‘Ask the Experts’ about property management in Marbella and on the Costa del Sol, Spain
Browse through our ‘Ask the Experts’ archive files to find the answers to questions you may have about property management.
Property Management Replies
Q. When we arrived at our apartment recently we found it hadn’t been cleaned and even looked as if someone had been staying in it, although the management agent denied this when we asked him. What can we do to prevent this happening in the future?
George, Kent
A. If you arrived without telling your agent, then he would not have been able to ensure that the property was cleaned before you arrived. However, if your suspicions
are correct, whether you advised the agent beforehand or not, it is not right that your apartment should have been used without your knowledge.
You do need to check, though, whether anyone other than your agent has had keys to your property, perhaps even before you bought it. If you didn’t change your
locks when you moved in, we would recommend you do it now as a precaution.
If you intend to change your agent, a management company that gives you on-line access to your own personal bookings calendar may suit you better. You would be able to input your planned holiday dates and, from that, the company could make sure your apartment is properly cleaned, beds made up, hot water on, etc, before you arrived.
You don’t mention whether you normally allow rental clients in your holiday home. If you do, an on-line bookings calendar would ensure rental clients (whether your own or those found by the company on your behalf) could not book holidays at the same time as you, and you could also see ‘at-a-glance’ when your property is occupied.
Furthermore, the bookings calendar would allow the management company to automatically arrange all necessary cleaning and laundry between rental periods, without you having to worry about it.
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Q. Our new apartment will only be used a few weeks of the year. How can we find someone we trust to look after it when we’re not there? Tom, London
A. Owning a holiday home often represents a considerable personal investment, so having your property cared for while you’re away is a sensible move.
The best approach is to search the Internet and/or ask around to find a property management company with a good reputation who would undertake regular inspection visits.
Problems, such as damp or storm damage, should generate reports on-line accompanied by photographs; and emergencies, such as water leaks, should be acted on immediately.
For remedial work, gardening or pool cleaning services, expect to approve a quotation beforehand. Look for a professional company where you can easily request services and pay bills by credit card on-line. When you visit, everything should be organized automatically for you, including cleaning and laundry, with beds made up, and your hot water on. If in doubt, ask to see some testimonials from satisfied customers.
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Q. I have a local chap looking after my villa who gets me the odd rental, but I’ve had continual problems getting hold of him to find out exactly what’s going on. What do you suggest? John, Cardiff
A. Some people ask a neighbour or other local person to take care of their property and very often, unless anything goes wrong with the property while it’s in their care, this type of arrangement can work.
However, your current plight does highlight some issues that can arise when using someone who may only do management on a casual or part-time basis.
Your property may represent a significant investment to you, but is your ‘local chap’ as committed as you to protecting your investment? What sort of arrangement do you have with him? Is there a written contract? Are you confident in his ability to handle any emergency, whatever it may be?
Then, there’s the matter of communication.
Like you, most owners want control over the management of their property – regular feedback as to its status, the rental bookings they have, what rental monies are due, and which bills need paying.
Furthermore, they need to be able to contact whoever is responsible for their property, by ‘phone, fax or e-mail, and get a quick response. These commitment and communication issues seem to be important to you, so why not consider placing your property with a professional management company?
Shop around for a reputable organisation that will give you the level of service you want, as well as the peace of mind you’re obviously looking for.
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Q. The developer’s due to be finishing work on my new apartment over the next few months. I can’t keep flying over to check they’re doing everything correctly. What do you recommend? Peter, Southend
A. Normally, if you’ve purchased a new property through a good estate agent they would provide a ‘pre-completion’ service and visit your new property on
a regular basis to check work on your behalf. If your agent doesn’t offer this service then you could consider commissioning a local property management company
to do it for you.
The service should include regular site visits to view progress and take relevant photos for e-mailing to you with update reports.
In addition, upon completion, a property ‘snagging list’ would be undertaken, identifying any problems that need remedial action, or work that’s still to be finished.
Normally, a good management agent will also provide a ‘troubleshooting’ service where any issues with the property, the developer, or utility companies, etc, can be resolved for you and charged on a time basis. Obviously you’ll still want to visit at key stages of the process, but a ‘pre-completion’ service such as this will relieve you of a lot of unnecessary work and traveling and, in the long term, save you time and money.
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Q. Why do I need a management company if I have a long-term tenant in my apartment? Eric and Joy, Wiltshire
A. There are many individuals and organisations prepared to rent out your property that will take an upfront commission from you as well as from the tenant, and produce a contract that you personally have to manage throughout the tenancy period.
While this may seem on the surface an economical way of renting out your apartment, there are a number of issues you need to consider, especially if you are living in another country.
For instance, what happens if there’s a problem with the apartment? Who does the tenant contact? Does the tenant have access to a 24-hour emergency telephone service? Is anyone inspecting the property on a regular basis to monitor any problems with the property? Who is collecting the rent for you? What happens if the rent is late or left unpaid for a long period of time?
These are just a few of the issues you may find yourself having to handle if you don’t have a management service in place.
A professional management company will relieve you of all these worries, saving you both time and money in the long-term, and helping you and your tenant to enjoy a mutually rewarding tenancy.
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Q. I’ve heard that new laws are being introduced in Spain aimed at holiday home owners. Do you know anything about these? Frank, Dorset
A. Hotels on the Costa del Sol have been lobbying Local Government about lost income due to the huge number of holiday apartments available for private rental. Reports say that the Junta de Andalucia is drawing up legislation to better regulate holiday rental homes, probably through some kind of registration
system.
Similarly, because they are losing potential tax revenues, it is said that Central Government is also bringing in measures to control rental properties, by reinforcing the current law that requires owners of holiday homes in mainland Spain to declare earned rental income.
The exact content of this legislation is not known at this stage, although it is hoped it will provide some good incentives for owners to voluntarily declare their rental earnings.
It is almost certainly an attempt on the part of the authorities to regulate an industry which, up to now, has had more than its fair share of disreputable rental agents and disenchanted tenants, holiday-makers and landlords alike.
Any legislation that better protects the interests of all parties, or makes rented homes safer by requiring landlords to install smoke detectors or fire extinguishers, for instance, has to be welcomed.
As we await the new legislation, let’s hope that the Government, at all levels, recognises and appreciates the valuable contribution the private rental sector makes to the economy, in particular the significant benefits to the local tourist industry, its tradespeople, and their employees.
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Q. It’s time to renew our management contract for our apartment but we’re reticent about doing so because there’s been occasions when cleaning has been poor and we’ve also lost some linen. What do you think? Betsy and Jim, Suffolk
A. Occasional problems can and do occur in even the most well-run organisations, especially when the services provided are so labour intensive, such as cleaning and laundry.
A good management company will always try to ensure, however, that cleaning meets a certain specified standard, and that linen movements are tracked closely to and from the laundry.
Mistakes usually happen because of human error. For instance, towels may go missing when visiting guests or rental clients inadvertently leave them at the beach or by the pool, or pack them by mistake. While there should be no reason to lose bed linen unless it’s irretrievably soiled, we all understand that the odd item may occasionally go missing at the laundry, and it can usually be found again. As for cleaning, states of cleanliness are very subjective and what is spotless to one person may be totally unacceptable to another.
Sometimes it’s easy to spot something that’s been missed, yet overlook the rest which might have been done well. That said, there is obviously no excuse for a company not doing a proper job and, if that’s the case, they should be asked to return to rectify the problem.
Make your feelings known to your managing agent and see what they can do to improve their service to you. If you still feel unsure about renewing with them, then research some other local companies to find one who can give you the peace of mind you’re looking for.
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