OpenRent
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Letting agent, Real Estate, Technology |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Darius Bradbury (Founder) Adam Hyslop (Founder) |
| Website | www |
OpenRent is an online letting agent and property service provider, founded in 2012. It is a UK-based startup company focused on technological solutions to property rentals.[1]
History
OpenRent was founded in 2012 by two Oxford graduates, Darius Bradbury and Adam Hyslop, after experiencing the difficulties as both private landlord and tenant in the UK property market.[2]
Following a multimillion-pound TV, newspaper and online media spend,[3] in January 2015, OpenRent became the largest letting agent in the country, letting over 25,000 properties annually.[4][5][6]
OpenRent explicitly bans admin fees and agent fees for all their properties.[7]
Investors include Northern and Shell who invested media for an equity stake in June 2014.[3][8]
Notable users include Victoria Whitlock, the self-titled "accidental landlord".[9]
OpenRent was the first company to facilitate an entire rental transaction, including contract signing, deposit registration and rent collection completely online (2012).[10]
Operations
OpenRent is run from a central office in London. It is a member of the The Property Ombudsman[11] and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (England and Wales).
References
- ^ "Efficiency: OpenRent". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ Renshaw, Rosalind (10 May 2012). "New lettings service lets landlords list on Rightmove for £20". Letting Agent Today. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ a b O'Hear, Steve (Aug 18, 2014). "Online Renting Service OpenRent Scores Media-For-Equity Deal From Northern & Shell Ventures". TechCrunch. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Burn-Callander, Rebecca (8 Dec 2015). "easyProperty raises £25m warchest to take on estate agent rivals". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ Real Estate Pundit (September 14, 2015). "Who Is The Best Online Lettings Agent?". Real Estate Pundit. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Twilio. "Fast and efficient communication between landlords and tenants". Twilio. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Rampen, Julia. "Sick of letting agent fees? 5 ways to rent directly from a private landlord". Mirror. Mirror. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Clawson, Trevor (29 August 2014). "It's Not All About The Money - Trading Equity For Services". Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ Whitlock, Victoria (7 July 2014). "The accidental landlord: leave the pain of paperwork to the letting elves". Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ "An Interview With @OpenRent, The Start-Up Trying To Automate Lettings". Real Estate Pundit. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ "The Property Ombudsman". The Property Ombudsman.