Fizzy Living’s Connected Homes

What is the story of your buildings and Fizzy Living as a brand?
Fizzy was formed 10 years ago to provide a safe, fun and friendly alternative to unaffordable flats with unsustainable mortgages. The brand was all about effervescent living, with the customer holding the cards and making the choices. We now have 1,000 flats across London and welcome our partnership with WiredScore which demonstrates the investment we channel into our digital infrastructure.

What were the key features that you wanted to make residents aware of in your building?
The 3 Cs. Customer service, connectivity and community.

From the point of initial enquiry and throughout a tenancy, providing our residents with excellent customer service is at the core of Fizzy Living. The result of this is that 97% of our residents would highly recommend Fizzy to their friends and family.

Connectivity-wise, all Fizzy buildings are in great locations with the majority being within 5 minutes’ walk of the nearest tube or train station. Of course, digital connectivity is just as important and we’re very pleased to be able to say that each Fizzy building is WiredScore certified with exceptional digital connectivity.

It’s also one of our top priorities to ensure that each resident feels part of where they live and a sense of community. The Fizzy App is a great tool for enabling our residents to connect with each other and we have always hosted a packed calendar of residents’ events which we hope to resume as soon as possible.

We truly believe that Fizzy buildings are the happiest places to live in the capital.

Why did Fizzy Living decide to invest in WiredScore certification across your whole portfolio?
Here at Fizzy, we are committed to providing a best-in-class experience and that applies to all aspects of our offering, from the appliances in each apartment to the day-to-day running of each location by our dedicated property managers, our BOBs. We know that great, reliable and solid digital connectivity is an absolute necessity for our residents and therefore investing in making sure they have access to it is a non-negotiable for us.

How has Fizzy Living benefitted from WiredScore certification? What are the key benefits you see from having a WiredScore certification?
It certainly adds another USP for Fizzy which in turn attracts more residents. It’s also really useful for us that, where WiredScore Gold certification hasn’t yet been achieved, we have been able to identify improvements that can be made to attain it and to future-proof our buildings.

You offer WiFi as a part of your rent package. Is this something that was part of your offering from the start, and have you been able to charge higher rents because you deliver a seamless connectivity experience?
Including WiFi as standard in the rent was absolutely part of our offering from the start and it remains an essential part of the overall package. Rents at Fizzy might be higher than your usual buy-to-let landlord but it reflects the fact that we offer so much more than just a flat.

The highest quality digital connectivity is just one of the numerous benefits of renting at Fizzy Living. We are the capital’s most pet-friendly landlord and offer a variety of rental options on fully flexible leases and committed to exceptional customer service. Our sites offer renters good-quality accommodation in easily commutable locations and a management service that makes life simple.

Our on-site property managers are on hand to keep each site running smoothly and ensure a hassle-free tenancy, from taking in parcels whilst residents are out to arranging maintenance and repairs. Along with an innovative ‘No Deposit’ scheme and regular events, these are all things that renters just don’t get with a private rental.

How important is internet connectivity to your residents and to you as a landlord within your portfolio?
For our residents, good internet connectivity is just as important as hot water. It’s essential and incredibly important that each building in our portfolio benefits from it. Whichever location residents choose, they can rest assured that the WiFi will not be an issue.

How has connectivity supported your renters during the pandemic?
It goes without saying that WiFi has been absolutely central to our residents’ experience of this really difficult time. The vast majority have been working from home for a year now and the continuation of their productivity has been ensured largely due to good internet.

It’s not just about work, though, it’s also maintaining contact with loved ones, often via Zoom, and about switching off at the end of the day with a Netflix binge. All of that is facilitated by the fact that Fizzy can offer free, reliable and fast broadband. During the pandemic, this has been immeasurably valuable.

What do you think residents are going to care about in the future?
We see sustainability and community as key for the future.

Has the connectivity of the building helped to attract residents, or have you noticed some residents stay longer because of full-fibre internet being a part of the rental package?
Fizzy’s digital connectivity offer has definitely aided the attracting of residents and indeed retaining them too. The average length of stay, which is 18 months, is longer that the London average of 12 months and we believe that’s down to the overall Fizzy package; great customer service, good and reliable digital connectivity and being part of a community that cares.