Tenant Q&A: David
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 David who lives in a 3-bed flat in London.
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Q: Whereabouts do you live?
A: I live in a 3-bed flat on Seven Sisters Road, over by the Manor House end.
Q: What made you decide to live there?
A: I’d been living in Greenwich in South London for about four years. Greenwich is lovely don’t get me wrong, but I hadn’t really experienced much of the rest of London and felt the wild call of the North.
In terms of the flat, two of the key appealing factors were the proximity to Finsbury Park itself and the size-to-cost ratio which was very favourable.
Q: Do you like the area?
A: I like Manor House. The general area around Finsbury Park station isn’t that great but it gives you easy access to a lot of nice areas nearby like Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill — it’s fine. It serves a purpose.
Q: How long have you been living in your property?
A: We’ve been here since September 2017 so three years.
Q: Who do you live with?
A: I currently live with two flatmates, two girls. I met the first one while we were looking for a flat. We did the buddying up thing on Spare Room. She was very accomplished in searching for properties and had very specific ideas about what she wanted from the house, in terms of getting good value for money.
We’d actually found the flat before we found our other flatmate. We figured that if we got the flat we’d find someone who could take the other room. We actually managed to secure the flat and heard back from our other flatmate within the same 24 hour period. Coincidentally, I’d messaged her a few months before and she’d only just replied to the email.
We’ve been through a hell of a lot and these girls have really become my family. Sadly one is moving out at the end of the lease to move in with her boyfriend and the other is moving home to start saving for her own place. I’m going to stay in the property and advertise the rooms.
Q: How have you made the property feel like home?
A: Well, I come from a unique position in that I work in property maintenance. I’ve done bits and pieces to spruce it up; a bit of painting and some general repairs.
In terms of actually making a flatshare a home, I think lots and lots of plants are key; get as much greenery in there as possible as it really brings a place to life. I take a bit of a minimalist approach to the living room — it’s a bit of a neutral space, not too jam packed with our personal effects but also not a barren wasteland.
Keeping a place clean is the fundamental difference between a home and a house share, I think. When you socialise together, you take responsibility for the flat as a whole and keep it clean. We each have our areas; I deal with the kitchen and my flatmates deal with the living room, the bathroom and hallway.
Q: Are there things that you’re planning to do in future?
A: There’s a bit of work that needs to be done. We’re putting new carpets in but it’s disruptive work so we agreed to do that at the end of the tenancy so that my current flatmates wouldn’t have to go through the upheaval. I’m discussing that with Touchstone at the moment.
Q: Have you spent a lot of time renting?
A: Yeah, I’m 37 and I’ve been renting in different places since I was 23 so it’s a good decade and a half of renting.
Q: Are there specific things that would make renting better for you — e.g. bill splitting apps?
A: Nothing really springs to mind. Maintenance is generally the killer but I have to say Touchstone has one of the best response and turnaround times of any agent I’ve experienced, and that includes the one that I’ve worked for.
Splitting bills hasn’t been an issue in the past. The structure I’ve gone for is one person pays the bills and everyone else pays into their account, but maybe that’s because no one has presented me with a bill-splitting app before. I’m a. big fan of technology and embrace any new system that comes out. I’d sign up for anything that could streamline life.
Q: What’s your view on long tenancy agreements e.g. 3 years?
A: There’s a degree of stability but I think it would be naive of any tenant to assume that they have total security. No contract is as binding as it appears and those break clauses run both ways so I would still be wary of feeling 100% secure, even with a 3-year tenancy.
I will say that Bricklane’s terms and conditions around rental increases made the 3-year deal more enticing, particularly the fact that they only increase rent in line with inflation and that it’s locked in for the duration of the contract. That makes for a very appealing offer.
Q: If you could be given greater security, would you choose to rent indefinitely or you would like to own your own property at some point?
A: I think probably the latter, but largely for the investment elements. I have investments in other areas and property is a logical move in that respect.
Q: Had you heard about Bricklane before this conversation?
A: We rented directly from Bricklane before they appointed Touchstone as our estate agent. We had regular contact with Adam and a woman whose name I’m forgetting. Both of them were amazing — best start to a rental experience I’ve ever had.
Q: Is there anything about your experience renting with Bricklane that’s been different to places that you’ve rented before?
A: Communication is clear and regular. It’s all very above board.
