Aaron Costello, Author at Howsy

What are the biggest challenges for landlords in 2021?

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 19 March 202119 March 2021

The past year has prompted many businesses to think about how they work and what could be different moving towards the future. Lockdown and general distancing between people have seen a rethink in the management of assets, especially within the property sector.

It has been a time of reappraisal. Landlords that run businesses from a spreadsheet may well be thinking now is the time to do something different. Technology adoption has accelerated in every sector and property will not and should not be left out.

If you want to grow a portfolio nationally what are the issues?

There are estate agents that have a branch network but don’t cover the whole of the UK. Some management companies are massive and put the management out to tender or to other branches. A few tech options undertake tenant find or management but not both or were London centric. In addition to solving those specific issues, by using different hubs it often means that working practices differ. Which often leads to a period of adjustment and even confusion.

Tenants’ expectations are higher than ever

If a landlord is developing a nationwide portfolio it can be a challenge to find a nationwide provider that knows the properties and the local area inside out. Tenants are very savvy, and they expect detailed and thoughtful inventories and meter readings alongside information. For example, are appliances integrated? Is their installation recent? Is there a video? Can tenants get a real feel for the property both inside and outside and even local information? All of these attentions to smaller details really offers tenants and landlords the kind of service they expect and deserve.

Other challenges might also include excellent check in and check out facilities to avoid late fee charges on fuel bills. When things are measured, they are managed and can make a massive difference to all parties involved in a rental.

Landlords are keen to maintain their asset value.

This can be quite complex but a pertinent consideration especially around the topic of sustainability. In the long term there is a shift towards green finance where low interest rates will be available to energy efficient assets. It’s likely that in future, assets will be less valuable if they do not align to government regulations.

Properties are not inanimate objects but living, breathing assets

Also, one of the best ways to maintain asset value is to consider them as living assets. Your properties should be redesigned and enhanced over time. They are not inanimate objects that do not change. People’s expectations and lifestyle are always shifting, and your property can increase in value when it keeps up with some trends. This is where it is important to use intelligent property and asset management. By thinking carefully about what tenants want then inevitably your property will speak their language and be easier to let and also more marketable.

Consider an individual property’s potential not just the area it sits in

Therefore, we suggest that a landlord should look at the property potential rather than just looking at the value of its location. If a property is attractive people will often forgive other locational factors if this is the property they’ve always wanted. You can add value by knocking living spaces into one or replacing a dated bathroom with a top-quality shower as two examples. It is important to think carefully about the market and about trends and even regulations. If you are on top of your game, then you are rarely in a position when change is forced upon you.

Don’t ignore your properties because things appear to be going well

When a let is going well, and managers are doing an excellent job then the temptation is to stop visiting the property at change of lease because no news is good news. This is probably a mistake. Only you can walk the property and get a feel for the atmosphere, the décor and the current facilities. In addition, it is worth keeping in communication with agents and property managers and the other teams that help manage your properties. When you pick up damage or design issues quickly then they are usually much quicker, cheaper and easier to fix. Think carefully about your relationship with tenants. Some people suggest treating tenants as business partners. If you develop positive relationships with tenants on every level you will probably find the property is looked after more carefully, especially if they know repairs will be attended to quickly and efficiently.

Look for a seamless approach to property management

With technology making life easier for almost everyone Howsy has continued to develop its own software with more exciting innovations to follow Our aim has been to remove unnecessary hassle from the landlord experience. Why have multiple agencies managing properties nationally when you can have one? We pride ourselves on offering a seamless approach which takes away management difficulties.

Mental Health Breathing Space Explained | The Debt Respite Scheme

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 10 March 202110 March 2021

In Part 1 of the Debt Respite Scheme, Debt Breathing Space legislation article, we discussed the implications for landlords and in Part 2 we delve into the mental health crisis breathing space. Do note however that;

‘this is only available to someone who is receiving mental health crisis treatment and it has some stronger protections. It lasts as long as the person’s mental health crisis treatment, plus 30 days (no matter how long the crisis treatment lasts).

Excerpt from UK government publications

This aspect of the legislation is probably the one that has caused much confusion and we felt it was worth quoting the government website again as a starting point.

