- “Only the paranoid survive.” – Andy Grove
- “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington
- “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”― Lewis Carroll
- “Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” – Socrates
- “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.”― Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
- “Whatever you are, be a good one.” ― Abraham Lincoln
Dear all,
I take no credit for remembering these quotes from my time with a lecturer who demanded we learned a “famous line of wisdom” for every lecture, but I know that even reading these small sentences gave me a feeling of strength in a week for Scotland, and many other places in the world, has been once of uncertainty and worry.
I have attached screen shots of the latest government guidance from the Scottish Government, which was correct today. Tradesmen can still carry out work at property, with the exception of if the tenant is unwell or self-isolating. We are still operating remotely ( not in the office) and have been quite busy with virtual viewings and new tenancies starting!
I am hoping for full guidance to be published at the beginning of next week which I will send out, if it is any different to the above.
My son, who may be losing his toy cupboard under the stairs to a home office, hastaken more of an interest in property and what I do, possibly trying to have be justify this change. In the past week Ive been asked :
- “Is a property like a reverse sandwich – problems happen in the attic and basement, but not a lot in the middle?”
- “How long do people stay?”
- “Do you need to go to IKEA to get new things? – Can we go to IKEA? MEATBALLS!!!” ( not an indorsement for IKEA or their meatballs, although they are tasty)
I am sure you can all answer these questions, but I will just briefly go over the points, just in case.
In a way you could say that the basement and roof have more issues than the living area. Most properties have a factor which could deal with the communal issues such as a roof, however a slate falling off the roof is a hazard and could be costly if you do not have the appropriate insurance. If you have any spare time have a look through your insurance paperwork for the property and check that it covers something like that.
The basement and ground floor, again there is usually a factor that can deal with water ingress, but it is a problem if it occurs and if there is no factor you may want to make sure you have an insurance that can cover what could be a costly pipe work issue.
If the tenancy started after December 2017 or there have been amendments to the lease agreement since December 2017 the tenant only has to give 28 days’ notice to leave. That is not the same for you as the landlord and at this point in time the landlords notice period is 6 months. I know it is a very uneven seesaw, which is why I asked in my
pervious emails for you to contact your Member of Scottish Parliament to express this.
| COVID-19 and rented property in Scotland – Scottish and UK Government support for tenants and landlords – SPICe Spotlight | Solas air SPICeThis post summarises action taken by the Scottish and UK Governments to assist tenants and landlords during the COVID-19 pandemic to date and planned future action.spice-spotlight.scot |
We try and find the right tenant for the property, which is why we have never adopted the first tenant to apply get the property approach. However, at this time tenants have had to end their tenancies quickly and relocate to their family home or to another country with work.
Having had many lovely conversations with landlords during these months I think that the question of “how long do items last and when should I renew the inventory?” is quite valid.
I know when the washing machine goes, then the fridge and then the dishwasher it seems a lot, but chances are that the appliances were purchased at the same time and coming to the end of their life at roughly the same time.
The longer the tenancy, the more natural wear. Common sense but think, for example, how much wear a carpet in your own home shows after one, two or three years.
Below is theaveragelife span for items in a rented property :Washing Machines: 3 – 5 years
Cookers/Ovens/Hobs: 4 – 6 years
Fridges: 5 – 8 years
Dishwashers: 5 – 10 years
Carpets : depending on quality –2 – 8 years
Mattresses: up to eight years Curtains: 5- 10 yearsBlinds : 3-15 years
Items like crockery, cutlery glasses and what I would consider personal items should be renewed each tenancy, again using common sense with that – if the tenancy lasts 2 months because the tenant has to leave in an emergency the items may still be in their box and can be used again!
IKEA, home bargains, b&m, pound stretcher all have very inexpensive packs of cutlery and crockery – again not an endorsement, I just have these shops local to me. It may be something to think about going forward as this pandemic seems to be with us for some time and we are going to have to adapt, whether it be unfurnishing the property so there are no items with the exception of white goods or working together and diligently disposing of the small items and replacing them.
There is a learning curve to this at the moment and we will work together to make sure that the tenancies go as smoothly as possible.
As you are aware this is the September weekend, Sarah is finishing up for a new future in Newcastle and Colin is spending this weekend with family. My son is off school and I am hoping for good weather so we can go to the park, socially distance from other people and have a little bit of fun.
Take care and stay safe. Have a wonderful weekend and you know where I am if you have anything question, queries or just a chat about things.
Regards
Michelle O’Donnell
Branch Manager
17 Elmbank Street
Glasgow
G2 4PB
0141 221 399007720009850
Registration number LARN1903009
VAT : 174415411
SC345735
The information in this e-mail is confidential. The contents may not be disclosed or used by anyone other than the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message. Glasgow Property Letting Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this message as it has been transmitted over a public network.
We will no longer retain emails from you as per GDPR legislation. This means when you send us an email you should keep a copy for your own records if you will need to refer to it at a later date. You can dispose of your own copies according to your own GDPR retention policies.