For Landlords, Letting Agents & Property Managers
1. Missing or Expired Gas Safety Certificates
- Legally required every 12 months.
- Must be provided to tenants before move-in.
2. Failing to Install Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms
- Smoke alarms on every floor.
- CO alarms in rooms with solid fuel appliances.
3. Not Protecting Tenant Deposits Properly
- Must be registered with a government-approved scheme within 30 days.
- Provide prescribed information to tenants.
4. Ignoring Electrical Safety Standards
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) required every 5 years.
- Applies to all rented properties.
5. Inadequate Fire Safety in HMOs
- Fire doors, extinguishers, and escape routes must meet standards.
- Regular fire risk assessments are essential.
6. Incorrect or Missing EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates)
- Must be rated E or above to legally rent.
- Displayed in property listings and given to tenants.
7. Unlawful Eviction Notices
- Section 21 and Section 8 notices must follow strict rules.
- Errors can invalidate the notice and delay possession.
8. Poor Record-Keeping
- Lack of documentation can hurt you in disputes or inspections.
- Keep digital copies of all certificates, communications, and inspections.
9. Not Providing the “How to Rent” Guide
- Must be the latest version from gov.uk.
- Required for all new tenancies in England.
10. Overlooking GDPR in Tenant Communications
- Consent is required for marketing.
- Secure handling of personal data is a legal obligation.
Remember – Local Expertise Matters
Yorkshire councils may have additional licensing rules—especially in Leeds, Bradford, and York. Always check with your local authority.
What our clients have to say…
Great service for busy landlords
As someone managing multiple HMOs, I need contractors who just get things done. Nick’s floorplans and reports are consistently accurate, and he’s flexible with appointments—even evenings and weekends when needed.
Excellent service as always!
Working at an extremely busy estate and letting agent who appreciates the necessity and value of an independent provider, it’s vital that we work with someone not only reliable, but approachable, professional and precisely accurate. Excellent service as always!
Clear and professional every time
I’ve had multiple 360 tours done now and each one looks brilliant. He always delivers what he promises—can’t say that about many service providers these days.
One of the most responsive contractors we’ve worked with
Nick’s turnaround time is impressive, even when we’ve had urgent requests. From virtual tours to inventories, everything is handled with care and precision. Highly recommended to any agent wanting consistent results.
Takes the pressure off us as landlords
We’ve used Nicholas Blakeley repeatedly for floorplans and inventory reports. Everything is handled so professionally and with zero fuss. Knowing someone reliable is handling this makes our lives easier.
Trustworthy and fair—especially for tenants
As a tenant, I was nervous about the checkout process. Nick was calm, respectful, and explained everything. The report was fair and helped resolve the deposit quickly.
Lovely chap, polite and professional
Nick was recommended to me by another landlord in York when I needed someone to create floorplans for my HMO properties to submit to the council. He met me when he said he would, we went around all my properties together and chatted while he created my floorplans. Nothing seemed like too much trouble for him and he got my floorplans ready to send by the next day. Couldn’t be happier!
Efficient, professional, and easy to work with
We booked Nick for a series of inventory reports and floorplans across our portfolio. He turned up on time, worked quickly, and delivered everything ahead of schedule. The reports were clear, detailed, and exactly what we needed for compliance.
Attention to detail and great value
We’ve worked with Nick on several occasions for inventory reports and virtual tours. His work is meticulous, and he’s always happy to accommodate last-minute requests. The pricing is fair, and the quality is consistently high.
Honest and fair
We were so worried about our checkout appointment as last time we rented, the landlord made all sorts of claims and because we were inexperienced, we didn’t check things properly when we moved in. Having Nicholas Blakeley produce the Inventory Report and then come and complete the Checkout Appointment gave us no reason to be concerned. They carried out a fair and honest comparison, and yes we did have a deduction from our deposit but it was for a genuine damage we knew we had caused.
Virtual tours that make a real difference
Nick’s 360 tours have transformed how we present our listings. The quality is outstanding, and the turnaround time is always fast. Tenants love being able to explore properties remotely, and we’ve seen a noticeable increase in enquiries.
Efficient, clear, and spot on
First time using Nick and will definitely be using him again. Inventory was crystal clear, delivered quicker than expected, and made our move-out process so much smoother. Great communication throughout.
No issues at all
Happy to leave a review and recommend Nicholas Blakeley. Their walk-throughs and photos are great. Love the simple online booking system. The fact that we get what we asked for back in no time at all and without any fuss is a massive selling point for us. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find genuine, reliable and trustworthy contractors!
Transparent and fair – exactly what tenants need
The inventory process was made really simple, and Nick was very respectful during the checkout. We appreciated the honest feedback—it made the deposit resolution much smoother for everyone.
Highly skilled and extremely courteous
Nick was recommended to me by a colleague and I’m glad he was. He took time to understand the property, offered helpful suggestions, and followed through quickly. The floorplans were detailed and council-ready.
Reliable, respectful, and fast
Nick was brilliant from start to finish. He respected our tenants’ time, worked quickly, and delivered a detailed inventory that helped us avoid any disputes. It’s rare to find someone so efficient and considerate.
Easy to work with and great value
We’re a small agency and always watch our budget closely. Nick’s pricing is very reasonable, and the quality is spot-on. You feel looked after, not like just another client.