‘The government committed to develop an alternative route to access the protections for people receiving mental health crisis treatment, so that they do not have to access debt advice first. If an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) certifies that a person is receiving mental health crisis treatment, the AMHP’s evidence can be used by a debt adviser to start a mental health crisis breathing space.

In addition to the debtor, the following people can apply to a debt adviser on behalf of a debtor for a mental health crisis breathing space:

any debtor receiving mental health crisis treatment
the debtor’s carer
Approved Mental Health Professionals
care co-ordinators appointed for the debtor
mental health nurses
social workers
independent mental health advocates or mental capacity advocates appointed for the debtor
a debtor’s representative’

It is important to understand this aspect of the legislation carefully

Many people have missed its point. The Mental Health Breathing Space can only be issued by a registered mental health professional. No one can go to their GP and ask for one, for example.

The Mental Health Breathing Space is only available to someone who is receiving mental health crisis treatment

That is, being locked up against their will because their mental health is a danger to themselves or their community. This also applies to someone who has voluntarily gone into hospital before the section was implemented. The third group of people will be those dealt with by an emergency mental health team. This means they were thinking about sectioning but decided not to as they thought the person could be cared for at home. This pertains to very serious mental health conditions.

We are not talking about someone who is depressed or sad and lonely. These are people who regularly and routinely are at very high risk. They are experiencing a crisis and need very specific help.

Basically, this solution can be applied to a very limited group of situations and people with very serious conditions. It is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card on any level.

The Mental Health Breathing Space legislation differs from a standard breathing space

This is available to anyone experiencing problem debt. It gives people legal protections from creditor action for up to 60 days. The protections include pausing most enforcement action and contact from creditors. It also freezes most interest and charges on their debts. The time for this is limited to 60 days. Under the Mental Health Breathing Space, the freeze lasts for the length of the mental intervention, however long that might be, plus 30 days. It is not time limited

It may sound like a long period but do bear in mind that most people committed to hospital in this way for more than 60 days will probably want to give up their property anyway. We suggest this number is probably 99.9%. They will not be residing in the property so there are other grounds to terminate the tenancy potentially.

However, we want to emphasise that this is a limited category of people we are talking about that need to be cared for, not evicted.

What about Property guarantors? Are they liable?

As a landlord thinking about property guarantors or joint liable tenancies where one person might be granted breathing space but there is another tenant that owes an equal amount but doesn’t have that. What happens?

A Breathing Space applies to all joint tenants that are part of the same tenancy. But they wouldn’t apply to people on single room lets, these are unconnected. If they are on a joint tenancy it applies but doesn’t apply to guarantors. They are not jointly liable, and their liability is separate and is for different reasons anyway. However, in a joint tenancy you could potentially chase the guarantor.

All of this discussion underlines the importance of the landlord regarding undertaking thorough affordability checks and references. There is a responsibility to ensure that tenants can afford the rent responsibility to pay the rent and also to compare income and expenses etc. during the onboarding stage.

Planning for wastage and possible loss is part of good business planning

There is a wider point that if you are running a sensible business then there should be plans in place to meet objectives and even if your tenants can’t pay for a period of time you should be able to manage this having factored in such a scenario. Basically, a business owner is not running a good business if they can’t weather such a storm. Any decent business has to plan for some possibility of wastage and loss.

Of course, single asset business’ are tougher to factor in non-payment especially through Covid and will possibly change the landlord landscape going forward. Some landlords are walking away while others are increasing their portfolios. In these situations portfolio landlords can typically ride the wave more effectively.

However walking away is not the only solution. Landlord protection is available and is something Howsy offers as part of our Protect plan, which includes rent guarantee to protect your income when your renters can’t pay on time. Find out more.

Can you refuse to rent to someone with known mental health issues?

This is unlawful discrimination and actually asking the mental health question contravenes data protection issues. In fact, asking that question will put you in trouble with the Information Commissioner plus the Equality and human Rights Commissioner. This is definitely not a strategy to pursue. In fact, asking the question won’t give you enough value after all there is not an obvious bright line between past and future health conditions. 70-80 % of the general population have low level health issues. As a percentage these numbers are very high, especially at the moment. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a useful decision point.

