Do you rent out properties in London? Consider installing internet for your tenants. Though not legally required of landlords, doing so can help you provide what’s now seen as an additional utility, especially in today’s fast-developing digital age. However, don’t cheap out in the process. Though settling on the most affordable plan you can find can help you maintain a good profit margin, it may not have the same effects on tenant satisfactionโespecially in a city with the slowest internet in the UK.
That’s right: despite the availability of modern network infrastructure, Londoners waste up to 35 hours a year waiting for webpages, videos, and the like to buffer, affecting everything from work and school to leisure. These are all things that tenants partake in when renting out one of your properties, which is why it can be worth investing in the best kind of internet plan available: full fibre broadband.
Still not convinced? Read on for a quick guide to full fibre in rented properties, and learn more about its benefits and what you can do to get it for your own tenants.
The benefits of providing full fibre broadband to tenants
Full fibre broadband is a type of internet connection that runs directly to your property, compared to regular connections that are wired through a street cabinet before heading your way. This broadband also uses fibre optic rather than copper wire cables, as the latter easily erodes and slows down data transmission. As a result, surveys find that consumers who switch to fibre connections experience 63% faster browsing speeds and 49% less downtime.
What does that mean for landlords? Our post on strong internet connectivity as the fourth utility points out that, first and foremost, it’ll result in happy renters, especially in multitenant properties. By providing quality broadband so they won’t have to install it themselves, your tenants are more likely to be satisfied and rent with you for longer. Traditional broadband also works on the UK’s decades-old copper phone network, which the government plans to shut down by 2027. By making the switch now, you can get full fibre broadband while prices are low and avoid rushed, costly infrastructure upgrades to your property in the next couple of years. More importantly, full fibre will add value to your property and draw more potential renters to you.
How to install full fibre broadband in your rental property
Check for providers in your area
First, check if there’s full fibre infrastructure near your property. Many full fibre companies offer finder tools on their website, which you can use to search for your area. You can also contact your internet service provider (ISP) to get an answer. If full fibre isn’t currently available where you are, your ISP can notify you when the infrastructure becomes available. Don’t worry: that’s likely to happen soon, especially since the government plans to hit 85% fibre internet rollout across the country by 2025.
Choose a plan that suits your property
From here, it’s time to get down to the details. What speed should you opt for? How wide should the coverage be? Make the decision based on the type of rental property you own. Smaller, single units will benefit from individual broadband plans. As a rule of thumb, get one that reaches speeds of 30Mbps for every one to two tenants. If you run a multitenant property, however, you’ll want to look at full fibre business broadband plans. These offer unlimited bandwidth with speeds ranging from 300 to 1,200Mbps, so it’ll suit your tenants regardless of whether they’re casual internet users or heavier ones who like streaming, downloading, and uploading larger files. Business broadband also uses the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, which will help ensure extended coverage to every corner of your property, no matter its size.
Accommodate the installation process
Once it’s time for your full fibre provider to install the necessary infrastructure on your property, be sure to make the process easier. Start by granting a wayleave agreement, which will allow your provider’s technicians to survey your building, determine whether you have the equipment needed to install full fibre, and tell you if you need to procure anything else required for setup. That will streamline the entire process, allowing them to keep you notified throughout the rest of the installation process. After everything’s done, they’ll check your connection and stay in touch with you. Take advantage of that in case you or your tenants have any concerns or follow-up questions they can resolve within your first few weeks on full fibre broadband.
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