Compliance. This sets us FAR apart in the Birmingham Lettings market. We are yet to come across another agent in the West Midlands that fully understands the complexities of HMO compliance and management. Even then, knowing is one thing, but having the systems in place to effectively carry out your lawful duties is another. We take our responsibility seriously and cover all bases so that you don't have to. We will not take a property on that is not fully compliant, but we;ll help you get there.
Do not cut corners on compliance! It will end up costing you THOUSANDS. Make sure your agent has the right information displayed in your property, the right fire fighting equipment, the right testing rota in place and the right inspection procedures.
High Street agents simply cannot cover all this without hiring extra dedicated staff. Most do not even try.
The truth is that there are a number of right answers. Different strategies work in different areas. There are areas suited to professional HMOs, areas suited to single lets, and areas suited to social housing. We can help point you in the right direction. Please use our contact page and tell us what strategy you are interested in.
Don't discount areas with a high concentration of HMOs. They can still provide great returns and are usually a long standing hub for young professional tenants.
Birmingham is now an Article 4 area, which means planning is needed for any conversion from C3 (residential home) to C4 (HMO). This is a recent change so get professional advice. Feel free to contact us, and we will guide you through the planning process and any other options you may have.
Currently Sandwell and Dudley are not Article 4, so you can convert your property according to building regs and the local council amenity standard.
In short, reach out for help if you are not 100% sure of the regulations.
At the moment the answer is no. Social housing falls under planning class C3C and is exempt from planning.
You will still have to undergo a significant conversion in most cases, as the property needs to be up to HMO regulations, but Social Housing is definitely an option for those of you with properties in the Birmingham City Council area.
We have a number of different online and off-line options for marketing your property. We use some or all of the following depending on the type of property your property advisor will discuss these options in more detail:
Right move
Zoopla
Spareroom
To Let Board
Local Advertsing
Our team of specialists are always happy to help.
We encourage all our tenants to use our online software, making logging maintenance issues as easy as possible along with having a dedicated maintenance line and 24hr call out for emergencies. All messages go directly to our maintenance manager. They will liaise with your property manager to ensure any works are carried out in accordance with your instructions.
Our tenants have three options when it comes to paying their rent:
Standing order
Bank Transfer
Online
Yes, your property manager will carry out quarterly inspections and send you a report on condition and outline any non – urgent but necessary repairs required on your property. You will be informed immediately if there are any urgent items needing attention.
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