as efficient as possible we are always evolving and looking for new innovative ideas to make life easier.

As a first example, gone are the days of loose photographs emailed and a paper inventory to cover any check-in's, check-out's, or mid-term inspections. We use a platform called InventoryBase to hold all the address information, we collate 1-2-300 photographs (all of which can be annotated for clarity), and be sent to be e-signed by the required parties. 
The final result, a complete PDF with all the relevant information in the instance you ever need to refer to it as evidence. A completed copy will always be given to our landlords for their records.

Our second example is a platform called PropertyFile. Both landlord and tenants can be given access to this platform. It shows a run-down of everything.
From a landlord perspective, you can view and download statements of income and expenditure for your property, previous and planned maintenance, as well as register any upcoming works you plan to do to your property.
And from a tenants perspective, kept up to date on what they've paid and when, as well as the facility to log maintenance issues with supporting photographs for our contractors benefit.

And our third example is the use of Adobe Sign, a tenancy agreement is an incredibly important document that can be used for both informational and legal purposes. We utilize Adobe Sign for every tenancy, for a couple of good reasons.
Firstly, it is incredibly convenient, the document is received via email to be read and completed at their own leisure. Plus, once completed, all relevant parties have a copy emailed to them, gone are the days of paper copies needed to be given out.
Secondly, its secure. The document sent out is locked and cannot be amended or adapted by anyone other than Abbey Property. All e-signs are date and time stamped for full clarity and transparency.

And finally, our utilization of YouTube. A great platform in which we have been active for years and have published so much, both informational, and educational! YouTube has also become a great source of leads for our marketed properties, both first-hand, and via recommendation. 
Take a look for yourself here!
https://www.youtube.com/c/AbbeyProperty/videos

Long-Standing Contractors Working On A Fast Turnaround

Being established since 2015, we have adopted a great contractor client-base, whom we have used for years with various different properties.

All vetted and checked, with ID taken and proof of liability insurance provided. They are ready to attend most mishaps we come across without hesitation. We uphold a minimum standard with a prioritised list of what repairs should be done within a specified timescale.

For example, a leaky tap isn't something to lose sleep over, as long as its done in 3-5 days there shouldn't be a risk of anything more sinister happening. However, if there is a smell of gas, this is an immediate danger. We'd respond accordingly by getting an emergency contractor out as soon as possible to rectify this. Realistically within only a few hours.

Complete Transparency With Payments

A steady and reliable stream of income is amongst the strongest reasons why a landlord owns a property.

Ensuring your money is being handled correctly is an incredibly important factor, and we recognise this.

In first instance we distribute our agency agreement with all the levels of services we offer, and any applicable fees too. Making the transaction of working together transparent with no hidden costs.  Only once this agreement is signed, will we take a property on-board.

We are kept fully up-to date with the latest legal compliance, this includes adhering to the Tenant Fees Act (2019), and not breaching this act by charging unnecessary fees to the tenant.

And finally, both landlords and tenants get access to PropertyFile. A portal in which is updated immediately regarding rent demands as well as payments, it is also where landlords have access to statements for accounting purposes. Creating this ease of access to their accounts means there is little to no delay in regards to finding out what was paid, and when it was paid, as well as being able to keep a record of this.

Opening Hours At Your Convenience

Short and sweet, we're open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. And on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. We work staggered shifts to ensure someone is always readily available to help, any enquiries made with us are guaranteed to be responded to within 24 hours. 

Frequently we will work out of hours too, but this is entirely dependant individual circumstances. We'll always welcome a chat to see how we can best fit your schedule with ours.

Not only that, but our lines of communication are vast! A traditional call, both I and Naeem have office mobile phones we can be called, texted, emailed or even sent a WhatsApp message on, as well as our Google Business Page messaging service. All these lines of communication will be responded to, again, within 24 hours. 

Our Finishing Touches Are Second To None!

The approach we take to market our properties are incomparable to most other agents.

As a minimum standard, professional photography, both 2D & 3D floorplans, together with a full walk-through video tour are aspects we endeavour to create for all properties we take on. All for good reason too.

Before the prospective applicant even enquires to view the property, they'll have the best possible chance to check out the available material to determine whether that property definitely fits their needs and wants.

This saves everyone time, from us as agents, showing around applicants that are uninterested from the moment they walk in the door. The applicants, as they could be better utilizing that time finding another property. And you as the landlord, by helping us get the right tenants moved in in the shortest timeframe possible for you.

Location Isn't An Issue

No matter where your property is located, we can still help you with any of our levels of service.

We have found tenants for, and managed properties out of the Luton area for a while now, commercial units in Central London, a house-share in Northampton, and a new-build 4-bed detached house in Leighton Buzzard are some of our most recent examples.

Our marketing reach is incredible, from our little office in Luton we have prospective applicants contacting us from the opposite ends of the country enquiring with us.

What Next?

Give us a call!

Any questions you may have, ask away and we'll look to answer them to the best of our ability.

The discussion we have will give us both the best possible idea of the wants and needs required within this business transaction, and will provide a better idea of if working together is the right plan going forward.

In most instances, the answer will be yes, we are suitable. And if so, we look to move forward in the fastest time-frame possible to get the ball rolling, to get your property tenanted.

Lastly, we pride ourselves on being the most highly rated and reviewed agent in Luton out of 100+ competitors. We know first-hand that online reviews are the initial point of decision-making in most aspects, even when choosing where to eat for dinner! Check out our reviews to see for yourself just how many people rate us!