Tenant Q&A: Ben
At Bricklane, we want to make the property market work better for tenants and investors alike.
We believe that tenants should feel at home in the properties they live in, which is why we offer three-year tenancies as standard. Tenants have the security to put down roots in the homes they live in but also the flexibility to leave the tenancy earlier if they choose.
Additionally, rent rises are capped to inflation for the duration of the tenancy, and, in conjunction with our property managers, we ensure tenants receive a quality service.
Giving tenants more security and better treatment isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also financially beneficial for investors as happy tenants tend to stay longer which reduces void periods and boosts long term returns.
Today, we’re meeting Ben who lives in a 1-bed flat in Birmingham.
Q: Where do you live?
A: I live on my own in a 1-bed flat in Colmore Place. I’ve been here since March 2019.
Q: Is this the first place you’ve rented or have you been renting for a while?
A: I’ve mainly rented in Birmingham for the last 8 years since I moved out of my University halls.
Before moving into this flat, I lived over by the Springhill Tesco, which is only about a mile from Colmore Place. I was in that flat for about six years.
Q: What made you decide to live in Colmore Place?
A: The central location and access to transport links were key for me.
I work as an assistant manager in a pub in the Jewellery Quarter so the location is ideal for that. Colmore Place is also very close to St Paul’s and Snow Hill station, as well as the city centre in general.
Q: Do you like the area?
A: Yeah, the fact that I’m so close to St Paul’s Square is great and was a big factor in deciding to move here. The flat doesn’t have a garden so that has essentially become my garden. Having a bit of green space is massive for your mental health and everything’s ideally located for me. There’s a Tesco around the corner and you can get into the city centre in 5 minutes.
Q: How have you made the property feel like home?
A: I’ve got a few pictures up just to make the place feel a bit more homely.
Before Bricklane took over the flat, I didn’t really want to touch things but over time I’ve felt a bit more comfortable in changing things to suit me.
Q: Are there specific things that would make renting better for you?
A: I’ve never really had an issue with renting, thankfully. Everything’s quite good in this flat. The only thing that I think might be useful is if tenants could be given an intro pack when they first move in to help them to acclimatise and give them an idea about a local area and things like the various energy or broadband suppliers available.
There could be a standard system in place but the tenant would have some flexibility with what providers they’d choose, depending on their particular needs.
I remember when I first moved here [before Bricklane took over], I was a bit in the dark about a lot of things and I had to get help from my parents to figure out a lot of it.
Q: What’s your view on long tenancy agreements e.g. 3 years?
A: I’m on a rolling monthly tenancy but I think 3-year tenancies generally are great and offer a lot of security. The flexibility is also great considering the way everything is up in the air right now.
Q: Had you heard about Bricklane before this conversation?
A: I’d mainly been dealing with Touchstone who have been very easy to deal with.
Q: Would you rent indefinitely or would you like to own your own property?
A: Renting is great for the short to medium term but long term I would like to own my own property at some point. Part of it is that you feel like everyone else has done it but I think owning your own property is also good for your mental wellbeing and gives you a bit more security.
Q: Is there anything about your experience renting with Bricklane that’s been different to places that you’ve rented before?
A: Communication with Bricklane is much easier than it was with the previous landlord. It’s very easy to get a response with a quick call or an email so things can get sorted quickly. Before Bricklane took over, it might’ve taken three days to get a reply so that’s been a big improvement.
