Landlords boydens.co.uk 26 landlord BEING A Boydens has a long history within the pr perty market dating back to 1852. During this time, we established ourselves to be a leading agent in terms of service and experience, looking after a large portfolio throughout Essex and Suffolk. We have the pleasure of working with many fantastic landlords who provide quality properties for tenants. Here, some of those landlords share with us their experiences, how to create positive relationships with tenants and tips for success. Sarah Stapleton: ‘A good tenant is worth their weight in gold’ How long have you been a landlord and what made you want to become one? I have been a landlord for over 15 years now and wanted to invest some funds at the time, and so chose to invest in the property market. I was looking for a long-term investment at the time, and the buy-to-let sector provided that. I own an apartment in Colchester, though I don’t live in the town, and so my relationship with my agent is even more important as I am physically not close by. What do you think it takes to be a good landlord? I think it is important to be a responsible landlord and for me that means I rely heavily on my agents (Boydens) to guide me and act on the advice they provide me regarding maintenance issues. This includes responding to recommendations of the Property Management Department, and so my good working relationships with key people (Brian Purvis, Tina Dove and Patricia Field) are essential to me as I know they will guide me as they have done so with annual rent reviews, for example. I think it is also important not to be greedy as a landlord. Consistency is the key and long-term tenancies with trusted tenants provides peace of mind. The other piece of advice I would give is to not become too attached to your property. I don’t love my rental property in the sense that I view it as an investment, so the emotional attachment isn’t a factor. How can tenants ensure a positive relationship with their landlord? For the majority of my tenancies, I have not been particularly familiar with the tenants themselves (I prefer it that way, personally). I do, however, feel that tenants should listen to the advice given once a maintenance issue has been reported in order to avoid unnecessary charges in the case of simple issues such as blocked sinks, for example, which can be dealt with by the tenants themselves.
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