A free new online property management tool aimed at changing the way landlords and tenants resolve day-to-day problems with their rental properties has been launched.
The firm claims Letdesk removes the need for landlords to pay property management fees to lettings agencies by allowing tenants to request repairs at any time through an online account. Letdesk will source quotes from local tradesmen for fixing the problem and landlords are able to review and approve the work to be carried out. Once the job is approved, Letdesk triggers a notification to the tradesman.
UK landlords can now create a free Letdesk account and invite their tenants to join, enabling them to raise issues through the online tool as and when they happen.
“With more than 92% of tenants looking for their next properties online, it seemed obvious to find ways to better manage property repairs online too”, said Alex Dixon, founder of Letdesk.
“Letdesk sets out to transform the way landlords and tenants deal with day-to-day problems that can, and do, hit their rental properties and, because everything is managed online, we don’t have to charge landlords any expensive monthly property management fees.
“You never know when a repair might be needed – that’s why our system lets landlords know when there’s a problem via text message or email, and provides them with a no obligation quote from a local tradesman to fix the job. Once a quote has been approved, Letdesk will arrange the tradesman appointment directly with the tenants. It’s such a simple service and everything is tracked online so there’s a full audit trail if it’s needed.”
According to research commissioned by Letdesk and self-service lettings agency Upad, 82% of landlords – whether self-managing or working through lettings agencies – do not have access to a network of tradesmen, even for simple property repairs.
30% of tenants have even held back rent payments due to their landlords’ failure to repair a problem in their rental properties.
“Our research shows that three in every ten tenants have held back their rent, or considered doing so, because repairs weren’t carried out, and that is a fairly stark statistic”, added Dixon. “Letdesk gives tenants assurances that someone is looking into their problem and helping them to find ways to resolve it.
“For landlords, Letdesk offers peace of mind without the fixed fees that can come with traditional management services provided by high street lettings agencies. They will only pay for the repairs that are needed and they’ve approved. It gives landlords total control over the costs and removes the hassle and expense of finding someone at the eleventh hour to fix a problem or emergency. It’s a win, win.”
All online interactions between the tenant, landlord and tradesman are recorded in the Letdesk system, which integrates with text messaging or email services to suit their individual preferences. Letdesk also allows for payments to be made and key documents to be stored online, as well as prompting landlords with safety inspection reminders, such as gas safety checks.