If you have questions of your own, get in touch via [email protected] and we will do our utmost to help.

Summary from David Smith

We will have to see how this pans out. However, I do not think this will affect too many people. As we slowly unlock courts and potentially a significant number of tenants saying that they have a Breathing Space move into employment with luck they will enter into a debt solution. In theory everyone gets upset at new legislation but ultimately nothing really changes very much.

Growing rent debt and long notice periods and moratoria will stay in property because of debt solutions. If it doesn’t work out not much will change. After all, landlords need to experience 6 months of rent arrears to start proceedings now.

If you are looking for help in managing your properties, to stay on top of growing legislation, and have access to a legal property expert on speed dial, Howsy can help. Find out more about our property management plans here or book a call with one of our team to find out more.

The Tenant Eviction Ban: What you need to know (Update 11th March)

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 15 February 202111 March 2021

11th March 2021 – Update

Yesterday the government announced further support for tenants by extending the bailiff enforced eviction ban and Six-month notice periods until atleast the 31st May. Exceptions to the ban continue, with regards to anti-social behaviour and fraud.

Read the latest government press release here.

How Howsy can help protect landlords during this period

Howsy Protect is one of our comprehensive property management plans. It includes guaranteed rent protection, so your rental income is secure during the most challenging of times.

As an example, some of our landlords who are subscribed to our protect plan, have been able to support renters facing difficult situations over the past 12 months, without impacting their own financial wellbeing.

Howsy Protect also includes appliance and home emergency cover. Check out more here.

Speak to one of the Howsy team, give us a call on 0330 999 1234 or email us and we can begin the process of getting your rent protected.

14th February 2021 – Update

Over the weekend the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced an extension to the ban of bailiff evictions.

The ban was introduced as a result of the pandemic and was originally due to end in January this year however, it was extended to February and now it has been extended for a third time to 31st March. The announcement can be read here. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/housing-secretary-extends-support-for-renters-during-pandemic

At present all we know is that which is included in the press release. However, regulations are expected in the early part of this week. We will update this post as soon as more information is available.

In the meantime for those that are concerned about this extension, it is important to note that there are exemptions to the ban and they are expected to continue. Unless there is a change the current exemptions include illegal occupation, anti-social behaviour and arrears of 6 months’ rent or more.

The courts are likely to continue prioritising possession claims where there is anti social behaviour, illegal occupation or domestic abuse. Landlords will also continue to be offered the government free mediation pilot to support them and their tenants to resolve disputes before a formal court hearing takes place.

16th October 2020 – Update

The tenant eviction ban has been in force over the past five months to protect tenants from being evicted by their landlords throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Many individuals are facing financial hardship and struggling to keep up with rental payments due to job losses and a reduction in salary due to being furloughed. Before the ban, many tenants were at risk of eviction from their homes and the government has sought to protect tenants with this initiative. The English government has also announced that landlords will need to give tenants six months notice of eviction until the end of March 2021. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said this is to help protect tenants through the winter months but will keep these measures under review.

Yet, where there are cases of anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse, this will not apply. Once courts open, they will then priortise those cases and where landlords have not received rent for over a year.

Our advice to tenants

If you are having difficulty paying your rent, speak to your landlord asap and try to come to some arrangement. At least let them know the situation so they can be clear and understand what you’re going through.
If you’re receiving housing benefit or Universal credit currently and unable to be furloughed, you may be able to get a discretionary housing payment from the council.

What this means for landlords

Although the eviction ban supports tenants, it has left numerous landlords without rental income. Some landlords have said this “blanket approach” is unacceptable. Each landlord is different and in different circumstances. Some landlords may be renters themselves and rely on renting their property out to cover the mortgage for the property they currently live in. Some landlords rely on this income for their pension and financial stability. Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association said, “Private landlords cannot be expected to foot the bill for government failure.”

Landlords also need to be given some way to have their income protected if tenants can’t pay their rent. Yet currently, there is no government support available. In some cases, landlords are able to have buy to let mortgage payment breaks but this can impact on landlords looking to get buy to let mortgages further down the line.

