If you are looking to improve the energy efficiency and security of your rental property in the Peterborough area, and offer your tenants greater convenience, then smart technology should be top of your list for Santa this Christmas.
Beyond just the latest gadgets, smart technology is revolutionising property management for owners, landlords and tenants alike. Best of all, the investment only needs to be small to generate benefits and savings that you and your tenants will love.
Smart plugs and lightbulbs
Smart investments can cost less than £10. A smart plug, for example, will connect whatever appliance is plugged into it to the Wi-Fi – enabling remote control. It could be used to turn on the Christmas lights, for example, saving your tenant the inconvenience of finding a power socket behind a tree laden with ornaments.
You could also use a smart plug to allow tenants to turn lamps on and off remotely. This helps as the nights draw in and they want a property to look occupied, even if they’re out at their Christmas do. Smart lightbulbs, which, are also fitted directly into existing fittings and then managed through an app, are also cheap and cheerful options with the same benefits.
Smart thermostats
Energy efficiency is critical during the seasonal period. The last thing you’ll want is a tenant leaving the heating blasting if they’ve headed back home for Christmas, the property is empty, and you’re footing the bill. If they are responsible for the bills, they’ll also want to minimise wastage. Smart thermostats allow a property’s temperature to be controlled remotely. This heartwarming feature could allow them to turn on the heating just before they arrive back from a late-night Christmas shopping trip, for example.
Smart doorbells
Old school doorbells have made way for smart video doorbells which allow monitoring of the property without answering the door. It’s also useful to manage those Christmas deliveries, if your tenant has popped out for a last-minute gift. Their low-cost implementation but high-value benefits means that tenants will often request to have one or install one themselves, although they should ask your permission first.
Smart home safety options
Home safety systems are also getting smarter. As well as triggering an alarm in the property, smart smoke alarms and CO detectors will send real-time alerts to a phone, too. Given the added seasonal dangers of Christmas decorations, burning candles, festive gatherings and overloaded plug sockets, these can provide added reassurance to tenants and landlords alike.
Be smart and don’t end up on Santa’s naughty list
There are other smart options to consider as a landlord. In areas of high-crime you might want to install smart security cameras. These can allow more sophisticated remote property surveillance and trigger alarms of suspicious activity. In multi-unit properties, such as HMOs, smart intercom systems will allow tenants to let in guests remotely via an app.
However, you must ensure whatever smart technology you install doesn’t infringe on the rights of your tenants and offers benefits for all.
We Can Help
At Progressive Lets, we are experts in the rental market in the Peterborough area and help landlords find and manage properties within a 50-mile radius. Get in touch to find out more.
