Buckthorn

Simple Life is the leading professional, build-to-rent landlord, specialised in family housing, across the UK. We provide new houses and apartments exclusively for private rent, creating homes people can call their own for the long-term. As a build to rent landlord, we manage your home and your tenancy at every step, from acquisition of land, through build to letting and managing your property throughout your time with us. We’re a landlord you can trust!

We’re a multi-award-winning build-to-rent provider offering dedicated resident liaison officers, 24/7 maintenance reporting and peace of mind that your home is built for rental purposes – avoiding any risk or worry that the property will be sold from beneath your feet. As a resident you will have access to the My Simple Life app, annual resident events and you can bring your pets at no extra cost.

We’ll work around the clock to ensure there’s no place like a Simple Life Home.

The Simple Life offices are open during the following hours:

Monday-Friday – 9am-5pm
Saturday – Sunday – Closed

Any calls received outside of office hours will be directed to our Out of Hours Service. If you’re a resident and your call is urgent, it will be dealt with by this team and escalated as needed. If your call is not urgent or is about a lettings enquiry, a message will be passed on to the relevant department who will get back to you the next working day.

You can still apply for available properties, or reserve off-plan those that are under construction. As normal, you will be required to pay a holding deposit in order to reserve and take it off the market, giving you peace of mind that your chosen plot is secure for you.

Our lettings team are available to take your call and to discuss all availability with you, or you can submit an enquiry form on the appropriate development page and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

The team will endeavour to factor in any construction delays or possible lockdown impacts when discussing your application and anticipated move in dates with you.

Our teams have been working remotely or in reduced numbers since March 2020, and we are proud to continue to maintain our high standard of customer service. Therefore they remain fully contactable via phone or email.

Please continue to report any maintenance requests through the FixFlo app or by calling the main team. As much as possible, we are working to ensure that all requests are handled in a timely and appropriate manner – however please bear in mind that some contractors may operate on an emergency repair works basis only, depending on the local lockdown restrictions in place.

Emergency works include:

• Uninhabitable living conditions such as no heating or hot water
• Uncontainable water leak
• Gas leaks (you should always call 0800 111 999 – National Gas Emergency Service first)
• No water supply to the property
• Instances where your sole cooking facility, bathing facility, or W/C is unusable. Where you have access to an alternative (for example en-suites or downstairs W/C) works may be delayed.
• Break-ins, fire and security risks.

Emergency repair works will only address the emergency and make it safe, subsequent remedial works may follow.

Health and safety must come first, so if we need to enter your property to fix an emergency repair, we will ask you a series of health and safety questions before our visit. Anyone visiting your property on behalf of Simple Life will be carrying out appropriate hygiene measures before their visit.

Remember you can also access self-help videos for common fixes around the home on our YouTube channel.

We appreciate your patience with our teams and contractors.

We are facilitating viewings in a number of ways during this time.

In some instances, we are in a position to conduct a viewing in-person. Where this is possible, we ask that you limit the number of people viewing to just 1-2 people from the same household, to wear masks when inside the property, and maintain a 2m distance from our lettings negotiators.

If an in-person viewing isn’t possible or you are not comfortable, our teams can conduct video viewings over FaceTime or Whatsapp, or by sending you existing walkthrough footage.

We also host virtual open days streamed live on Facebook, which you can catch up with on our Facebook page.

If you are moving in to a property and you need to collect your keys, we have put measures in place to ensure the safety of our residents and our staff.

This includes reduced staff in branch in order to maintain a safe distance at any key collection point, or where possible, you may be able to collect your keys from a designated key nest.

A member of the lettings team will be in touch with you just before move in to confirm the instructions you need to follow to collect yours keys.

If you are due to move out and you now wish to stay either permanently or for an extended time, please just give us a call. Please be reassured that you have your Simple Life home for as long as you need it.

We are more than happy to talk to you about extending your contract or coming to a solution that works for both of us.

If you are due to move out of your property during this period, you are still able to and you are comfortable that it is safe enough for you to do so, please communicate this with the team who can give you instructions on how to leave the keys with us.

Absolutely! We have continued to move residents into their new homes throughout this period, including during the strictest lockdown measures.

We will work with you to agree a date, and advise on any changes to access as required.

Whilst everyone will be in different situations we understand a few will be experiencing genuine financial hardship with a dramatic reduction in income as a result of COVID-19 and we ask that if you come into that category you contact us directly.

We will be ready to take your call and we will work together to seek a solution for those in need. If however you have already made us aware of your change in circumstances there is no need to contact us again in this regard.

For those that are employed but are experiencing reduced income or threat of lay off you should speak to your employer about the ongoing changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. More details can be found on the Government website.

