The Hidden Costs of Multi-Let

Mark My Words Podcast

If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge on investing in HMO’s but are not sure about the hidden costs involved, or perhaps you already have a portfolio, and can’t understand where all your money has gone? Then listen in today as Mark identifies the hidden costs of HMO’s and multi-lets. Mark outlines the importance of managing your utility bills, using detailed referencing to source the perfect tenants as well as doing up your property and setting it apart from the rest to ensure it is always occupied.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The first big hidden cost with HMO’s are utilities. It is important you manage these because lots of tenants will regulate the temperature of their rooms by opening the window rather than turning the thermostat up or down. Put a system in there which controls the temperature range and also the times that the heating comes on.

• Secondly, you may come across some conflict between your tenants. Noise complaints, mess complaints and anti-social behaviour are no good when this could potentially upset your current, good tenants. Reference your tenants well, make sure you get working tenants and if that has not worked, and somebody is still causing problems eventually you may have to serve notice.

• Cleaners may not do their jobs sufficiently in communal areas. Make sure everything is clean and tidy and you hire trustworthy companies to look after your property so as to not upset your tenants. Enforce regular inspections to ensure the property is tidy which will, in turn, make it a lot more marketable and people will want to stay.

• Voids in HMO’s can happen reasonably and frequently. Inevitably the property will fill up if your HMO looks the best. You really need to dress it nicely and market the property with professional marketing photos.

• Make sure you take out the correct insurance, specifically for a HMO. Go to a broker (preferably one broker for the whole portfolio) and make sure you get the correct type of insurance so that when you do eventually have to make a claim, you will receive your payout.

BEST MOMENTS

“Make sure you are getting the cheapest electricity and gas.”

“Make your HMO look the best in the town and you will keep it full.”

“This could mean the difference between thirteen hundred pounds in council tax and potentially four or five thousand.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark Homer is an entrepreneur investor. He has worked with investment since he was 15 years old using the laws of wealth! He is a spreadsheet analyst with an impressive following from major publications including BBC Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and co-authoring the UK’s best-selling property books. Mark has always looked for the best investment vehicle, and at the end of 2007 with Rob Moore the co-founder of Progressive Property his joint portfolio produced more profit than any of the other investments he’d tried in the last ten years, combined.

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