We’re all used to seeing on-site gyms as part and parcel of the offer in smart apartment blocks but now build-to-rent housing developer Moda is taking personal fitness for residents to a new level. With the recent announcement from the World Health organisation that we are all sitting around too much and not getting our recommended one and half hours a week of exercise, this could be good news for anyone living in a Moda block who is worried they are turning into a couch potato.

In the first tie-up of its kind in the housing market, the company has just announced a partnership with a new health and fitness platform called Hero. The aim is to give residents access to a training club in their block that will use wearable tech and 3D body scanners to measure their fitness and create tailored exercise and diet regimes for them. Moda customers will also have access to personal advice from Premier League coaches and nutritionists. And just in case block managers are feeling left out, Hero will also provide ‘mental health first’ training for Moda’s on-site management staff.

This may be a property first but it certainly won’t be the last tie-up we’ll see between a developer and an outside provider. Block operators are ever-more savvy about what will encourage residents – particularly in the build-to-rent market – to sign on the dotted line. Increasingly flat owners and renters are buying into a lifestyle and providers are keen to set the pace. What will they come up with next? At Ringley, a quick office poll came up with some interesting ideas. Our money’s on smart flats where you can activate heating and appliances from your phone, free health screening, pet-friendly blocks and – to attract the growing number of families now renting their homes – on-site childcare, including a babysitting service. Watch this space to see if we’re right!

Why tenants increasingly love corporate landlords

The corporate landlord is an emerging concept. Born from the rising demand for quality rental accommodation in the ever-transformative digital age, corporate landlords are changing the expected norms of the lettings industry. In recent months, awareness of this emerging sector has grown with more and more tenants looking for a different way to rent, but what exactly is a corporate landlord, and why do tenants seem to love them so?

• Better facilities and finishes

Not only are more people now renting than ever before, but the expectations of what rental accommodation should provide its tenants has also gone up. Traditionally, it was often acceptable for landlords to provide what might be referred to as the bare minimum standard of accommodation. Almost everyone has their own version of this story: walls covered in mould; bathroom tiles falling off the wall; single-glazed windows covered in condensation; or all of the above.

Things are changing though, and the tenants of today simply won’t accept poor standards in the way they used to. As such, those landlords who were offering substandard accommodation are finding themselves with vacant properties, watching their tenants move out in favor of safe, warm, well-maintained homes that include premium facilities, and an all-round higher level of finish.

Many private rental landlords have been known to consider tenants a “necessary evil”, so it’s no surprise that corporate landlords who are building properties based on tenant requirements are winning the day.

 

• Increased renting means homes need to feel more like home

People are generally renting for a much greater portion of their lives. What used to be homes for 20 and 30-somethings are now homes to those in their 40s and, increasingly, above. However, this does not mean that the natural human desire to have a house which really feels like a home of one’s own lessens. Instead, it has sent people on the hunt for a new type of rental accommodation.

Traditional rental properties are incredibly restrictive in terms of how free tenants are to personalise their environment; we’ve all heard stories of tenants who have been fined for nothing more than blu tack residue left on the wall.

Corporate landlords understand the need to make a house feel like a home, and this is often reflected in the service they provide. They will often be more flexible when it comes to redecoration for example, especially for those tenants who have signed longer-term contracts.

Looking forward, we can expect to see corporate landlords being a lot more accommodating when it comes to tenant demands. For example, landlords who allow tenants to bring pets into their rental homes are a rarity. As corporate landlords continue to tempt more and more tenants over from the private rental market, we expect to see an increasing number of them allowing their tenants to keep pets.

 

• Demand for city centre space

When the majority of jobs are found in those cities which have the most severe housing shortages, the inevitable is going to happen. On top of that, jobs in big cities pay, on average, more than those in the suburbs.

These two facts converge to result in an incredibly short supply of city centre accommodation. Corporate landlords, those who can afford to acquire large plots of premium land, can take advantage of people’s desire to live in the heart of the city, avoiding a long daily commute and still benefiting from a high-quality home that doesn’t bankrupt them at the end of each month. Smaller private landlords simply cannot match this offering.

• Community and friendship, company.

Corporate landlords offer tenants a ready-made community to move into. For young professionals, maybe new to a city, this can be incredibly appealing. With busy lives, the opportunities to connect with people outside of work are minimal, clever corporate landlords are helping their tenants form bonds and relationships that go far beyond those of mere housemates. On-site activities, bars, karaoke, games room, etc turn a building into a bustling, vibrant community.

• Tech-inclusive living

The rise of the Digital Age has bought with it exciting new property and lifestyle innovations. Corporate landlords are taking advantage of this desire for integrated technology, offering cutting-edge technology to their tenants from the get-go.

Such innovation can be found in the form of smart goods like fridges and televisions, internet-enabled lighting and utilities meters, tenant-facing apps to handle contracts and report maintenance, and even smart keys, allowing tenants to unlock their doors and grant others access directly from their smartphone.

• Work/Balance

Finally, and looking a little further into the future, corporate landlords are also starting to experiment with the idea of so-called corporate living, where tenants live and work in the same building, often owned by a large employer such as Facebook or Google. It’s essentially a hybrid of co-living and co-working and some are tipping it to be the next big thing.

There are questions being asked as to whether tenants will want to live and work in one place, alongside all of their colleagues, but it proves how vibrant the conversation of the shared experience currently is.

Corporate landlords have the ability to blend premium property with affordable prices, providing a tenant experience that goes above and beyond that which the private rental sector can offer. Because of that, we can expect to see more and more tenants falling in love with properties offered by corporate landlords.