• During periods of lock down, home visits may be delayed unless it is absolutely critical, a legal or compliance issue such as annual Gas Safety Check or due to an emergency.
• Anyone visiting a resident during this period will call before the visit to assess the health and safety risks of any occupants.
• Any staff visiting a property will be carrying out routine hygiene checks before and after entering, including regular hand washing and using anti-bacterial hand gel. Face masks and gloves will also be used.
• We would kindly ask that if you are due a visit you open all doors for our team, put lights on where appropriate and abide by the social distancing guidelines whilst our staff are in the property.
• A proportion of our office staff are still working remotely, minimising social contact. However they are still be available over the phone and email.
• We are continually looking to put alternative processes in place to ensure our customers are safe, whilst also maintaining customer service, this include virtual viewings and property videos where possible.

You may be able to run a business from your Simple Life home, but you must first submit a business details form for approval. Approval is not guaranteed and will depend on factors such as landowner covenants, insurance requirements, and applicable laws or regulations for your development. If your request is approved, you’ll be required to sign a licence of liability and accept full responsibility for any damage caused to the property. For further information, please contact us.

Your back garden is yours to care for, look after and nurture throughout your tenancy. We provide top tips to keeping your lawn looking lush to help you on your way!

Front garden lawns and any communal spaces are maintained by our partners to keep your neighbourhood neat and tidy.

During hot periods, we would appreciate your assistance in keeping gardens watered, and shrubs and bushes trimmed during the growing season.

You are welcome to make your home feel like your own by decorating, but we do ask that you get written permission from us first before making significant changes such as painting, wallpapering, or adding anything into the garden such as sheds, flower beds or additional paving. Simply fill out the alteration request form. Your asset manager will review the details of you request and confirm if this has been accepted.

Any changes to the property need to be returned back to their original state at your own expense before you move out, unless agreed otherwise with our team. This is to make sure that whoever moves in after you gets the same blank canvas to enjoy!

Areas of alteration that must be applied for include, but are not limited to:

• Painting & wallpapering
• Installing shelves, TV brackets, or anything that requires drilling
• Installing CCTV or video doorbells
• Installing TV Aerials or Satellite dishes
• Extending patio areas
• Building flowerbeds
• Installing sheds
• Any changes to flooring
• Any changes to bathroom plumbing

There’s plenty you can do with clever decorating solutions and hacks that won’t affect the property permanently – find out more on our Home Inspiration blog.

Absolutely! If you need to downsize, upsize, change location, or want something new, just let us know and we’d love to keep you in the Simple Life family.

We are always building in new areas, so you never know when we may have something available that suits your changing needs. Keep an eye on our website and just get in touch if you’d like to know more.

Within your welcome pack you can find simple and easy tips to keep your home maintained and in working order. You can also find a range of How To videos on our YouTube video for the most common home issues you can fix yourself!

If something does go wrong that you can’t fix yourself, please report this using the Simple Life maintenance portal, accessible via the My Simple Life app. You will receive details of how to login when you move in with us.

As long as any problems aren’t caused by misuse, negligence, or resident damage, you can rest assured that Simple Life will foot the bill to make sure you’re comfortable and happy in your home.

During your tenancy, should your circumstances change or you need to alter the registered occupants, please get in touch with us as soon as possible to arrange. Any new occupiers over the age of 18 will need to be referenced and won’t be allowed to move in until they have passed.

Your rental amount is based on the property, not the number of occupiers, so you will still be liable for the full amount even if someone moves out.

To make sure that your home is fit for purpose throughout your tenancy, and identify any potential issues so we can deal with them quickly, our teams conduct property health checks every six months. These may be a combination of virtual checks which you can conduct yourself, and in-person visits to ensure everything in your home is working as it should.

We want you to be confident that we’re looking after your home to keep it to the high standard you expect. You’ll be given plenty of notice when we’re going to be coming around, and you don’t have to be present if you don’t want to. Just let us know!

Please report any antisocial behaviour to us as soon as possible, and if appropriate inform the police who we always work closely with when needed.

We take disruptive behaviour very seriously and will work with residents to ensure everyone feels safe and secure in your neighbourhood.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you think you have lost your keys, so we can arrange for a replacement set and / or your locks to be replaced. Depending on the circumstances of the loss we may need to charge a small fee.

We love that our Simple Life developments become friendly communities.

From making sure all front gardens are well-kept, to hosting multiple events throughout the year, we work hard to ensure your neighbourhood is a friendly and comfortable place to be where you can feel a part of your community.

In 2020 we have launched the My Simple Life portal, which will be phasing access to all residents. Here you will be able to find out more about your property, the local area, keep up to date with Simple Life news, and engage with an on-site forum where you can get to know your neighbours!

Our phone lines are open 24/7 with a dedicated out of hours service.

However should you need emergency attention please call the appropriate emergency services or emergency utility lines.