Busiest time of the year for letting agents almost upon us

If you’re a letting agent, it’s likely that your workload is about to get a lot busier. September, or more specifically the third Thursday in September, is reportedly the busiest time of the year for tenancy turnover.

According to Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), one of the three government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes operating in the UK, 21st September (the third Thursday of the month) is the busiest period for tenancies coming to an end.

This particular date has been calculated by working out the peak day over the last decade. Last year, for example, the third Thursday in September saw 18,000 tenancies coming to an end, compared to the average of just 1,300. This peak day was, in fact, more than 13 times busier than normal. Given recent historic trends, 2017 is expected to follow suit.

As a result, a downloadable guide has been created by TDS to ensure the end of a tenancy is as easy a process as possible for landlords, letting agents and tenants alike. The guide offers advice on what must be done when a tenant moves out of a property, with a particular focus on the key points to address before, during and after a check-out inspection. What’s more, the guide also offers advice on the best approach for negotiating the return of a deposit.

“We see many disputes where a few simple steps taken before the end of the tenancy could avoid problems later on,” Michael Morgan, director of dispute resolution at TDS, said. To offset the risk of tenancy and deposit disputes, a solid structure and basis is required for end of tenancy procedures and to improve any deduction negotiations if these are necessary.

“If tenants better understand the reasons for deductions at an early stage and can see the justification for them, they are much more likely to agree,” Morgan added.

With the next month, and one very busy day in particular, set to be quite manic and full-on, lettings agents need to have their house in order more than ever. At the busiest time of the year, it’s good to know every part of your business is running smoothly and efficiently.

Gnomen brings you all the latest innovations to help you run every part of your business seamlessly and without fuss. Even better, you can do this from anywhere in the world, at any time, at the mere click of a button. All the services we offer work together in complete harmony, allowing you to manage your offices, staff, customers, call-backs, social media, website and marketing in one place. Simple.

When it comes to rental property, it’s vital that both landlords and tenants are kept in the loop. They need to be kept informed on a regular basis and communicated with effectively and professionally. To make this possible, our software ensures a better experience for your landlords and tenants by creating tailored online log-in areas.

For landlords, this includes the ability to view statements and invoices, add properties, view active and past tenancies, view scheduled inspections and download inspection reports. Tenants, meanwhile, can report maintenance problems, view their tenancy contract, view upcoming rent and make rental payments in a fast and secure manner.

If that wasn’t quite enough, we also create websites that look beautiful and work beautifully. In a world full of websites, yours needs to stand out from the crowd by being glossy, interactive, user-friendly and easy on the eye. When it comes to the property industry, standing above the competition is more important than ever. We can help you to do that.

When things are particularly hectic in your business, you want to be safe in the knowledge that everything – from your website and multi-channel marketing to your social media presence – is up to scratch and functioning properly. That then allows you to get on with what you do best, at a time when letting agents are needed more than ever.

It’s set to be a busy few weeks for letting agents but at Gnomen we’ve got your back. With some careful planning and preparation, September should be able to go off without a hitch.

For more information about what we do, please get in touch with us on 0208 123 9019 or book a free demo here.

You can also explore in greater detail our software packages and what they contain.