Struggling to find tenants

conradmum

We're currently living abroad and have a contract with a letting agent to fully manage our property. However, despite the house being on the market for three months they've failed to find us any viable tenants. Generally, we've been unhappy with the service provided. When we've asked them to reduce the rent asked on Rightmove they've failed to do so until requested several times over a few weeks. Requested updates aren't forthcoming. Recently the person dealing with our house has left the company and service has improved - but still no tenants.

Now we're reaching a stage where our house insurance will be invalid because the property has been vacant for so long. And of course meanwhile the garden is looking more and more unkempt.

Any advice on what to do regarding the agents, insurance, or how to make the house more appealing to tenants would be very much appreciated.

It's a four bedroom detached house in a large, popular village in the East Midlands.

HappyMJ

Get another agent. Drop the price. Clean the yard. Get a friend or a housesitter maybe a young adult can stay there or stay in it once a week in return for cleaning it up presenting it for let for you.

dawyldthing

rent in the east midlands usually is pretty reasonable, but there are a lot of rental properties (there are around here anyway). Could you get a monthly gardner or something? rent it out to individuals?

G_M

Why is noone looking after the garden/property? Either you don't have the right contract with the agent or they are not doing their job. Anyway the agent seems useless so changing them.

Brb

Rentals here are just not shifting and every couple of months the advertised rent drops a little more.

I see the LLs then employ more LAs and then competition heats up. Do see some offers for Ts: Half price admin fees or half price first month's rent. Some LAs are offering Ts a moving in pack (tea/coffee/sugar/bread etc).

You could offer to pay half successful T's admin fee ?

new_home_owner_3

If the rent is the right price you should have no problems, its like people who price their homes at real high prices, just because people say demand for rental properties are high deosnt mean a landlord can ask for top prices, people simply wont pay, or cant afford to pay.

Maybe its accidental landlords that need high rents to cover mortgage payments? ive seen it round by me and there been 400 pound difference for similar properties.

its all about equity

samroo

re earlier posts about unkempt garden, a letting agent is not responsible for arranging gardening whilst the property is empty. all matters remain the responsibility of the owner of the property.

OP if you have anyone local who could do viewings for you, you could manage your tenant finding yourself via discount letting

Annisele

Are you prepared to post a Rightmove link to it?

I agree with G_M; either your contract with the agents doesn't say they should organise gardening, or it does and they're not doing it. In either case looks like you need new agents!

G_M

samroo wrote: »

re earlier posts about unkempt garden, a letting agent is not responsible for arranging gardening whilst the property is empty. all matters remain the responsibility of the owner of the property.

OP if you have anyone local who could do viewings for you, you could manage your tenant finding yourself via discount letting

How can you say that without having sight of the contract between the OP and his agent?

The agent is responsible for whatever he is being paid to do.

As the OP is overseas, it would be sensible to have a arrangement, either with friend, family, gardener or agent, that ensures the garden is maintained.

samroo

It did appear obvious from the first post that the agent was not responsible for arranging the gardening whilst the property was empty. Apologies for not requesting a copy of said contract before posting. Should said contract have provision for the agent arranging works whilst property is empty then I assumed the landlord would a) have mentioned it in the post and b) be paying the agent to do so.

SuzieSue

Does the OP know how much their LA charges potential tenants for registration, credit checking etc? It could be that their charges are unreasonable and so are putting people off from applying. From you the OP has said, the agent doesn't appear to be very good, so they probably haven't got many customers and might have increased their charges to tenants just to survive.