Landlords

Rent is paid weekly in advance, sometimes monthly or 4 weekly depending on how the person gets paid. We encourage all tenants to set up direct debits with us but will also accept bank transfers and card/cash payments directly into our office. This is due to the types of bank accounts as some don’t accept DD and also for budgeting reasons some tenants like to deal with cash, especially the eastern European tenants.

Although there is a strong demand for rooms in Doncaster there is also a lot of competition, with the experience we have gained over the years we have realised its better to be able to have a high occupancy rate then put people off with high move in fees.

Keeping a HMO well maintained is key to happy tenants, and happy tenants are good for business! It also helps us keep an eye on the property as it means we are regularly entering the communal areas and so problems such as build up of rubbish and safety issues like fire alarms can be monitored more easily. It is also a big selling point when it comes to finding tenants as it reassures them that the landlord cares about the property and the tenants home and well being, making it a nicer place to live.

Again, this is about making sure the house doesn’t become run down, we recommend a window cleaner once a month a garden maintenance be kept on top of. There is nothing more off putting to a potential tenant looking around a house that looks unloved from the outside. It gives the impression that the landlord/letting agent doesn’t care for the house and will not deal with potential maintenance issues and problems quickly in the future.

Occasionally a tenant just ups a leaves with out and prior notice or warning. Unfortunately this is a part of renting rooms in Doncaster, there is a small percentage of tenants who do this and don’t understand the importance of letting us know, even if its only a few days’ notice. When his situation arises our main priority is to get your room re-let with as little void period as possible. I do not believe in chasing a tenant for a weeks rent, it is not cost effective and the time and energy is often wasted with little to non financial gain. This being said, if ever a tenant returns to us (which occasionally happens) with any sort of rent arrears, including the notice period, we do not rent another room to them until the previous debt is paid off. We will also attempt to collect any outstanding money via DD if they have signed up to this form of payment method with us.

If an urgent repair is reported to us we will go head and get it sorted immediately. This includes any sort of safety equipment issues, fire safety problems or loss of heating and hot water. The reason we do this is because we have a liability as does the landlord to act quickly on anything that may cause harm to any tenant. As there is often more then one tenant effected during these types of maintenance issues we understand the importance of dealing with them quickly and efficiently. We do have a dedicated repairs manager who will also liaise with you over exactly what is happening in your property, Vicky will arrange quotes, keep you updated so you aware at every step of the way. When a non urgent repair is reported you will receive an email letting you know what has been reported and what kind of action is needed, this may just be for you information but it may be that information from your self is needed. We understand some landlords/landlady's want a totally hands off service, at the time of signing up we can discuss the levels of involvement and contact you want.