9 Crown Row, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 0TH
Liam McDonnell
Lettings Valuer
Liam attended school locally in Ascot and began his career in estate agency aged 18 in the Bracknell area. He has gone on to gain experience within the Maidenhead, Reading and Wokingham markets too. Building relationships is what Liam enjoys the most in his role, which gives him the opportunity to meet and help all kinds of people. Away from work, Liam enjoys playing football throughout the week and for a local Bracknell team on a Sunday (some say the next Sunday League Pirlo).
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.
Top of my bucket list is…
To travel around America and Australia.
On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me…
On a football pitch in all weathers – potentially a little jaded from the night before.
My guilty pleasures are…
Watching Super Sunday and the F1 whilst devouring a takeaway. Highly recommended.
The thing I like best about my job…
Helping and advising landlords on how to make the process of letting their property as stress-free as possible, and assuring tenants throughout the process so that it becomes an enjoyable and exciting experience.
The person I’d most like to go for a drink with is…
Sir Alex Ferguson.
1 Feb 2021
Let’s unpack what landlords can learn from the findings of the memorably titled Mouldy Nation Report. Yes, before you ask, there really is a document called the Mouldy Nation Report (we’re not making it up).
Uswitch, an energy and finance comparison website, produced the report after surveying 2,000 people from across the UK about mould in their homes. It found that:
- 62% of people have an issue with mould in their home.
- Of those with a mould problem, 64% were renting (private, student, or social).
- 40% of people wouldn’t clean mould themselves if they were in a rented home.
- 64% of people believe it is the landlord’s sole responsibility to rectify a mould problem.
Interestingly (or infuriatingly), those who reported mould in their home, also fessed up to contributing to the problem by:
- Drying clothes indoors (40%).
- Leaving the kitchen or bathroom door open when cooking or showering (22%).
- Putting furniture directly against walls (21%).
- Keeping the shower curtain folded when wet (11%).
- Leaving spillages instead of cleaning them up (6%).
For the record, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to repair a problem that is causing mould (leaks, broken damp proof courses, inadequate insulation). The landlord must also remove mould that is affecting a tenant’s health and safety.
But it takes two to tango, and it is the tenant’s responsibility to adequately ventilate the property within reasonable means and keep the property clean.
Two broader issues jump out at us here. They are:
1. As a landlord, you must keep your property in good condition. If there is a structural issue causing the mould, deal with it. Also, make sure extractor fans and the heating are working, so your tenant has no excuse to claim it’s your fault.
2. Landlords are not nannies or babysitters; they shouldn’t have to explain basic hygiene to a tenant who thinks it’s okay to ignore spillages and leave wet shower curtains curled up. You must invest the time at the beginning of a tenancy to find the right tenant, someone who will keep up their end of the bargain by keeping your property clean and tidy.
The team at Duncan Yeardley are experienced at tenant selection. Life’s too short to be giving cleanliness lectures or straightening other people’s shower curtains, so if you’d to learn more about our services, please get in touch.
Copyright Duncan Yeardley 2021
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