A revolutionary property repair and maintenance reporting system to help residential tenants and landlords has been launched by Scottish Land & Estates (SLE).
Believed to be among the first of its kind for the private rented sector in Scotland, the new app and website provides a 24/7 photo and video reporting platform and aims to provide convenience to both tenants and landlords when communicating about property maintenance.
SLE members collectively provide approximately 9,000 private rented homes in rural areas, the second largest provider of rented housing stock after local authorities and housing associations in Scotland’s countryside.
Sarah-Jane Laing, Executive Director, at Scottish Land & Estates said: “Our members are one of the leading providers of rented homes in rural Scotland and the new app and web platform is designed to help them to continue to provide high-quality and well-maintained homes.
“There is increasing legislative demands on the private rented sector and this technology will ensure streamlined reporting of repairs and maintenance at a time that suits both tenant and landlord. We have seen similar systems available for those with housing association properties but we are delighted to be introducing this to rural private rented sector for the benefit of SLE members.”
The technology, developed in partnership with Direct Software Group, utilises a structured form to ensure the right details are submitted first time about required repairs – information which can then be easily forwarded by landlords to contractors to allow repairs to be undertaken more quickly. The system can also be used to schedule alerts and reminders for maintenance to be carried out in future months and years.
Hugh Campbell Adamson, of Stracathro Estates, is now using the app as a repair and maintenance tool for the 35 houses and cottages on the Angus estate.
Hugh said: “The app is quickly becoming a vital instrument in effectively maintaining the residential properties at Stracathro. Rather than relying on emails and phone calls, some of which do not provide the full initial information we need to carry out a repair, using the app encourages accurate reporting from the tenant which can then allow us to get maintenance carried out quicker. The programme records all notifications on a spreadsheet, which allows us to monitor the work from start to finish.”
Nikela Clark, who rents a house at Stracathro, said: “It is well designed, easy to use and asks the right questions when you need to report a maintenance or repair issue. The app is always available which means I don’t need to wait until a set time to report an issue – I can use the app day or night, take a photo, enter the information and within a couple of minutes I know all the necessary details have been received by the estate office.”
For more information on the app, visit the SLE website at www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk
