Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Trusted Property Letting & Management in Edinburgh
Established in 1974, Dove Davies has built an enduring reputation as a trusted residential letting and property management specialist in Edinburgh. Our expertise as Chartered Surveyors, combined with decades of hands-on experience and strategic use of technology, ensures consistently high standards for landlords and tenants alike. We offer comprehensive services including full property management, tenant vetting, compliance checks, and property refurbishment coordination. Our RICS membership underscores our commitment to ethical practices, professional indemnity, and rigorous client accounting procedures. With a proven track record of managing properties for over 40 years, we prioritise landlord interests while maintaining fair, responsive relationships with tenants.Our proactive approach extends to property marketing, safety certifications, and maintenance solutions tailored to Edinburgh's property market. Clients benefit from our local expertise, transparent communication, and hassle-free service delivery, evidenced by long-term client relationships and testimonials from satisfied landlords and tenants. We specialise in buy-to-let support, from property acquisition to furnishing, while offering flexible service packages for both experienced and new landlords. Our dedication to quality is reflected in our 98% occupancy rate across managed properties and a client retention rate exceeding 90% over the past decade.
Services
Fully Managed Letting
Tenant Vetting
Property Refurbishment
Rental Valuation
Compliance Checks
Details
- Year established: 1974
Highlights and features
- Over 40 years of Edinburgh property market expertise
- RICS membership ensuring professional standards
- Full-service property management solutions
- Proactive property maintenance and compliance
- 98% property occupancy rate across managed portfolio
Associations and certifications
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
What people say
Hassle-free experience
Friendly and efficient staff
Promptly dealt with issues
Highly recommend
Proactive recommendations
Services
Fully Managed Letting
Our comprehensive property management service handles all aspects of tenant relations, maintenance, and compliance. We coordinate safety certifications, rent collection, and property inspections while maintaining transparent communication between landlords and tenants. Our Edinburgh-based team ensures regulatory compliance through regular gas, electrical, and energy performance certificate checks.
Tenant Vetting
We conduct thorough tenant background checks including credit history, employment verification, and previous landlord references. Our vetting process ensures reliable tenancies while maintaining compliance with Scottish housing regulations. We provide detailed reports to landlords to support informed decision-making about prospective tenants.
Property Refurbishment
We coordinate property improvements ranging from minor decoration to major renovations requiring planning permissions. Our network of trusted contractors delivers cost-effective solutions to enhance property value and marketability while ensuring compliance with Edinburgh's building regulations.
Buy-to-Let Service
We support property investors with acquisition strategy, market analysis, and portfolio management. Our service includes property sourcing, financial viability assessments, and furnishing recommendations to maximise rental returns in Edinburgh's competitive market.
Rental Valuation
Our expert valuation service provides accurate rental market assessments based on property condition, location, and current market trends. We offer free initial valuations with detailed comparative analysis to help landlords achieve optimal returns.
People
Derek Beavis
Landlord
Experienced landlord who has entrusted Dove Davies with property management for over 17 years while living abroad. Appreciates their balanced approach to landlord-tenant relations and consistent property performance.
Chloe Smith
Tenant
University student renting through Dove Davies for two years. Praises their efficient service coordination and minimal intrusive management during tenancy.
Omar Elmi
Landlord
Long-term client with nine years of positive experience. Highlights their professional handling of lettings, regular maintenance, and administrative efficiency.
Dan Smith
Tenant
Five-year tenant commending their responsive maintenance service and effective communication between agency, landlord, and tenant.
Keiran Highes
Tenant
Two-year tenant who appreciates prompt issue resolution and consistently friendly staff interactions throughout their tenancy period.
Questions
What property management services do you offer?
We provide full-service property management including tenant vetting, compliance checks, maintenance coordination, and rent collection across Edinburgh's residential market.
How long have you operated in Edinburgh?
Dove Davies has specialised in Edinburgh property letting since 1974, maintaining RICS membership throughout our 49-year history.
What safety checks do you arrange?
We manage all required certifications including gas safety, electrical inspections, and energy performance certificates for residential properties.
Can you help first-time landlords?
Yes, we offer comprehensive guidance for new landlords including property preparation, market analysis, and regulatory compliance support.
How do you handle property maintenance?
Our team coordinates prompt maintenance solutions with trusted contractors while keeping landlords informed throughout the process.
What areas do you cover?
We primarily serve Edinburgh city centre and surrounding districts including Gilmerton, Grange, Gorgie, and Craigmount.
Reviews (7)
Kathryn Clark
Mar 24, 2022
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Pleased with Dove Davies tenant finding service I have just used for my flat. Fraser and office staff all polite and helpful. Dove Davies are happy to provide this service alone if that is all you require. Some agencies make you use their leases. They take the deposit, lodging it in the deposit scheme they use and then it can be difficult getting it transferred to the landlord's scheme and account ref. They also take the first months rent and subtract their fees before giving you any money that remains. Dove Davies is much more straight forward and I far prefer their way of billing.
Jennifer Rudkins
Nov 01, 2021
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Dove Davies looked after my flat for over 20 years and they were excellent. Always professional in their dealings. Always prompt with payments and if there ever was an issue with a tenant or repair I felt it was always handled sensibly. An excellent service and would highly recommend to anyone.
Bob Horne
Oct 20, 2021
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We let our flat via Dove Davies and found them to be excellent. Advertising and selection of tenants was efficient as was ongoing management and liaison with tenants. I particularly appreciated the way they dealt with any minor issues that arose - usually without the need to contact me. This was beneficial to both me and the tenants. I recommend Dove Davies to both landlords and prospective tenants.
Elizabeth Williams
Jan 27, 2021
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After what was a horrendous week due to my original move falling through due false advertising with a different letting agent. I ended up having less than a week to find a new flat or risk being homeless. The staff at Dove Davis were amazing. I emailed late Friday night, got a response 8.30 am on Saturday, viewing Monday and the paperwork processed by Wednesday. I genuinely can't thank the team enough for their rapid response, quick turn around of paperwork, excellent professionalism and just being generally lovely. Would 100% recommend to anyone.
Marta Pe
Jan 19, 2021
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Best agency ever! Everything good organized, flats are clean, customer service fast and helpful would recommend for anyone who is looking for a place to live!
Ben
Dec 20, 2020
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Renting can sometimes put you at the mercy of unfair letting agents or landlords, but we found Dove Davies to be absolutely fantastic throughout our 18 month let. Every time there was an issue with the flat they were happy to help and sent out professional tradesmen immediately. There was always someone to answer our call or reply to our email. When it came to leaving the flat they were very helpful, advising what we needed to do in terms of cleaning, being flexible on handing back the keys and being transparent on the deposit. We were sure to clean the flat well and received our full deposit back which was great. Would gladly let one of their properties again.
Mr. Scott
Jul 12, 2020
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Critical: Professionalism We moved into our flat which was clearly not deep cleaned before hand due to bugs being all over the flat. We looked after the property and left it in a much better condition than what we found it in but they still heavily charged us taking from our deposit. Extremely unprofessional.
