ARLA is circulating advice to members about how agents can reduce their administrative burden in 2014.
The information comes via Glide, a firm which offers admin support for tenants and businesses involved with shared households. Much of its advice is simple good sense but provides a handy check-list:
1. Consolidate Suppliers: use the same suppliers across all properties to receive the lowest unit prices and to mean agents have fewer people to deal with;
2. Monitor Renewals: Glide claims many agents miss utility and service renewal dates because of pressure of work, which can result in an automatic contract lock-in with a supplier for a further 12 months.
3. Go Online: Again, Glide claims many agents still handle paper bills received via post, which are now less reliable than online account management.
4. Remove Meters: The pay-as-you go phone has largely become obsolete because it is a pain to top them up, say ARLA and Glide. Topping up a pre-payment meter is similarly annoying for tenants and landlords. It urges agents to encourage landlords to remove meters, attract better tenants as a result and receive better unit rates - they're typically higher on pre-payment meters.
5. Fix Variable Costs: Take insurance out to cover boilers and white goods, for example and develop a network of contractors happy to work at fixed rates to avoid being stung by any surprising bills.
Comments
Where's this actually come from Is it ARLA or is it just LAT short of a story If it's ARLA, surely they can do better than this drivel The administrative burden of a lettings agency extends far greater than utility meters.
Surely ARLA, of all organisations, should KNOW that tenants decide what sort of meter and which utility company they use
However I am confused. Is this an advertorial of ARLA or Glide