Blinds for the Letting

October 3, 2007 |

If you have a second home that you let out or if you let property as a profession, if the property is furnished then you will have to consider the type of window covering that you are going to provide. Certainly the most appealing to new tenants and the most practical for you would be blinds but which type of blind is going to be the best option for you as the landlord?

Suitability

You will need to make sure the blind is suitable for the situation or application that it’s intended for, i.e. don’t put a cotton Roman blind in a bathroom or you will soon have your tenant calling to say it has gone mouldy, instead use the right blind, in this instance it would be a waterproof roller blind, and you will find that it lasts a lot longer and as a result actually saves money on the long term. The other thing to think about is the market that you are looking to rent to, where cheaper roller blinds maybe suitable for student lets, they will not impress a letting intended for the executive market, this obviously applies vice versa, Wooden blinds may be perfect for a high end letting in the City but be unsuitable for a property made up of bedsits.

Durability

Durability is the biggest consideration for blinds in a rented property. They must be easy to clean, hard wearing and you need to know that you can obtain parts to carry out minor repairs to the blinds and that these repairs are easy to carry out. These may seem obvious questions but do ask the supplier/manufacturer to confirm these details. Ask what the most common fault is with a blind and how difficult that fault is to rectify

Price

The cheapest is not necessarily the best when you are considering blinds in a rented property. We recognise that you will be working to a tight budget but attention must be paid to the above two sections so that you are then looking for the right blind at the right price.

Key Points

Roller Blinds - The waterproof versions are perfect for bathrooms and kitchens whilst the brighter vibrant colours of the standard range are ideal for a younger market and extremely modern décor’s. Make sure that the blind fabric can be cleaned and that replacement brackets, mechanisms and chains are easily obtainable.

Wooden Blinds - Very durable and very attractive, emphasising a quality finish to the property but can be quite expensive to replace if mis-treated. The trick is to make sure that you can get replacement slats rather than having to buy a whole unit if the blind were to be damaged. Other part’s to keep an eye on are the cords, make sure that the cord or a suitable alternative can be purchased and the tilt mechanisms can be replaced. The downside to these is that whilst replacing a slat or a cord is easy, it is time consuming and can be fiddly

Roman Blinds - Almost the perfect blind for a rented property. If you make sure that the fabric is cotton based, you will be able to machine wash the blind which makes for easy maintenance. The cords are easily replaced and the headrails should be durable. The only downside to a Roman blind is that they are not suitable for use in bathrooms or kitchens.

Vertical Blinds - A very cost effective way of covering large windows and very easy to get and fit replacement parts for the fabric and headrails. However the downside is that you will almost certainly need the replacement parts as the blinds are liable to have bits pulled off or the fabric permanently marked, this is especially the case if the fabric reaches to the floor.

Aluminium Venetian Blinds - Up there with the Roman blinds, they have the added benefit of being suitable for use in kitchens and they are easy to keep clean. Whilst they are fairly durable, they can crease if the slats are squeezed open to allow visibility. Replacement parts can prove difficult to get hold of and can be difficult to fit. It’s worth checking with whoever you purchase the blinds about the availability of parts. The other downside is that they can give a cold almost clinical finish to the room they are in although this is less of an issue now that there are a huge range of colours available.

Pleated Blinds - Great for rooms where is can get quite cold as these offer fantastic thermal properties. There are no parts to replace (and therefore less chance of them breaking) and they are durable. The downside is that if they were to get damaged, then the whole blind would need to be replaced, because of this it’s fortunate that they are not too expensive to buy.

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