Landlord Property Maintenance in Newcastle

Keeping a rental in good shape is rarely about one big job. It is the dripping tap, the sticking bedroom door, the cracked tile and the loose bannister that pile up between inspections. If you manage one buy-to-let or a handful of houses across Newcastle, chasing different trades for each small task eats into your time and your margins.

Handy Andrew works with private landlords and letting agents who want one reliable person to work through a fix list. You send the jobs, ideally with photos, and get one consolidated quote covering the lot. Andrew can arrange access with tenants or collect keys from your agent, then sends before-and-after photos so you can see the work without driving over.

This suits student houses in Jesmond, Heaton and Sandyford, family lets in Gosforth and flats across North Tyneside. Typical work includes door and lock adjustments, sealant renewal, minor carpentry, patching and painting, curtain poles, flatpack furniture and general wear and tear. Andrew does not carry out fixed electrical work, gas work or structural repairs, but will tell you plainly when a job needs a qualified engineer.

What landlords typically ask for

• Working through a written fix list or inspection report in one visit where possible
• Door, hinge, handle and lock adjustments, plus replacing tired door furniture
• Resealing baths, showers and kitchen worktops
• Filling, patching and repainting walls and woodwork
• Replacing cupboard hinges, drawer runners and kitchen door fronts
• Fitting curtain poles, blinds, shelves, mirrors and smoke alarm brackets (battery type)
• Assembling and replacing flatpack beds, wardrobes and desks for furnished lets
• Minor garden, fence and gate repairs to keep the outside presentable
• Before-and-after photos sent to you or your agent

Working with letting agents and tenants

Many landlords prefer not to be the go-between. Andrew is happy to take instructions from your letting agent, collect keys from their office and liaise directly with tenants to agree a visit time. You stay copied in, so you know when the work is booked and when it is done.

Tenants are treated as the people living in the home that they are: work is booked with notice, mess is kept to a minimum and everything is tidied before leaving. If something unexpected turns up, such as signs of a leak behind a panel or a damp patch that looks more serious than a cosmetic mark, you get photos and a short note straight away rather than a surprise on the invoice. That way you can decide whether to go ahead, call in a specialist, or keep an eye on it until the next inspection.

What stays with your qualified engineers

Landlords remain responsible for gas safety certificates, electrical installation condition reports and any fixed wiring work, which must be carried out by suitably qualified engineers. Andrew does not touch gas appliances, sockets, consumer units or hard-wired fittings, and will not do structural alterations.

What he can do is handle the practical jobs that often come out of those visits. For example:

• Making good plaster or paintwork after an electrician has been
• Boxing in pipework once a plumber has finished
• Fitting battery smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarm brackets where you supply the units
• Tidying up after a contractor so the property is ready for viewings

If a job on your list really needs a different trade, you will be told plainly rather than have it bodged.

Keeping a simple maintenance record

Dated photos and a short written summary after each visit give you a useful paper trail. They help when you compare against inventory and checkout reports, discuss deposit deductions or simply want to remember what was replaced and when. Andrew can send everything by email or message so it is easy to file against each address.

Some landlords with several houses around Newcastle like to book a regular walk-round, perhaps once or twice a year, to catch small problems before they grow. Loose sealant, sticking windows and worn hinges are cheap to fix early and far more expensive once water or wear has had a chance to do damage. Frequency and scope are agreed with you in advance, and there is no contract to sign up to.

What affects the price

• Number of jobs on the list and how much travel between properties is involved
• Whether materials and parts are supplied by you or sourced by Andrew
• Access arrangements, such as key collection from an agent or tenant availability
• Condition of the property and whether hidden problems appear once work starts
• Height and access for outside or stairwell work
• Any waste or old fittings that need removing