Belvoir Lettings (Lincoln) is part of a national franchise with over 140 franchise outlets. The company was formed in 1996 by an ex wing commander in the RAF called Mike Goddard and he started the business in Grantham. Belvoir Lincoln was the 4th franchise and is now one of the biggest within the group.
Their reputation has been built over the past 15 years of trading. Paul Collins, the MD, started the business in December 1996. At the time there was a gap in the market for a specialist lettings agent in Lincoln. Having let his own house whilst serving overseas with the military and suffering from poor service from the agent, Paul felt he knew what was required. Good customer service, relations and honest straight forward advice. From day one Belvoir Lincoln have always said it as it is. RENTING IS HIGH RISK. If anyone gives other advice they are not telling giving a potential landlord the truth. It is a fact of life that no one looks after the property as well as the owners. However, risk can be reduced by following these steps.
- Use an agent registered with Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) who is also Safeagent Scheme (Safeagent) and Safe Agent.
- Take out specialist insurance products to protect your income and property.
- Get tenants checked out by a Reputable Credit Referencing Agent (or make sure your agent does).
One of the main problems agents have is managing both Landlord and tenant expectations; Landlords believe they should get their property back in the same condition they left it (without consideration of fair wear and tear to the property and that gardens are not frozen in time) and some tenants think because they rent, everything should be done for them, even changing light bulbs! As an lettings agent, understanding client’s needs is the key to both landlord and tenants alike. Landlords take a huge decision to rent their property out and unless they are able to take their heart out of the property and treat it as a business, the recommendation is not to rent it out. Most landlords do not take enough consideration of their Mortgage Property Transactions and possible Capital Gains Tax. Tenants are much easier to understand: if it is the right property, they are prepared to overlook some smaller issues. Match the right properties to the right tenants is a key part of the lettings agents skill.
Landlords letting properties out should expect to maintain them as though they were living there. This will help keep the properties valuation on a par with the rest of the area. Too many times properties to let look very tired and it is clear know that they are let by private landlords not using a letting agent! There is a very well known saying “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”. Having a well maintained property will enhance the “let-ability” thus meaning a Landlord experiences shorter void periods. Contrast this with the quality of properties to let in Lincoln offered on Belvoir’s website
A very key element to the business but very time consuming is the quarterly visits made by the lettings agent to each managed property. This visit is to check on the condition of the property and to see if the tenants are in breach of the Tenancy Agreement. In most cases the property is OK. Tenants are not judged too much too much, as everybody lives in their own ways. However, any concerns are reported to the landlord and if necessary a re-inspection will be made within a couple of weeks and in the worst case a Section 21 Notice for possession may be issued, if required. These visits are extremely important, the property after all is a huge investment for the landlord and it is imperative it is looked after properly.
This experience has made Belvoir a very well respected agent, both in Lincoln and Nationally, with over 85% of their new business coming from personal recommendation. They have built our business by having a well trained, loyal and dedicated team who all understand the complexities of the Private Rental Sector (PRS). Each member of their team has key responsibilities and has taken accountability. The team is managed by a hard working office manager, Deborah Fielding.
Belvoir Lettings Agency in Lincoln is a One Stop Specialists for Lettings including Property Management, Tenant Find, Investment and Wealth Management Advice, Fit-outs and Renovations, Furniture Packs and Investment Property Insurances and Mortgages.
