Agents’ queries pour in to fast-expanding Lettings ...

Propertymark is hailing its new Lettings Helpline as a success, just a month after it launched.

In that four week period the team has doubled in size in response to calls, recruiting members with both lettings industry and legal experience to bolster the crew.

The trade body says the huge range of enquiries span from complicated right to rent situations, HMOs, abusive tenants, dangerous dogs, unprotected deposits and flooding queries, to the more everyday issues such as who is responsible for cutting high hedges and what do you do if bats move in, and how to stop tenants letting off fireworks inside properties.

Jan Hytch, the project manager in charge of the Lettings Helpline at Propertymark, says: “Since the moment Propertymark opened its Lettings Helpline last month, the response we have had from members has been tremendous. From 10:00 to 16:00 our screens are alight with calls, and sometimes we are still returning calls late into the evening to ensure we can help everyone who has called that day.

“The advantage of having our Lettings Helpline in-house is that it provides Propertymark with rich topic information on the latest concerns affecting our members, which in turn helps to direct the policy team to bring these issues into their discussions with government and property industry stakeholders, enabling our marketing team to deliver robust messages and guidance right back to our Membership.

“It has been a truly fantastic start, and we have big ambitions on how we will further expand to meet demand, across our disciplines and devolved nations. Call levels have increased fourfold, and it seems our members are spreading the word to fellow members get on and use the helpline.”