Guaranteed rental schemes or rent-to-rent (R2R, not R2D2) schemes are growing in popularity. But hold on for a minute, what do they actually mean?

In a nutshell, it’s where you rent your property to a rent guarantee specialist who promises to pay you a certain amount every month and takes on the burden of managing your property.

 Sounds great, doesn’t it? But is it too good to be true? Let us find out.

 

While you might be tempted to enter one of these contracts, often, the way the business offering you the R2R option can be profitable is to offer you less than the typical market rate.

 By offering you a lower rate for a fixed term, the R2R business model will only work if the person managing your property charges tenants a higher rate. Therefore, you could be earning significantly less than if you were to rent through a regular letting agent.

 

Once you sign up, you’re basically losing control of your rental property for a fixed term. How many tenants will be living on your property? Who will ensure that all the correct procedures are followed? What happens if significant repairs are required? What’s the tenant turnover like? While a lot of these details can be included in a rent-to-rent contract, as a landlord, you may be putting your reputation at risk by offering up your rental to a third party.

 

The attraction of the guaranteed rental model is quick profit and few overheads. Little to no experience is required before setting up this type of business. This means your rental investment may be put at risk by agreeing to work with people who have little, or no cash at stake. Can you really afford to hand over your hard-earned investment to someone with no proven track record?

 

Using a local agent  

When you use a reputable local agent, they are regulated and experienced in letting out properties and often have a strong team behind them. They know what certifications are required, what makes a good tenant and have access to tenancy deposit schemes and such. So, you can feel confident in the knowledge that your property and tenants have been looked after.

 

At MECS, our lettings team has been working in the local community for many years.

 

We can achieve market-rate rents and we keep our fees as competitive as possible. Call us on 0121 681 6327 for more information.