Devon holiday lets
Property Watch: Vacant Property Checks for Devon Holiday Lets
Property Watch is a scheduled check-in visit to your holiday let between guest stays or during vacant periods, run so small problems get caught while they're cheap to fix, not after a guest complains or an insurer gets involved. You get a photo report the same day, every visit.
What's included
Scheduled Check-In Visits
Regular visits at a frequency agreed with you, between guest stays or during vacant periods.
Storm & External Checks
Visual checks after severe weather: roofing, guttering, fencing and outbuildings.
Early Leak, Damp & Mould Signs
Caught early, before they become a guest complaint or an insurance claim.
Minor Fixes On The Spot
Straightforward jobs, hinges, door adjustments, leaking traps and seals, loose fence panels, fixed there and then as part of the visit.
Water Flushing & Simple System Checks
Taps and outlets run to keep water systems healthy during vacant periods.
Full Reporting, Every Time
Photo report the same day covering everything found, fixed or outstanding, however big or small.
Prefer to talk first?
Call us directly and we can agree a visit frequency before you book.
Call 07772 672155Best started after a compliance check, so we know the property before we start monitoring it.
Start Property Watch
Devon properties only. We will call you within one working day.
Property Watch Is Not a Compliance Inspection
Worth being clear about this upfront. Property Watch is an observational visit, not a certified inspection. It does not replace specialist inspections, servicing, testing, certification, risk assessments or professional advice, your gas safety (CP12), electrical safety (EICR), fire safety and Legionella testing all remain separate, certified pieces of work with their own legal requirements. Property Watch sits alongside those, not instead of them: it's the extra pair of eyes that catches a problem in the months between certified checks, before it becomes an urgent call-out or a guest complaint.
Minor Fixes, Bigger Jobs, Full Reporting
Not every visit is just a look and a list. Here's exactly what happens depending on what we find.
Minor, fixed on the spot
Straightforward jobs get sorted there and then as part of the visit: a stiff hinge, a door that needs adjusting, a leaking trap or seal, a loose fence panel. No separate appointment needed.
Bigger, priced first
Anything beyond a quick fix gets priced properly and sent to you for approval before any work goes ahead. No surprise bills, ever.
Everything, reported
Regardless of size, it's all in your report: what happened and when, what's been done, what still needs doing, how urgent it is, and whether a specialist trade is recommended, which we can arrange.
What We Look For, Season by Season
A holiday let breaks down in predictable ways depending on the time of year. Visits are weighted toward what's most likely to go wrong at that point in the calendar.
Spring
- -Check for winter damage before the season starts
- -Test outdoor taps and irrigation after frost
- -Clear gutters and downpipes of winter debris
- -Check garden furniture, fencing and gates
Summer
- -More frequent guest-facing checks during peak turnover
- -Test hot tub, pool and outdoor amenities
- -Check air conditioning or fans are working
- -Look for signs of increased wear from higher occupancy
Autumn
- -Clear gutters before leaf fall builds up
- -Check heating systems ahead of the cold
- -Inspect roofing and seals before winter storms
- -Flush water systems if the property is quieter
Winter
- -More frequent checks if the property sits vacant
- -Watch for frozen or burst pipes
- -Check for storm damage after high winds
- -Confirm heating is preventing damp and condensation
How We Report What We Find
Every observation gets logged the same way: where it is, the context around it, what exactly we saw, and what we'd recommend doing next. That structure means you get something you can act on, not a vague heads-up.
Worked example
Kitchen, under the sink
Found a slow drip from the waste pipe joint, staining visible on the cabinet base but no active pooling. This is a minor fix, resealed the joint on the spot during the visit, no separate call-out needed. Logged in your report anyway: what was found, what was done, and a note to keep an eye on that joint next visit.
Prefer to Run It Yourself First?
Download our free Property Watch Quick-Start Toolkit: a simple system to spot maintenance issues earlier, plan the work properly, and keep a record, whether you run it yourself or hand it to us.
Get the Free ToolkitCommon questions
How often should a holiday let be checked when it's empty?+
There's no fixed legal interval, since Property Watch isn't a compliance requirement, it's a judgement call based on how long the property sits vacant and the time of year. Most owners we work with book fortnightly to monthly visits, more often over winter when storm damage and heating failures are more likely, and less often during a busy summer season when the property is rarely empty for long. We'll agree a frequency with you based on your booking pattern.
What does a Property Watch visit cover?+
A visual check of the property inside and out: signs of leaks, damp or mould, storm or external damage to roofing, guttering, fencing and outbuildings, a run of taps and outlets to keep water systems healthy, and a general check that everything looks as it should. Anything found gets a photo and a same-day explanation, not a vague message weeks later.
Is Property Watch a compliance inspection?+
No. Property Watch is not a compliance inspection and does not replace specialist inspections, servicing, testing, certification, risk assessments or professional advice. Gas safety, electrical safety, fire safety and Legionella testing are separate, certified pieces of work with their own legal requirements. Property Watch is an extra pair of eyes between those checks, so problems don't sit unnoticed for months. See our full compliance check if that's what you need.
Do I still need Property Watch if I already have a cleaner?+
Cleaners are excellent at spotting mess, not always trained or given time to look for maintenance issues behind that. A changeover clean runs to a tight schedule between guests, there's rarely time to check the loft hatch, test an outdoor tap, or notice a slow drip under a sink. Property Watch is a dedicated visit with maintenance, not cleanliness, as the focus, and the two work well alongside each other.
What happens if you find a problem during a visit?+
Depends on the size of it. Straightforward things, a stiff hinge, a door that needs adjusting, a leaking trap or seal, a loose fence panel, get fixed there and then as part of the visit, no separate appointment. Anything bigger gets priced properly and sent to you for approval before any work goes ahead, no surprise bills. Either way, it's all in your report the same day: what we found, what we did or recommend, how urgent it is, and whether a specialist trade is needed. We can arrange that trade if you want us to.
How much does Property Watch cost?+
From £65 per visit for properties in my core area on and around Dartmoor. Further out, I add a travel charge based on time and distance, and I quote it before you book. Property Watch works best once you've had an initial Compliance Check, so we know the property before we start monitoring it.