The demand for high quality rented accommodation shows no sign of abating at the start of 2019 and we find, here at Pure North Norfolk, that lets are snapped up even before they appear on property portals or our active social media pages - and we have let and sell after someone has seen a post on Facebook or Instagram.
It perhaps used to be the case that a property for rental used to be quite a basic affair, but with tenants asking for more and lifestyles changing, the savvy landlord or landlady of 2019 needs to make sure certain requirements are ticked so that a property lets quickly to the right tenants and for a long timeframe.
So what do tenants look for in North Norfolk and elsewhere?
The first aspect is a fairly recent phenomenon:
- Fast broadband. Given that streaming music and films has replaced DVDs and CDs with the rise of smartphone and tablet use, tenants expect fast broadband. Low upload and download speeds don’t cut it any more with a tenant of 2019 and you need to make sure yours is cutting the mustard, so to speak.
- Closeness to amenities - schools, shops, travel networks. We find that properties to let right in Fakenham town centre are in bigger demand, because tenants have everything to hand. Don’t get us wrong, remote properties still let quickly but there is a greater demand for town centre properties.
- Parking. In London, or cities like Norwich, this may be problematic but residents still like parking close to home, better still, if it’s off road.
- Access to an open space. A flat with a shared garden appeals to more would-be tenants and with summers like we have regularly in this dry part of the country, you can see why.
- Pets. Thorny issue, perhaps, and one some owners allow, and others don’t. Some property experts reckon though that an owner with a cat or dog actually stays in a home longer meaning fewer void periods and many state that animal owners are often more responsible tenants.
There’s others too: proximity to major roads (we have the NDR now), access to public transport, closeness to rural space, but the five above are the main stipulations.
Would you add any others, as landlord / landlady or tenant?
