Three in five landlords risk missing emergency tenant calls

Nearly six in 10 landlords (57%) operate without any after-hours support for maintenance, management or urgent tenant issues, research reveals.

The findings from property management firm Adiuvo found that only a third (33%) of landlords have comprehensive out-of-hours support in place.

A further 10% rely on limited cover restricted to specific times, leaving a large proportion of landlords vulnerable to missing critical tenant concerns.

Among those with some form of after-hours support, 61% depend on their letting or managing agent and 34% have arrangements with a private contractor.

Just 6% use a dedicated out-of-hours service provider.

Out-of-hours cover for landlords

The firm’s managing director, Colin Stokes, said: “There are an awful lot of landlords out there who don’t yet have out-of-hours cover, and this leaves them exposed to unmediated late-night issues in their properties which can destroy their relationship with their tenants, and even lead to expensive property damage.

“Even just a small problem, such as a minor leak, can quickly become a major issue if not addressed quickly.

“And to avoid this, any landlord without cover is having to drag themselves out of bed or away from their family to deal with the situation.”

Most landlords prefer personal touch

For landlords without out-of-hours cover, the reasons vary: 59% prefer to personally handle issues, even if it means responding to calls at 3am, while 29% believe such services are unnecessary.

Another 12% cite high costs, and 2% struggle to find reliable providers.

The absence of after-hours support is particularly alarming given that 81.3% of tenant calls occur outside standard office hours.

Adiuvo’s 2024 data revealed they managed nearly 226,000 property-related calls, with 183,752 happening after hours.

That means landlords risk missing urgent issues, such as leaks or safety concerns, which could escalate into costly damage or strained tenant relationships, the firm says.

Encouragingly, the survey found that 93% of landlords with cover rate it as effective, and 86% are satisfied with their investment in these services.