Who's really in control of access? by Marcus Bradbury-Ross 17/05/2012

Since the credit crunch some property owners have chosen to become landlords, enjoying the rental income while watching how the sales market performs. Now there is a shortage of stock to buy in prime central London some landlords are choosing to cash in on the recent price rises.

Where tenants are still in occupation, particularly in family houses, this can create real issues with access; all too often the selling agent’s hand is tied by them in terms of arranging viewings. This can be extremely frustrating, particularly where say a client is flying into London for a few days in order to view lots of property.

I know of a scenario, where the tenant has only allowed viewings for one hour per day on just three days a week. Not only does this make life quite difficult in terms of showing clients possible purchases, it also has the potential to damage the marketing process of the property. With so few viewings allowed in a week, the property could languish on the market for lack of exposure. From experience if a property sits on the market for too long potential purchasers often assume something is wrong with it. Co-operation is always the preferred option but is it perhaps time for the landlord to have more control?