Supporter Spotlight
- Good Landlord Charter
- Mar 18
- 7 min read
March Supporter Spotlight
By Charlotte Vale
John and Cathy Leach
This month, our network gets an extra special deal – two for one as we’re casting John and Cathy in the Spotlight. In the Spotlight, we’re looking at:
Keeping on top of health and safety as a landlord
How to build long-lasting relationships with tenants and tradespeople
How to take advantage of TDS Academy discounts
The importance of formalised processes
Plenty of brews and a biscuit thrown in
John and Cathy joined me about a week ago for an online call to discuss being a landlord and a Supporter of the Charter. Thank you to John and Cathy for their time and contributions. Please enjoy this write-up of our conversation.
John: “Started off as an apprentice joiner 40-odd-years-ago”
I started the call by remarking how John and Cathy might be one of our most experienced duos in the Charter, having worked in the sector for about four decades and operated as a landlord for three.
John’s response to me recognising his 40 years in the sector is indicative of someone who’s been around the block a few times: simple acknowledgement. John got his start in the sector as a joiner, moving on to construction site management. He built a career for himself in construction, starting his own business and becoming self-employed at the age of 21. John tells me he’s enjoyed a varied experience within construction, working on health and safety and the Chartered Institute of Building. Skills he’s employed in his time as a landlord.
It was when John and Cathy met, about 30 years ago, that they became landlords. Cathy chuckles on to the call, remarking that their 30th anniversary is coming up soon. Cathy owned her own house when she met John. And John was in the process of buying his house too. So fortuitous timing meant they were able to let Cathy’s house out when they began their lives together – beginning their careers as landlords at the same time.
Cathy: “Put about six windows in, in a day. Couldn’t do that now”
The rose-tinted glasses came out as John and Cathy reflected on how they started as “accidental” landlords. This only encouraged them to add another property to their portfolio. They refurbished a terrace house and rented it out in about six weeks.
Cathy: “A lot younger then, could do things a lot quicker, couldn’t we?” You can tell from the smiles in their voices that they look back on their days as new landlords fondly.
John: “Always been interested in health and safety, that’s why I was interested in the Charter”
It’s clear from chatting with John and Cathy that they have a lot of pride in the services they provide to their tenants. Their son rents in London and, from what I can tell, he could benefit from a Good Landlord Charter down there.
“Why should (tenants) be treated any differently?” – This is something John and Cathy think about when renting their properties, and what fuels their interest in the health and safety requirements of being a landlord.
John: “Make sure electrical safety is right, make sure the smoke alarms are done”
Cathy: “Oh he’s obsessed with smoke alarms, checks them every 6 months”
I turned the conversation towards their experience as landlords. They’ve had remarkable success, to the extent that they were invited to the wedding of one of their tenants. I wanted to know what they thought was responsible for this success (other than meeting the Charter criteria, of course).
Cathy: “Being nice to people.”
John and Cathy have an approach to people and their community that means they're being Spotlighted today. Values-led practice should always be celebrated, and I think John and Cathy do well to demonstrate this practice.
The introduction of Awaab’s Law to the private sector has meant an increased reliance on qualified and competent tradespeople completing work quickly. John looks back on his time as a sole trader and provides for people what he always wanted in those days – plenty of brews.
Cathy expands, “always have the kettle on. But be nice to people, not everyone treats them nice. Then they relax and know we’re normal… well, kind of normal”.
Building strong relationships isn't anything new for John and Cathy. They know the benefit of having trusted and regular tradespeople that tenants can get to know. Community is important to them; they volunteer and offer their skills, whether that is putting up Christmas lights or supporting community-based building projects.
And it’s the sensibility that has led to long-sitting, satisfied tenants. Starting off on the right foot is imperative. John and Cathy have benefited from their discounts for TDS Academy, getting access to four courses for free, including the ‘Pre-Tenancy Activity and Inventory/Check-in’ course. They know that successful tenancies have the strongest start possible. Supporters of the Charter can get in touch with the Charter to get a code for their free course.
John: “Making sure everything’s right from the start”
John and Cathy make sure to let their tenants know what the bin schedule is, useful tips about the neighbourhood, and that they do property inspections every 6 months.
