Before Silliphant & Co, both of us spent our careers in customer service and multi-site operations in Canada, working across large franchise networks. Adam led operations across large regions of franchised locations. Melissa managed client accounts and advised franchise partners on how to run better, more profitable businesses. Between us we’ve sat across the table from hundreds of business owners.
The same conversation came up again and again.
Two franchisees, same brand, same street
One franchisee watched every penny. Fewer staff at the busiest times. Broken equipment that “can wait till next month”. Cheaper supplies, shorter opening hours, no one to handle a complaint. On paper, the costs went down.
The other offered exactly the same thing at the same prices. But they staffed properly when it mattered, fixed things the day they broke, and knew their regulars by name.
Within a year, the first one was asking why sales had dropped. The answer was always the same: customers don’t leave because of one bad experience. They leave because they slowly stop feeling looked after. And winning a new customer costs far more than keeping the one you have.
Your tenant is your customer
If you let a home in London, your tenant is your customer. They pay you around £30,000 a year, every year, for as long as they stay.
Since 1 May 2026 that relationship has changed. Under the Renters’ Rights Act:
- There are no fixed terms any more. Every tenancy in England rolls month to month.
- Tenants can leave with two months’ notice, whenever they choose.
- Rent can rise once a year, by the legal process and with two months’ notice.
Like a loyal customer, a good tenant now stays because they want to, not because a contract says they must.
What losing a good tenant actually costs
Take a £2,600-a-month flat, about the Wandsworth average. When a good tenant leaves, a typical move-out looks like this:
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| 4 empty weeks | £2,400 |
| Re-letting fees | £3,000–£4,300 |
| Cleaning, paint and repairs | £600–£1,200 |
| Check-out and new inventory | about £200 |
| Total | about £6,200–£8,100 |
Now compare two landlords over three years. One keeps a happy tenant the whole time. The other loses a tenant every year and pays for two extra move-outs: £12,000–£16,000 gone, plus the stress of starting again.
Like the franchisee who let the broken equipment wait, the landlord who leaves a broken boiler for a fortnight to save £150 can easily end up paying for it fifty times over.
What great service looks like, from landlords
You don’t need to spend more. You need to spend in the right places.
- Fix things fast. The repair itself is rarely the issue. Waiting three weeks for a reply is.
- Answer the same day, even if it’s only “we’re on it, the plumber is booked for Thursday”.
- Be fair and predictable on rent. Review it once a year, in line with the market, and explain it.
- Say yes where you reasonably can. Tenants can now ask to keep a pet, and a refusal needs a good reason.
- Ask what would make the home better. A new shower head or a lick of paint after two years costs little and says a lot.
- Thank them. A card at Christmas or on the tenancy anniversary is the cheapest retention you’ll ever buy.
And from us, as your agent
When we moved our family of five from Canada to London this year, we rented through this system ourselves. Viewings we couldn’t get, enquiries that went unanswered for days, a reservation fee that disappeared. We were the customers nobody was serving.
So we run lettings the way we ran operations:
- Same-Day Promise: every message from a landlord or tenant gets a reply the same day.
- A proper welcome: a move-in guide to the home and the neighbourhood, so tenants start off feeling looked after.
- A clear repairs process: tenants report it once, and we keep everyone updated until it’s fixed.
- An annual check-in with your tenant, before small frustrations turn into a notice to leave.
- The right tenant from the start. We match people to the home and the area, not just to the rent.
The best franchisees we worked with understood that service isn’t a cost. It’s what keeps customers coming back. Letting is no different.
Thinking about how the Renters’ Rights Act affects your rental? We’ll review your tenancy, your rent and your property against the new rules, free and with no obligation. Get your free tenancy check.
For more on what tenants go through, read Landlords: we spent six weeks as your tenants.