We were impressed by the product
We were very much impressed by the product, service received and overall professionalism.
Virtual tours are amazing!
So chuffed we took the plunge and went for the virtual tours. We had been doing video walk-throughs but these really do give the user a better experience. When they can ‘walk around’ and choose what they see and look up and down as they would if they were there in person. Haven’t used virtual googles yet but tenants have told us they have and love the experience. A+
They are always very reliable
We have used Nicholas Blakeley for some time now for a range of their services. They are always very reliable, and the quality of the products provided are excellent. Nick and Julia are always very helpful, accommodating with appointments and speedy with sending reports back to us! Would highly recommend!
Made the process easy for a first-time landlord
I was nervous about getting everything right for my first rental. Nick explained the process clearly, handled the photography and reports, and gave me peace of mind. Couldn’t have asked for better support.
Fantastic service
I met Nick early one cold morning, not knowing what to expect as he was recommended to me by another landlord. He got straight on with the task of setting up equipment to create a virtual walk through of my property and measuring for floorplans. A hassle-free appointment, no fuss. Very reasonable price for the quality of work.
Wouldn’t go anywhere else now
Honestly, the speed and quality of the virtual tours were amazing. Nick just gets it done—no drama, no chasing. Our listings look fantastic and have definitely helped bring in more viewings. Can’t fault him.
Great reports
Found Nicholas Blakeley online and so glad I did. He came over and produced a checkout report for one of my rental properties, albeit based on an inventory produced by someone else. He was so good, I had him return to create the new inventory report for the next tenancy once I got the property how I wanted it.
Virtual tours that actually convert
We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in enquiries since switching to Nick’s interactive tours. They’re slick, intuitive, and give our listings a real edge. Highly recommend for any agent wanting to stand out.
Delighted with the results!
Professional service, very quick and efficient, would highly recommend, it has increased our bookings by 300%. Delighted with the results!
Great and professional service
Great and professional service. We would highly recommend and we are always delighted with the product.
Exceptional quality at a fair price
We’ve worked with other providers before, but Nick’s attention to detail and pricing are unmatched. His 360 tours have helped us stand out in a crowded market.
A real asset to our agency
We’ve used Nick for virtual tours and floorplans across multiple listings. His work is consistently high-quality, and he’s always happy to accommodate last-minute changes. Our clients love the results, and so do we.
Professional and personable—great combo
Nick’s reports are spot-on, but what really stands out is how easy he is to work with. He’s friendly, punctual, and always keeps us updated. That kind of service makes a big difference.
Made our compliance headache disappear
We needed Legionella Risk Assessments done across multiple properties and were dreading the admin. Nick handled everything with ease and gave us clear, council-ready documentation.
I couldn’t believe how good the 360 virtual tours were
The product & service far outweighed my perception of the product. Prompt arrival & setting up at the properties, everything went so well & the finished links were sent very quickly. I couldn’t believe how good the 360 virtual tours were, its the way forward for sure, I thoroughly recommend Nicholas Blakeley for their professionalism throughout the process.
Reliable, professional and highly recommended
I’ve used Nicholas Blakeley since they were recommended to me back in 2021. They have produced virtual tours and floorplans for all my properties. Nick arrives exactly when requested, he’s focussed, professional and efficient. The tours are particularly impressive and I’ve had lots of compliments and comments from potential and existing tenants on how useful they are when making decisions. All in all, very happy and will continue to use.
I have no problem recommending Nick (have already done this)
I have found their service to be great, flexible and great at adapting to our changing needs (covid causes tenants to stay in the house longer than were due to) and even offering to work on an evening / early morning and even weekends to ensure that everyone was completed as it should be.
I have no problem recommending Nick (have already done this) and i will be using him in summer 2022, when i do require a few more 360 tours to be completed.
very professional and extremely reliable
For years they have been our go-to-guys and we receive documents back in our inboxes in next to no time. Nick himself is very friendly, very professional and extremely reliable.
Professional, punctual, and personable
Nick arrived early, explained everything clearly, and delivered the inventory report ahead of schedule. It’s rare to find someone so thorough and approachable. Will definitely be booking again.
Fantastic service!
Fantastic service! Very professional reports and documents produced. Flexible to accommodate appointments even at short notice. Brilliant company to deal with.
Very happy
Quality reports, received on time, everytime – that’s basically what’s important to us but it’s so hard to find someone as reliable and trustworthy as Nicholas Blakeley. No problems at all. Thanks.
A breath of fresh air in property services
We’ve worked with many contractors over the years, but Nick stands out. His attention to detail and genuine care for our tenants made the whole process seamless. The 360 tours are a game-changer—tenants love them, and so do we.
Helpful, proactive, and trustworthy
It’s rare to find someone who answers emails late in the evening, reschedules around tenants, and still delivers top-tier reports. Nick goes above and beyond.
Reliable and refreshingly straightforward
We’ve used Nicholas Blakeley for inventories and Legionella assessments. Everything is handled professionally, and the documentation is always spot-on. Nick’s communication is excellent, and the online booking system makes things simple.
Very professional service
Very professional service, with great reports and easy to use booking system. They offer a good selection of services, with a quick turn around. I would highly recommend.