How do you look after several rental properties at once?
We keep each property on its own record and treat your portfolio as one account. You or your agent send jobs as they come in, and we group them by area and date so visits are efficient.
For each property we note the address, access arrangements, where the consumer unit and stopcock are, when the EICR is due and what's been done before. That history means a tenant's report of a tripping circuit or a slow drain is quicker to deal with, because we're not starting from scratch.
Every job, from a single tap washer to a full turnaround, gets one fixed price before we start. Properties across Leicester and the surrounding towns, from Braunstone to Loughborough, can sit on the same account. If you'd like regular checks as well, you can book them property by property, each as its own fixed-price job with no contract.
What can you do between tenancies?
Most turnaround jobs can be done in one visit: locks, alarms, leaks, small electrical faults, doors and touch-up painting. You send the checkout report or a list, we price the lot as one fixed price, and we work to your move-in date.
Locks are a good example. On one recent job we visited a rental first to assess the doors, then came back and replaced five bedroom door locks in one go. A short pre-visit like that means the right parts arrive on the day and the price doesn't change.
Alarms are another turnaround essential. Smoke alarms are required on every storey, and carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a fixed combustion appliance such as a gas boiler. They must be working on the first day of each tenancy. We fit and test both, including mains-wired interlinked alarms.
If the checkout report shows something bigger, such as a leak that has marked the ceiling below, we price it separately and you decide whether it goes ahead before move-in. If a consumer unit is damaged and needs replacing, Norman will tell you plainly.
- Locks
- Front door and bedroom locks changed or rekeyed so previous keys stop working.
- Alarms
- Smoke and CO alarms tested, replaced if faulty or past their date.
- Leaks and fittings
- Dripping taps, running toilets and loose sealant sorted before the new tenant arrives.
- Electrics
- Blown bulbs, damaged sockets and loose switch plates replaced.
- Doors and paint
- Sticking doors eased, handles fixed, scuffed walls touched up.
What happens after an EICR?
If the EICR comes back unsatisfactory, the remedial work must usually be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. We carry out EICRs and the remedial work, priced as one fixed price from the report.
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords need an EICR at least every five years and must give tenants a copy. Once the remedial work is done, you need written confirmation that it's complete for the tenant and, if asked, the council. We provide the certificates for the work we do so you have that confirmation.
If an inspection was done by someone else, send us the report. We'll price each code C1, C2 and FI item so you can see what's urgent.
What's different about HMOs?
Houses in multiple occupation usually have stricter fire safety and management rules, and larger ones need a licence from Leicester City Council. The council also runs additional licensing in some areas, so check its current rules for each address.
Fire guidance for HMOs often expects interlinked smoke detection, fire doors that close properly and bedroom locks that open from the inside without a key. Thumb-turn bedroom locks are a common request, and we can fit them across a whole house in one visit. Some HMOs also have emergency lighting on the escape route, which needs testing like any other emergency lighting.
Fire alarm panels and larger detection systems are specialist work. We work alongside your fire alarm contractor and deal with the electrical, plumbing and door jobs around them.
Can you help with damp and mould complaints?
Often, yes. Many damp and mould problems in rented homes come from poor ventilation or a hidden leak, and both are things we fix.
We replace weak or broken bathroom and kitchen extractor fans, add run-on timers or humidity sensors, and trace and repair leaks from pipes, wastes and sealant. Where tenants have switched a fan off because it's noisy, a quieter model with a humidity sensor often solves the problem. If the cause is structural, such as rising damp or a roof defect, we'll say so and you'll need a specialist.
Damp and mould fall under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Awaab's Law applies to social landlords, and private landlords are expected to follow similar standards, so check current guidance. Acting quickly and keeping a photo record of what was done helps either way.
How do access, keys and reporting work?
We work around however your properties are managed. Keys can be collected from the agent's office, left in a key safe or arranged with the tenant directly. Landlords usually need to give tenants at least 24 hours' notice, so we agree the time first and confirm it with whoever is arranging access.
After each job, you get photos of the problem and the finished work, a short note of what was done and anything we spotted that needs attention. Agents can forward it straight to the landlord. Where a tenant reports a problem directly, we send photos to the agent before fixing it, so nothing is done without approval.
Each job is invoiced to the property address, with your reference if you use one.