Void Periods Are the Silent Killer of Lettings Revenue
Every day a property sits empty is money lost. Not just for the landlord, but for your agency. Void periods erode rental income, damage landlord confidence, and often lead to the one conversation every letting agent dreads: "I'm thinking of moving to another agency."
The average void period in the UK is 15-25 days between tenancies. For a property renting at £1,200 per month, that is £400-£1,000 in lost income per turnover. Multiply that across a portfolio of 100 properties and the numbers become significant.
Why Void Periods Happen
Most void periods are not caused by a lack of demand. They are caused by slow processes:
- Slow enquiry response - a Rightmove enquiry at 8pm sits untouched until 9am the next day. The applicant has moved on
- Manual viewing scheduling - the back-and-forth of finding a suitable time adds days to the process
- Delayed referencing - waiting for references, credit checks, and employer confirmations drags out the gap between viewings and move-in
- Poor marketing timing - properties listed too late in the notice period, or marketing that does not start until after the current tenant has left
- No-shows and ghosting - applicants who book viewings and do not turn up waste time slots that could have been offered to others
How to Reduce Void Periods: Practical Steps
1. Respond to Enquiries Instantly
The single biggest factor in reducing void periods is response speed. Agents who respond to portal enquiries within minutes book more viewings, see more applicants, and let properties faster.
This does not mean your team needs to be glued to their inbox. AI-powered tools can respond to enquiries automatically, 24 hours a day, with personalised responses that propose specific viewing times.
2. Automate Viewing Scheduling
Every day spent in back-and-forth emails trying to find a viewing time is a day added to the void period. Automated scheduling that checks your diary and offers available slots immediately compresses the timeline from days to hours.
3. Market Before the Property Is Empty
Start taking viewing bookings as soon as notice is served, not after the tenant has moved out. If compliance allows it, schedule viewings during the notice period with proper tenant notice.
4. Overbook Viewings Intelligently
No-show rates for lettings viewings run at 20-30%. If you have five slots, book seven. AI systems can manage this automatically, backfilling cancelled slots and adjusting the schedule in real time.
5. Streamline Referencing
Start the referencing process immediately after a successful viewing. The faster you can get references back, the faster you can exchange contracts and agree a move-in date. Every day saved in referencing is a day off the void period.
6. Chase Proactively
Applicants who viewed and expressed interest but went quiet need following up within 24 hours. Automated follow-up systems ensure this happens consistently, not just when your team remembers.
The Impact of Even Small Improvements
Reducing average void periods by just 5 days across a 200-unit portfolio at an average rent of £1,000/month saves landlords over £33,000 per year. That is a compelling number when discussing your agency's value at a landlord review meeting.
The agents who can demonstrate measurably lower void periods win more instructions. It is the most tangible proof of agency performance.
Start With the Biggest Lever
You cannot fix everything at once. The highest-impact change for most agencies is automating the enquiry-to-viewing pipeline. This is where the most time is wasted and where speed makes the biggest difference.
Read about how automatic viewing booking works, understand why instant response is the new standard, or try Autoprop free for 14 days.