Nearly six out of 10 landlords across the UK have no out-of-hours property management cover despite the vast majority of tenant calls being made outside normal office hours.
Research by Adiuvo, a leading provider of 24/7 property management solutions, found that only a third (33%) of landlords have comprehensive cover in place, with a further 10% holding partial arrangements limited to certain times of day. That leaves 57 % without any out-of-hours support at all.
Among those who do have some form of cover, 61% receive it through their letting or managing agent, 34% through a personal contractor and just 6 per cent through a specialist provider.
The findings are striking given the volume of tenant issues arising at night or during weekends.
LACK OF COVER
Adiuvo said it handled 226,000 property management and maintenance calls in 2024, of which more than 183,000 – 81.3% – came outside standard hours.
When asked why they lack cover, 59% of landlords said they preferred to handle issues themselves, even if it meant being called out at unsociable hours. Almost a third (29%) did not consider cover necessary, 12% cited cost, and 2% said they had not been able to find a suitable provider.
Colin Stokes, founder and managing director of Adiuvo, says: “There are an awful lot of landlords out there who don’t yet have out-of-hours cover, and this leaves them exposed to unremediated 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.”
