The quickest way to reduce a void period is to be ready before the right tenant is found. August brings fresh demand from renters who need to move quickly, so a property we can show, agree terms and sign-up quickly has the best chance of letting fast.
It all starts with a valuation. Collect up to 50,000 Avios when you let a new property with Foxtons.
Book a valuation dateHow to get a tenant fast
August and September are busy because this is when London moves. Students arrive, new jobs start, and families use the school holidays to get it done before term.
If you want a tenant in place quickly, there are things you can do while the market is hot. The most important thing is simple: book a valuation and instruct your agent, because a property we can show this week will let faster than one we can show next month. We can start introducing your property to suitable tenants immediately, even before we've finalised professional photos. We get the listing prepared and live, then arrange viewings in the evenings and at weekends, because that is when most Londoners can get across town to see a flat.
Your property is not only presented to the people searching your local patch either. Every renter it suits sees it, whichever door they walked in through. 1 out of 3 Foxtons renters move outside their initial search area to secure a home (Foxtons data for 2025), which means someone searching in Clapham today could be viewing your Brixton property tomorrow.
How do you shorten a void period
Keeping void periods short starts with finding the right tenant quickly and moving efficiently once they've expressed interest.
With up to 50,000 applicants a month, there's a good chance your next tenant is already looking with us. We handle everything standing between an enquiry and a signed tenancy: fielding the enquiries, running the viewings, taking up references, credit checks, identity verification, right to rent checks, negotiating the terms and drawing up the agreement. Watch us get it done through your account on My Foxtons.
Besides having the right agent working for you, the thing that speeds it all up is being decisive. Answer questions quickly when a tenant has them, give us your position on the terms early, and say yes or no to an offer the day it comes in. Delays can make a difference. The longer a tenant waits for an answer, the more opportunity they have to consider other properties.
"Our teams are doing this all day, every day, right across London. We already have the tenants registered, we know what your property is worth to them, and we can go from viewing to signed tenancy while another agent is still returning the call."
Gareth Atkins, Managing Director, Lettings
You could have a new tenant in place in under two hours*
*Source: Foxtons minimum conversion time from new listing to agreed tenancy
What happens if the perfect tenant can't move in immediately
Occasionally the tenant you want needs a few weeks before they can move. That can mean a short gap in rental income, so you'll need to weigh up the options: accept the good tenant and allow for the gap, or stay on the market and hope for someone who can move sooner.
Both have merits. A tenant who has already viewed, offered and passed referencing is a known quantity, and at Foxtons the average tenancy runs for two years, so accepting a short delay at the start can often lead to a longer, more stable tenancy overall. Holding out has merit too, particularly in August, when the applicants coming through are the ones who need somewhere before term or before a job starts. The right answer depends on your property, the local market and the applicants currently looking in your area, so it is a conversation to have with your Foxtons agent, who knows all three.
Making the right start with property management
Your tenancy begins on the move-in date, and from there you decide how much of it you want to run yourself.
With Foxtons Property Managementyou get a team of experienced Property Managers who take your tenant's calls, chase the rent, arrange quotes and repairs through contractors we have vetted ourselves, inspect the property, ensure compliance throughout the tenancy and handle the check-out at the end.
It is also what protects the next let. A tenancy that has been managed properly ends properly: inspections on file, a straightforward check-out, the deposit settled, and us marketing again, a well-oiled machine. We get it done, so you don't have to.
Source: This article draws on the Foxtons Lettings and Property Management teams, who market, let and manage London tenancies every day, including through the busiest weeks of the summer season. It reflects what our Negotiators and Property Managers see in the days between an accepted offer and a start date, and what keeps a tenancy running long after it. If you have any questions on this article, email us to ask a Foxtons expert.
