Proptech platform Symple checks in with Sykes Holiday Cottages

Fast-growing proptech business Symple has struck a deal to offer its certification services to thousands of UK holiday home owners whose properties are listed with leading rental agency Sykes Holiday Cottages.

Sykes has registered Symple as a preferred partner as part of its Added Value initiative, which provides exclusive discounts and rates to property owners.

Each supplier has to go through a rigorous interview and checking process before being admitted to the scheme, to ensure a high standard of service and a product offering that owners will welcome.

Sykes, which is based in Chester, is one of the UK’s leading independent holiday home rental agencies with 17,000 owners on its books and a portfolio of over 22,000 properties, ranging from cosy cottages to larger accommodation for 20 or more guests. In total, Sykes hosts more than a million holidaymakers each year.

Symple is an online platform for landlords, estate and letting agents and homeowners which manages the property certificates they require by law for single and multiple sites, such as those for gas safety, boiler servicing, electrical installations, PAT testing and energy performance.

It is a one-stop shop that manages the entire renewal process for certifications, including sending reminders that they are due, managing bookings for inspections and arranging with key-holders for accredited and strictly-vetted service providers – gas engineers, electricians and energy assessors – to carry them out.

Registration is free for landlords and for service providers. Users can check the progress of each job and are then charged for each completed inspection.

Symple, which has its headquarters in Swinton, Greater Manchester, and an office in London, was launched last year by founder and chief executive Simon Dresdner.

From a standing start, its team has grown to 15 and its portfolio to 5,000 properties. Symple is aiming to double its pool of service providers to 2,000 over the next 12 months in line with increasing demand, as it also looks to expand its offering to include repairs and maintenance, cleaning, pest control and property valuations.

Simon said: “Our preferred partner agreement with Sykes Holiday Cottages is a superb opportunity to grow our business by taking our services to holiday home owners across the country.

“We pride ourselves on taking away the headaches for property owners with a straightforward process that manages the entire renewal process for certifications.

“Becoming a preferred partner with such a prestigious company as Sykes is a real feather in our cap as we continue our growth journey, and we look forward to working with holiday property owners across the country through this arrangement.”

Dominique Morelis, Sykes’ Added Value & Estate Agent Specialist, said: “We aim to help our owners in any way we can, including with setting up, managing and maintaining properties, and Symple will definitely support us with this.

“The platform will aid with the management of health and safety requirements and other certification that is required by law.

“Owners can book inspections that will not conflict with guest check-in times, and Symple will liaise with the key-holder if the owner lives in a different part of the country.

“We believe that having Symple on board will strengthen our offering for property owners across the country as we work towards being the number one provider of UK breaks.”