How can you find the best possible customer service experience renting in the UK?
- Go back
- 24th Oct 22
According to Shelter, in a recent poll of 10,000 adults, private renters are more likely than homeowners or social renters to think that politicians do not care about them. Shelter chief executive Polly Neate says: “Millions of private renters are fed up of paying through the nose to live in insecure and dangerous homes. Now the cost-of-living crisis is making the cracks in our broken rental system wider.”
However, there is something that renters can do by taking matters into their own hands and choosing a different way of living. Build to Rent is challenging perceptions of the rental market by offering an alternative to the private rental sector. The popularity of Build to Rent has exploded over the last few years with no signs of it slowing down. By renting through professional landlords, tenants are getting the service that they deserve.
The Build to Rent experience starts from the moment a tenant walks through the door to view the property. Although each development offers something different, they all have one thing in common, which is to ensure that customer service is key.
By investing in the customer experience, Build to Rent developers are backing their business because great service equates to less customer turnover and higher demand. This is supported by the latest figures from Love to Rent, the first and only digital marketing platform for the Build to Rent sector, which has seen viewing figures surge since its launch in January 2020. Visits to the site have increased by 181% since its launch and since the start of the cost-of-living crises have shown a sharp rise of 36%.
Anne-Marie Brown, Founder and CEO of Love to Rent says: “Now more than ever, people are looking for the best possible experience being a renter to give them value for money. They are no longer willing to accept poor service from landlords or put up with not getting things repaired when they are broken or faulty. Renters value their time and should expect that everything is done quickly and efficiently. Therefore, many Build to Rent developments have in-house resident managers. This gives customers the peace of mind of knowing that everything will be easily dealt with through one point of contact who is always available.”
During Love to Rent week, from 24th to 28th October, there’s plenty of opportunity to discover exactly how the sector goes over and above to offer exceptional customer service and a strong community focus with highlighted developments and case studies about residents’ experiences.
As well as 24/7 repairs and maintenance service, Build to Rent goes that step further by ensuring that people living in the development feel part of the community. Purpose built rental accommodation responds to the changing needs of the market. It offers residents the feel of living within a community in higher quality accommodation, which in turn encourages longer tenancies to create real friendships and an improved quality of life. Depending on the development, there are an array of additional services and facilities, including anything from supper clubs, rooftop yoga, co-working spaces, gyms, and dog walking services.
“Having the services of events teams organising social gatherings at Build to Rent developments are great fun but it’s often the concierge service or the security systems that customers value the most,” explains Anne-Marie Brown. “Having someone greet them by name or ensuring that their deliveries are taken in securely, are services that residents very much appreciate.”
The Build to Rent sector puts all the control back into the hands of renters, allowing them to choose how long they want to live in the property, giving them the ultimate customer service experience. Flexible tenancies and a wide choice of accommodation for all budgets allows renters the option of choosing what works best for them, rather than worrying about what their landlord’s plans are.
“The customer experience with Build to Rent is so good that once they discover it, renters tend to stay within the sector, just changing locations to experience living in different parts of the UK,” adds Anne-Marie Brown.
During the Love to Rent week, the spotlight is on the customer service and community experience that are needed by a range of renters. Young people looking to move out of home properly for the first time, families with small children, older people looking to enjoy downsizing will all benefit from the knowledge that there is a dedicated team ensuring the rental experience will be stress-free and enjoyable.