Although the current situation we’re facing is no fault of the nation’s tenants, it is simply unfair to expect landlords as the backbone of the rental market to foot the bill for unpaid rent. Not only has the ban been extended but landlords must now face an increased eviction notice period before they can even commence court proceedings.

With such an unprecedented backlog, there will no doubt be sizable delays that could see landlords face an even longer wait before they can reclaim their bricks and mortar investment. As a result, some could be facing in excess of a year without any rental income.

The Government is yet to provide any form of help other than the rather pitiful buy-to-let mortgage holiday which, in some cases, can impact a landlord’s financial credentials further down the line.

10 Christmas decoration ideas for renters

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 17 December 202017 December 2020

After the year we’ve all had what better way to bring some joy into your life by going all out for Christmas. Making your home festive and cosy can lift your spirits and add a little touch of sparkle to your world. On those dark winter days, there’s nothing cosier than being at home surrounded by a twinkling tree, the smells of Christmas and staying snug.

If you’re in a rented property, there may be a few things you’ll need to consider before you turn your house into santa’s grotto. We’ve put together a few key things to consider when decorating your property so you keep your property in great condition and will still leave the walls and your deposit fully intact.

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is without a doubt the star of the show. If you’re currently in an apartment and are lacking space, there’s some lovely potted trees you can get for smaller spaces with lights and decorations on them. You can get these from most supermarkets and garden centres. You could also jump on the branch decorating bandwagon, where you just decorate a branch? Either way, you don’t need an 8ft spruce to feel festive.

If you prefer a real tree then measure the area first where it will be. Dragging a real tree in and stuffing into a tight corner can end up damaging the place, plus needles falling into the woodwork and scratching the floors. If you don’t want the hassle, you can get some lovely artificial trees dusted in snow that look lifelike. For minimum hassle have you seen the pop up artificial trees? Now that is a game changer!

Garlands

If you have a fireplace, this is another place to make into a focal point. Place a garland on top of the fireplace with lights strung over it. If you want to add stockings, place some metal hooks into the garland to hang the stockings from without needing to hammer any nails into the fireplace.

A beautiful garland trailing up the banister or over a door always looks very classic and stunning and helps to bring the festivities throughout the house. All you need to do is simply wrap them around the banister and rest on top of the edge of a door but if they do need to stay in place. You can easily add some pine cones, bows or lights to the garlands too and make a more inexpensive garland look more grand.

Scents

You can also feel Christmassy with different scents and this can add to the Christmas ambience. Check in your tenancy agreement to see if you can have candles before you have them planted throughout your house. To be on the safe side, you could place in the hallway winter potpourri full of cinnamon spices, dried fruit and berries to heighten the senses. You can even buy mulled wine and gingerbread room diffusers and air fresher too.

Light up your life

At Christmas, sparkling fairy lights on the tree, fireplace and throughout your home is beautiful but they can also be a hazard and can cause fires due to overheating. Lights shouldn’t be left on for long periods of time and not overnight. It’s a good idea to look at getting some battery powered fairy lights. If you want to go all out and have outdoor lights too, you could also end up running a massive bill, so perhaps look at using a light projector instead. You can have snowflakes, santas and elves lighting up your home and giving it a festive feel. This can also be used indoors so consider something such as this rather than placing stickers on windows and leaving marks.

Bring the outdoors in

Bring nature indoors and create some beautiful decorations . When you’re next out walking, keep an eye out for pinecones, holly and mistletoe. You could spray pine cones with gold spray and place in a decorative bowl as a cute coffee table centrepiece. Holly will also look lovely woven into a wreath or your garland too.

Be on Point-settia

With it’s red and green colour nothing says Christmas like a poinsettia. They instantly add a festive touch to a bookshelf, bedside table or hallway.

Deck the walls

Be careful about wall damage and ensure your decorations don’t leave marks. Avoid as much as possible nails, screws, paint, stickers and tape to hang up decorations. Command tape is a better way to hang up any decorations. If you want to display cards, rather than blu tacking them to the wall or doors, you could use a card holder or a hang ups christmas card holder which is a damage free way of displaying cards.

