As summer approaches, property activity typically increases. Tenants begin moving, landlords start refreshing listings, and contractors become fully booked. For those managing one or more properties, the key to a smooth peak season lies in preparation. Auditing your existing workflow in late spring gives you time to correct inefficiencies, resolve outstanding issues, and streamline your operations before demand hits its peak.
It’s not just about catching up. A proper audit ensures your management processes run with fewer delays, fewer missed steps, and less stress. Whether you manage your own properties or use a team, now is the time to take a close look at how each part of your process performs under pressure.
Why Timing Matters
A good property manager anticipates seasonal changes. June and July tend to bring an increase in viewings, applications, maintenance calls, and turnover. Waiting until you are already busy to fix bottlenecks is risky. By then, it’s harder to get trades on short notice, and tenants are less forgiving of slow responses.
Auditing early gives you control. You can identify where tasks tend to fall behind, how well your communication channels are working, and whether your maintenance systems are robust enough to cope with increased volume.
It also presents a chance to refresh listings, test automation tools, and check that your legal paperwork is in order, without the distractions of a fully booked calendar.
Start with Your Communication Channels
One of the most common pain points in property management is poor communication. Emails go unanswered, tenants feel ignored, and tradespeople miss key instructions. These issues often come down to outdated systems or processes that don’t scale well.
Review how you handle incoming tenant messages. Are enquiries tracked? Do maintenance requests get logged and assigned in real time? If you still rely on informal texts, emails, or phone calls without follow-up tracking, you are likely to encounter problems when activity increases.
Now is the time to test or upgrade your systems. This may mean using a property management software with messaging features, setting clear response time expectations, or creating a shared dashboard for your team or contractors.
Review Your Maintenance Reporting and Resolution System
When small repairs pile up, they often lead to larger costs and more frustrated tenants. A proper audit of your maintenance process looks at how issues are reported, who handles them, and how long they take to resolve.
Make a list of all outstanding maintenance jobs and check the age of each request. If some repairs have been delayed for weeks or longer, find out why. Is it a lack of available trades? Poor follow-up? Missing approvals?
Also look at how tenants report issues. A structured form or online portal makes it easier to collect the right information and reduces back-and-forth.
Confirm that your contractors are available for summer. Many tradespeople book up quickly as the weather improves. If you don’t already have relationships with reliable professionals, secure their availability now or consider setting up contracts in advance.
Assess Your Tenant Onboarding and Offboarding Process
A busy season often means more move-ins and move-outs. If your current process is slow or inconsistent, you risk delays, missed rent, or compliance problems.
Review your onboarding steps. This includes referencing, deposit registration, inventory creation, key handover, and welcome communications. Each step should be mapped out, with clear responsibility and expected timeframes.
For offboarding, check that you have a structured process for collecting keys, inspecting the property, returning deposits, and recording condition changes. Automated reminders or checklists can keep everyone on track.
It’s also wise to look at your tenancy agreement template. Is it up to date with current legislation? Are all your documents easily accessible and stored securely?
Examine Your Listing and Marketing Process
If you plan to market a vacant unit this summer, your listing approach must be ready. Check that your property descriptions are accurate, recent, and engaging. Update photography if it was taken in poor weather or shows dated furnishings.
Have a plan for booking viewings. Will you offer open houses, individual appointments, or virtual tours? Are you prepared to respond to enquiries promptly?
Also look at how listings are managed across platforms. Manually updating multiple sites wastes time. Using a central system or letting agent with multi-channel capabilities ensures better visibility and faster results.
Think about timing as well. Listings that go live in late spring or early summer tend to perform better than those posted in August, when tenant attention begins to drop.
Review Your Compliance and Documentation
Even seasoned landlords can forget about updates to rules around safety checks, deposit protection, or licensing. Use this pre-summer audit to confirm that every property under your care has:
- A valid gas safety certificate
- An up-to-date electrical inspection
- Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Proper deposit handling procedures
- Any necessary HMO or selective licences
Check document expiry dates and set reminders well ahead of renewal deadlines. A single lapse can cause delays and legal complications at the worst time.
If you use digital storage, make sure all your documents are properly labelled, accessible, and backed up.
Consider Automating Repetitive Tasks
Automation isn’t just for large portfolios. Even a few recurring tasks can add up to hours of time lost during the busy season. Audit your week-to-week routines and look for anything that could be handled by software or scheduling tools.
Examples include:
- Automated rent reminders
- Maintenance ticket tracking
- Scheduled property inspections
- Template responses to common questions
- Monthly reports for income and expenses
Streamlining these areas gives you more time to focus on unexpected issues, tenant needs, or expanding your portfolio. Most automation tools now work on phones, tablets, or desktops, so you don’t need to be in an office to manage things effectively.
@DMN Property Solutions.
FAQs
Ideally once a year, preferably in spring, so you can make changes before the summer surge in tenant activity.
Yes. Even with a handful of properties, automation and record-keeping tools can save time, reduce errors, and keep your paperwork compliant.
Unprepared landlords often face costly delays, missed maintenance, unhappy tenants, and legal oversights during the busiest season.
