I have now updated all the properties on the website.  Anyone wanting to view a property should phone me first – my number is on the website.  The current tenants get first refusal for next year and it will take me until the end of the year to find out definitely which groups are staying.  In the mean time if anyone is really interested I give them first refusal at the beginning of next term.  I do not start the formal transaction until then as I have found in the past that groups tend to change over the Christmas vacation and I end up doing the work twice.  So look forward to hearing from you.

I always think that winter starts on Guy Fawkes night.  The daylight hours are short and the gloves and scarves come out.  Be sure to be careful when walking the streets round the university and the favourite areas for housing in Fallowfield and Withington in the dark.  Ventilate (that is open a window) in your bedroom to clear any damp.  With the heating going condensation forms on the windows and the walls if the rooms are not properly ventilated.  Student rooms tend to be crowded with clothes and often clothes are dried in the bedroom so of course it is not a surprise that damp is a problem.  It is also a time to time to pick your flatmates for next year as you will soon be looking for properties for the next academic year.

Just to let my tenants know that I am away from now till 14th October.  If you need anything send me an email on louise@eilonassociates.com.  Anything to do with the maintenance of the properties in Manchester please ring 07900315180.

One of the tenants at 40 Cawdor Road has decided not to return to university.  This means that the remaining 5 tenants are looking for someone to share with them.  You can see details on the website although these are geared for next years prices (it is a bit less this year as it does not include the internet which has to be paid for separately).  Email me through the website if you have any interest.

We have tried to install Virgin broadband in five of our houses.  The engineer was booked for the 1st July to coincide with the tenancy year.  We stood outside the alloted house for an hour and then just as we were giving up the engineer rolled up.  He had been sitting outside another of the properties and had been phoning our home telephone number in London instead of the mobile number.  The other problem we had that day (apart from them not connecting some of the installations properly) is that they had sent one engineer for 4 properties and another for one property.  So the engineer for the one property was given access by the old tenants who happen to be still there and did not phone us.  Of course the box was put in the wrong place and we had to call him back to do it again.  Now the tenants are back for the new term we are having problems still in one property where Virgin say there is a problem with the building!  This is three months on – will we ever be sorted?

The new student term is about to begin and I believe most of my tenants are returning to Manchester this coming weekend in time to have fun at Freshers Week.  We always get a lot of phone calls at this time of year with new tenants finding things wrong with the property or just not knowing how things work.  Please call or email Chris Scott (all contact details on the notice board in each property).  If you need to speak to me than ring my mobile (not my home number as I don’t always pick up messages there).  Good luck with the new college year.

Just to let all tenants know that Louise will be out of the country from 1st to 6th September.  She will be on her mobile phone but beware it will cost a lot if you call her.  From time to time she will pick up her emails.  If tenants have problems in this period call Chris on 07761 011 183.

Just to make it clear how to contact me.  You can email me on louise@eilonassociates.com or phone 07887703520.  These are the best two ways to get hold of me.  This applies to all tenants and prospective tenants.

The tenants in one of our flats has decided to decline our offer of BT broadband and wants to install Sky.  The appointment was duly made but because this is a lower ground floor flat and has a special render I had my electrician on site to supervise the installation and to do the internal wiring at my expense.  The first time they came , the sky men hummed and haaed and then said they were going to get their equipment and were never seen again.  The second time – my electrician was on site- they failed to turn up.  The third time they said the building was too tall.  The fourth time a different special tall- building sky team came and they said the building was still too tall.   The saga continues.

We decided in March as landlords that we would try to provide broadband in all our properties for the new rental year that has just started.  Well so started a roller coaster of events and hours (yes literally) on the phone.  We have stories about BT, Sky and VirginMedia.  This blog is about the BT experience which is still ongoing. 

One of our properties is a block of four flats.  This only adds to the confusion as sometimes the Flat number is not recorded correctly and it ends up with BT and ourselves talking at cross purposes.  One flat we took over the line from current tenants.  This seems to have gone smoothly but it is not active at the moment as we have barred the calls and not added the broadband as the tenants want Sky (look at forthcoming blogs).  The second flat we were assured would come live with broadband in then next 10 days (scheduled for 20th July) and the third one an engineer needed to call (not sure why).  We are still waiting for the second flat to come live.  The order could not be found and after 2 hours on the phone BT decided to start with a new order which should be live on 31st July.  What’s the betting this happens this time?