A Cosy ho ho home

Christmas is all about feeling warm and fuzzy and there’s no simpler way to do this then making your home really cosy. Think faux fur throws, knitted cushions or chunky cashmere blankets sat on the armrest ready to wrap you up.

Get crafty

It’s often the living room that gets all the Christmas love but it’s good to have a sprinkle of Christmas magic throughout the house. In the kitchen, you could use jars and vases in a new way and get creative. Fill them up with candy canes, gingerbread men and Christmas cookies.

The Main Event

On Christmas day, everyone will sit around the table so it can become a real festive centrepiece. Firstly, place a tablecloth or table runner on the table. It doesn’t matter if your table has gone beyond shabby chic, you can cover it up and add plenty of table decorations. Consider having a centerpiece on the table or at different ends of the table (depending on how big it is) such as some wreaths, stunning candle holders too with some Christmas candles in them. You could then cover your chairs with a range of different covers. The santa’s hat one is a fave! When it’s time to set the table, just a few little touches will make the difference – a festive napkin with a holder, Christmas crackers nestled in each place and of course, bring out the best festive cutlery and crockery.

We hope you’re feeling festive and your home is super cosy. Have a great Christmas!

Howsy win two awards!

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 10 December 202010 December 2020

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve recently won two lucrative awards. We’ve won the Best Online Business at the Growing Business Awards and the Best Letting Agency in the Property Reporter Awards in association with NRLA.

It was a tough category in the Growing Business Awards with companies such as Mindful Chef and Snag Tights as other finalists but we’re absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this prestigious accolade. It’s truly a testament to the tireless work of the Howsy team and has shown how far we’ve come.

We’re continuing to grow and we’re all about shaking up the lettings industry and flipping the traditional estate agency model on its head. So therefore, getting an award such as Best Letting Agency in the Property Reporter Awards has really shown how we’re making real headway within the industry. To be recognised by such a prestigious awarding body is fantastic.

The judges for the Property Reporter Awards have said “Their desire to challenge the status quo with more efficient processes stood out” “Well ahead of their time” “Flexible, transparent & responsive”

We’re truly on a mission to make renting better for everyone, so winning this award as Best Letting Agency is really special for us. For so long the lettings industry hasn’t been working for landlords and tenants and we’re dedicated to making it work for everyone. It’s great to be recognised as the Best Letting Agency.

10 steps to self-managing rental properties

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 10 December 202014 April 2021

Self-managing your property can provide you with a range of benefits. It can save you a fortune in agent fees for a start. Letting agencies typically charge between 8-20% of your rental income for property management, so it’s no wonder many landlords are beginning to look to self manage their properties to increase their buy to let yield.

However, self-managing properties can be a lot of work and there’s a fair bit of legislation that you also need to know in order to be a compliant landlord. It can be a minefield knowing how to go about managing your properties on your own and where to even begin.

Often, if a landlord has moved away or simply doesn’t have the time to manage their properties, they’ll turn to a letting agent to manage this. But if you do want to D.I.Y, we’ve created a list of things you need to know to help you get started:

1. Get your property rental ready

Before you rent out your property, you need to ensure that the home has no repairs that need doing and that the home is safe to be rented out. It’s a good idea to get gas appliances (i.e. boilers, ovens, radiators) tested by registered engineers to check that all lights and electrical outlets are working safely. Older boilers may be considered unsafe by modern standards and could need replacing before tenants can move into the property.

You’ll also need to ensure that safety devices (e.g. smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors) are all installed too.

In order to ensure that all electrical appliances are safe to use, it is often necessary for a PAT test to be carried out on a rental property. Likewise, landlords are required by law to produce an Energy Performance Certificate, Gas Safety Certificate and also an E.I.C.R (which was only recently introduced) before renting out their properties.

2. Kerb Appeal

You may even need to give your place a mini-makeover to make it more appealing. Opt for a neutral colour palette so there’s room for personalisation. If you’ve got bold and striking colours and accent walls, consider toning them down because they won’t be to everyone’s liking. Tenants need to feel like they could move in and wouldn’t need to do much work to the property.

If you’re advertising your property as fully furnished, ensure that the furniture is of a high standard and you have all of the key pieces in the property, including a sofa, dining table and chairs, bed stand and storage space. Not everyone enjoys a flat pack Ikea home.