With a simple call to say, ‘It’s been about 6 months since we last inspected, any jobs you need us to do since then?’, they’re able to create positive working relationships with tenants while avoiding costly repairs if an issue were to be missed. They’re taking this a step further with support from the Charter. Working with the Implementation Unit, John and Cathy understand the value in formalising inspections and will be immediately sharing written inspection reports, rather than upon request. This is in addition to sharing a verbal report with their tenants, as they pointed out, this helps build that relationship even further. Our Membership & Quality team have discussed adopting formal policies for their tenancies to ensure the best outcomes for themselves and their tenants.
It’s heartwarming to hear about all the great experiences John and Cathy have had with tenants. I chuckle along with them as they explain that one of their tenants leaves milk out on the windowsill when they go away on holiday, so John and Cathy can make sure it doesn’t go to waste.
Most significantly, I think it’s John and Cathy’s understanding and flexibility that have brought them success. I got listening to how they bought a property with a sitting tenant, with the plan to ask the tenant to leave so a complete remodel of the home could be completed within a few months. However, after learning that the tenant is a single mother and ending the tenancy would cause lots of distress, John and Cathy immediately abandoned the notion of regaining possession.
John and Cathy set to work on improving the home, but doing so in a way that caused as little disruption for their tenant as possible while involving the tenant at every stage. Renovations were completed piecemeal. Improvements were made over time. The tenant even got to pick out the new carpet they wanted to install.
I hope it’s clear from this conversation why John and Cathy were selected for the Spotlight this month. Before joining the Charter, they were already going above and beyond to hit many of our themes, including ‘Safe & Decent’, ‘Supportive’, and being ‘Well-managed’.
We’re excited to have the opportunity to work with landlords who deserve the recognition and all the added benefits of being a part of the Charter. I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of two of our Supporters. If you have questions or want to share some of your best moments with tenants, get in touch.
The Good Landlord Charter is here to recognise and support landlords who go above and beyond. Supporters moving towards Membership can access discounts of up to £170 for TDS Academy (that’s 4 courses completely free). The Membership & Quality team are also here to provide free policy templates to secure best practices amidst changes with the Renters’ Rights Act.
Reach out to us today to move towards Membership.
February Supporter Spotlight
By The Implementation Uni
Charlotte Puddy
This month, we recognise one of our Supporters, Charlotte Puddy, for her excellent practices and peer support in the Charter.
The Good Landlord Charter is a recognition scheme to put Good Landlords front and centre. We’re selecting Supporters to be spotlighted for their contributions to the rental experience.
Setting the example for landlords
Our Membership & Quality Manager, Charlotte Vale, met with Supporters during one of our workshops to discuss the path to Membership and the future of being a landlord in Greater Manchester.
The Renters’ Rights Act brings about many changes to the UK housing sector. One of those changes is a shift to all tenancies being a periodic (rolling) structure. Many landlords are left wondering what this means for serving rent increases on a rolling tenancy. We held a Workshop to shed some light on the upcoming changes.
Attendees to the workshop shared their experience of rent increases and the quality of stock available in the region. Supporters expressed concern for the changes to rolling tenancies and how to effectively use section 13 rent increase notices. Charlotte Vale provided advice and guidance about how landlords can get ready for the Renters’ Rights Act and remain compliant with the reforms to UK legislation.
Charlotte Puddy joined the workshop and has been selected as this month’s Spotlighted Supporter for her contributions to her peers. Charlotte has been a landlord in Greater Manchester for 17 years and manages a portfolio of 550 properties under Abode Property Management NW Ltd. Charlotte discussed with her fellow landlords about Abode's best practices for serving section 13 notices and how she’s responding to Awaab’s law in the private sector.
Charlotte getting involved with the Charter
Charlotte also came along to the first Network and Learning event, which focused on the Inclusive criteria, with guest speakers on adaptations and supporting vulnerable young tenants. Charlotte said: “I found the event to be really insightful, and it gave me the opportunity to speak to experts and tenants that I don’t normally hear from. I’ve already followed up to explore future opportunities with one of the speakers.”
Charlotte is also an active Supporter of the Charter, as part of the Landlord Advisory Group. This is a group of Supporters who give their time to help shape the work of the Charter. Together with others, Charlotte has helped provide vital insight to the Implementation Unit, advised on how best to design the journey to becoming a Member, and the Networking and Learning offer that the Charter provides to landlords.
By getting involved in the events that the Charter offers to landlords, Charlotte is showing how you can really benefit from the opportunity of being part of the Charter.
