A new self-management platform for landlords will do everything a lettings agency can but at a fraction of the cost and ‘in minutes’, according to Cohab boss Saveli Kotz (pictured).

The company claims its self-managed platform streamlines every aspect of the rental management process, from property listings to tenant screening and can also automate rent collection.

Free to use

It is free to use, although there is a premium payable for extras such as listing properties on Rightmove.

Users can create customisable listings, with the ability to update property details, descriptions and photos and, says Cohab, its compliance tools enable landlords to stay compliant during the current rental market reforms.

Tenants can also utilise the platform to secure a rental property on the spot, ensuring that the process of renting is smoother and faster than before, with Cohab providing the ability to generate and sign contracts digitally.

Reference and identity checks are carried out by Cohab partner, Vouch.

Once tenants have moved in, landlords can then track and resolve maintenance requests to ensure tenants are provided with fit-for-purpose accommodation.

The profit margins of the nation’s landlords have been continuously dented in recent years.”

Kotz comments: “The profit margins of the nation’s landlords have been continuously dented in recent years due to a string of government legislative changes and, as a result, we’re seeing a higher proportion choose to self-manage in order to streamline management costs.

“The issue is that this can be stressful and time-consuming, requiring them to juggle emails, paperwork and compliance requirements. Time, cost and compliance are the three key pillars that many landlords focus their portfolio around, and with the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill this year, the strains of these obligations are only going to grow all the larger.

“Despite this, to date, there has been no real technology offering designed to lighten the load of self-management within the rental sector, with platforms such as OpenRent only serving to address one particular issue.

“We’ve decided to address this issue and, having already built a bespoke property management system, we’ve now driven our innovation of the sector to new heights with the launch of our self-management offering.

As reported in The Neg recently it is a market that has proved difficult to crack in the past.