INTERVIEW: Why my ‘warts and all’ landlording works on social media

Portfolio landlord and property educator Rick Gannon insists his ‘warts and all’ social media posts are a good way to reflect a true picture of the sector.

A recent video about his tenant doing a runner owing two months’ rent garnered more than five million views and hundreds of comments – not all of them positive – as some reckoned he was out of line when revealing how he deals with absconders.

“It can be hard on social media to give the full story, but we do everything lawfully and had been told by two other tenants that this man had already gone before we entered his room,” Gannon tells LandlordZONE.

“I want to get my message across that not all landlords are bad, by featuring the reality of what I do. I’m trying to show people the right way to go about things.”

Frustrating

A tenant leaving without paying rent is rare but frustrating, particularly because Gannon doesn’t always ask for a deposit, as he is mindful of the fact that even a month’s rent can be a stretch for some HMO tenants.

“If it’s blatant, and they owe us money and they’ve done nothing to try and contact us, we’ll pursue it with a CCJ, particularly if a tenant is working and there’s no reason not to pay.”

HMOs are still worth doing, Gannon believes, despite the rise in utility bills and mortgage rates. He’s also pragmatic about upcoming potential EPC changes and believes any work to improve energy efficiency will future-proof the business. “I’m prepared to address the issue, even with our listed buildings,” he explains.

“I’ve just had three properties surveyed and they have a D or an E rating but I’m confident that it shouldn’t be too much of a battle to improve them, with either insulation, upgraded windows or LED lighting. However, I hope the government introduces some landlord grants.”

See Rick’s TikTok videos.