3. What rent to charge

You don’t want to overvalue your property as this can put tenants off and can leave your property vacant a lot longer. If you undervalue it then you’ll reduce your potential yield. Therefore it’s vital you get this part right. Compare via property portals the price of other properties in the area that have the same amount of bedrooms, bathrooms and similar furnished/unfurnished homes.

4. Property advertising

When your property is good to go, you can now advertise it to attract prospective tenants. 95% of tenants start their search for properties by looking at websites such as RightMove, Zoopla, On the Market and Facebook MarketPlace. Advertise your property across these leading websites for maximum exposure. There’s several tools on the market to help you easily do this, including companies such as Upad and Urban.

5. Viewings

Once you have viewing requests come through, you’ll need to attend these yourself as a D.I.Y landlord. It’s a great way to gauge your prospective tenants and to get a feel for what they could be like. Try and be available in unsociable hours as tenants may need to view properties in the evenings and at weekends around work commitments.

7. Tenancy security deposit

Once you’ve found your tenants, you may ask them for a deposit to secure the home or room. You’ll need to consider how much of a deposit you want to ask for. As a general rule of thumb, the deposit is normally no more than the cost of a month’s rent upfront. Or are you happy to proceed without a deposit and look at an insurance based scheme instead?

If your property is in England and Wales and will be let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), you are legally required to hold the deposit in a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme (TDS). This is a legal obligation that you must uphold. A TDS is an independent third-party scheme that offers protection to the landlord and the tenant. The three providers landlords can choose from are The Tenancy Deposit Scheme, The Deposit Protection Service and MyDeposits.

You’re required to submit the deposit and the tenants should receive confirmation of this within 30 days of sending the deposit. The deposit should also be given back within 10 days of the tenant leaving the property.

8. Money Money Money

Now you need to be able to agree on a date that the rent’s due and how to collect it. Will the tenant transfer it into your bank account via a standing order? Will they pay you in cash directly to you? Figure out what’s best for both parties.

9. Managing Repairs

As a landlord you’re responsible for the following repairs or issues within the property:

electrical wiring
gas pipes and boilers
heating and hot water
chimneys and ventilation
sinks, baths, toilets, pipes and drains
common areas including entrance halls and stairways
the structure and exterior of the building, including walls, stairs and bannisters, roof, external doors and windows
Damp, mould
Rat and mice infestation

10. Evicting a tenant

Hopefully your time as a landlord goes smoothly but it’s a good idea to get eviction cover if things don’t work out with a tenant. For instance, if a tenant isn’t paying their rent or there’s anti-social behaviour going on and you need them removed from the property, this can end up being quite a draining task – not just on your emotions but on your bank balance. By having eviction cover, you can cover the legal fees if in the worst case it needs to go to court, the cost of bailiffs and also the cost of locksmiths in certain cases.

Keep up with regulation

It’s important to keep up to date with different regulations that come in over time so that you stay compliant and you know that you’ll be a law abiding landlord. It’s easy to miss a piece of legislation or not keep in the loop with changes but it’s important to always keep in the know. A good starting point is to keep an eye on the NRLA website.

An extra helping hand

Being a D.I.Y landlord can be massively rewarding and you can really reap the rewards. However, we can’t deny that property management can be time consuming and everyone needs a helping hand. Our Howsy Connect product gives landlords the tools they need to make property management that bit easier.

Through the Connect dashboard you can instantly market your property across Rightmove, OntheMarket, Zoopla and more, manage viewings and negotiate offers. We’ll even include two free references and credit checks.

In addition to this, automated rent chasing and collection with same-day payment processing is set up, so you are never out of pocket.

Finally on top of all this you will also receive eviction cover, including court fees, bailiffs and locksmiths.

Discover more about Howsy Connect

Coronavirus Advice for Landlords and Tenants

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 23 October 202010 November 2020

First and foremost, I hope that you and your loved ones are well. We have all read or used the clichés “unprecented”, “uncertain” and “challenging” times, but the fact remains that none of us have seen anything like this.

As a predominantly online business, we were able to adapt quickly to the government restrictions, so it has largely been business as normal for us apart from the team are almost exclusively remote working.

