RJM Lets wasn’t created as a traditional letting agency. It grew out of our own experience as HMO investors.

I started investing in property in 2014, building up a portfolio of HMOs with my business partner. Like many property investors, we were relatively hands-off in the early years and relied on others to manage the properties for us.

That worked — until it didn’t.

By 2019, it had become clear that there were significant problems with the way the portfolio was being managed. Rather than simply appointing another agent, we decided to bring the management in-house.

It meant getting involved in every part of running a HMO: finding tenants, dealing with maintenance, understanding licensing and compliance, managing difficult situations, improving properties and learning what actually keeps rooms occupied.

We turned the portfolio around, and in the process developed the systems and experience that would eventually become RJM Lets.

From managing our own HMOs to managing for others

Not long after bringing our own portfolio in-house, I was approached with the opportunity to help another landlord with a separate portfolio of HMOs.

We started with a small number of their properties. As the relationship developed, more followed.

Eventually, we were managing around 30 rooms for that landlord alone.

That was an important stage in the development of RJM Lets. It demonstrated that the approach we’d developed for our own properties could work just as effectively for other landlords.

Since then, the business has continued to grow.

Today, RJM Lets manages more than 90 HMO rooms across West Suffolk, including our own investments and properties belonging to other landlords.

More than property management

Our experience isn’t limited to managing a HMO once the tenants move in.

We invest in HMOs ourselves, which means we understand the whole process — identifying suitable properties, assessing layouts and potential room numbers, planning conversions, managing refurbishments and compliance works, furnishing and letting the rooms, and then operating the finished HMO.

That’s why our service can start long before a property is ready to let.

Whether a landlord already owns a HMO, has found a property they’re considering buying, or wants help finding their next investment, we can become involved at whichever stage we’re needed.

Find → Create → Let → Manage

A landlord’s perspective

Owning HMOs ourselves changes the way we approach management.

We know what an empty room costs. We know the frustration of unnecessary expenditure. We also know that delaying the wrong repair can cost considerably more later.

We understand that good HMO management isn’t simply about collecting rent and arranging maintenance. It’s about balancing the needs of tenants with the long-term performance and condition of the property.

When we’re making a decision about another landlord’s HMO, we ask ourselves the same question we’d ask with one of our own:

What would we do if this were our property?

That’s the approach RJM Lets was built on.

Where we operate

RJM Lets is based around the West Suffolk HMO market, with the majority of our current portfolio in Haverhill.

Our concentration in the area has allowed us to develop detailed knowledge of the local room-rental market, along with established relationships with contractors and other property professionals.

We’re also developing our network across Sudbury, Newmarket and the surrounding areas.