With the situation changing daily, like everyone, we are monitoring the news closely to see how the government will work to ensure that the nation’s landlords and tenants are protected during this period.

On 29 March, the government published full advice for Landlords and Tenants. On 12 May, this was updated to allow property viewings, prepare properties for renting and move home, effectively restarting the lettings market. Whilst there is no specific mention of social distancing, it goes without saying that it is expected all these activities need to happen whilst maintaining a safe distance from others. There is a lot of reliance on all of us to use our common-sense.

Our clear plan will enable people to move home safely, covering each aspect of the sales and letting process from viewings to removals…. [and] is based on the latest guidance to ensure the safety and protection of everyone involved. This critical industry can now safely move forward, and those waiting patiently to move can now do so.

Robert Jenrick MP, Housing Secretary

Protect yourself

Most importantly, make sure you are keeping up to date with government advice. Washing hands, working from home, social distancing – all things that you’ve seen in the news that are important changes for all of us. Whilst it does appear that restrictions are slowly being loosened, for many of us things won’t change immediately.

Protect others

From 10 May, the edict from the government changed from “Stay at home” to “Stay alert”. Whilst there is more that is open to interpretation, the key messages are:

Stay at home as much as possible
Work from home if you can
Limit contact with other people
Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from others
Wash your hands regularly

If you or anyone in your household are showing any symptoms of coronavirus, then you must self-isolate yourself immediately for the protection of those who are most vulnerable. This is incumbent on all of us.

Response times

Our teams are almost exclusively working from home, and whilst this is not unusual for us as a modern technology company, it is exceptional that so many of us are working remotely at the same time. As a result, our response times could be affected. We are trying to prioritise responding to urgent requests or those from the more vulnerable, so please bear with us if we don’t get back to you quickly.

However, we are still open 24/7, and we’re on hand to help both landlords and tenants as usual.

As I mentioned, circumstances are changing, and we’re ensuring we’re keeping updated and adapting quickly. We know that the government is never going to be able to provide details to cover all scenarios. So in absence of specifics, we hope decision making and issue resolution will be done with a mixture of common sense, empathy and compassion for all.

Click here for advice specific to Tenants

Click here for advice specific to Landlords

Please stay safe and look after each other.

Calum Brannan
Founder & CEO, Howsy

Remote working creates new buy to let hotspots

by Aaron CostelloPosted on 30 September 20208 December 2020

Workers look to move out of the commuter belt to London, as remote working gives people more freedom and choice. Living by the sea can now be a reality!

Since the Coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, many office based workers have been forced to work from home in a bid to curb the spread of the outbreak. Offices have been left empty for months, as many workers have had to set up office at home. As this remote working life is set to continue, it’s left many people questioning where they live. As people no longer need to commute to work for the most part, the opportunities to live anywhere have really opened up.

If you ever wanted to live in a remote cottage nestled in the countryside or always longed for that sea view, it could now be a reality. Office based work is being done from anywhere and so the focus becomes more about where you’d want to live rather than moving to where the work is.

Where are people moving to?

According to research by RightMove, there is noticeable migration out of the centre of London and way beyond the commuting towns. The top three cities people are flocking from London to are Cambridge, Gloucester and Oxford. Cambridge alone has seen a 76% increase in searches. Rents in these cities are higher than the national average but still around £600 cheaper than London per month.

In London, Kingston upon Thames and Chessington are now London’s new prime renting locations with searches for rental properties in Chessington increasing by 99%.

Rents are still high in Chessington and according to Yahoo Finance have increased by 4.3% over the last year averaging £1,258 per month. Yet, this is still on average £742 cheaper than the average rent across the whole of London.

It’s becoming evident that people are moving to the outskirts of London and out of the city altogether. The shift from swapping urban areas for a slower pace of life appears to be happening over the last few months. With more people working remotely and having time to reassess their life and where they want to live, these moves are sure to continue.

This is undoubtedly going to change the rental landscape as new hotspots open up across the country and not just in major University towns or the capital. As the working world has currently changed and companies embrace this new approach to a work/life balance, this could open up opportunities for everyone.