13-05-2025
The Landlord's Playbook is proving a hit on Amazon
David Adams, managing director of Cavendish, was number one in the Finance and Mortgage category on Amazon, and number two in Property Guides within days of his book The Landlord's Playbook going on sale.
He wrote the book to share his knowledge and experience of more than 20 years' working with landlords, advising them on how to maximise the value of their property portfolios.
David became MD of Cavendish in 2022, succeeding his father Julian, and the company offers estate agency and lettings services to clients from its three offices in Mold, Ruthin and Chester.
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He said: "I've worked in property for 23 years and for 15 of those my focus was on the lettings side of the business, during which time I've met a lot of landlords and lettings agents, many of whom face the same opportunities and challenges.
"The book is an attempt to empty my head of everything I've learnt into something tangible and provide solutions which I hope landlords will find useful whatever stage of the journey they are on."
The book is divided into three sections: Navigating Politics, Building a Legacy and Adopting the Right Character.
David said: "There are now more than 170 different pieces of legislation that landlords need to know to operate their businesses effectively and avoid falling foul of the law.
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"The current Renters' Rights Bill going through Parliament could see landlords being hit with fines of £7,000 for each offence. The complexity of legislation and potential penalties for landlords have never been greater.
"Another key area the book covers is legacy, looking at everything from how someone structures their business to exit strategies, maximising value and potential inheritance within a family.
"The final part addresses the issue of character and shares some of the lessons I've learnt about the importance of having the time to take a helicopter view of your business, the idea of working on rather than in your business.
"There are many examples where landlords try to take on too much and forget that they are property investors in which the end goal is building a successful and profitable property portfolio."
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David's family's heritage in the industry runs deep with David, himself, being the great-great-grandson of the founder of the Beresford Adams estate agency which traces its history back to 1889.
A few years after David's late grandfather sold Beresford Adams, Julian and his business partner Robert Ikin decided to strike out on their own in 1993 with the launch of Cavendish Ikin, with the inspiration for the Cavendish part of the name coming from the road in Chester where the Adams family lived for many years.
David added: "Success as a landlord isn't just about bricks and mortar, it's about mindset, purpose and the legacy you leave behind.
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"We are increasingly seeing a new breed of landlords, fuelled by the likes of Instagram and TikTok and who are more about property investment, building portfolios and looking for exit strategies at the right time. They are typically in their 20s or 30s and maybe moved out of London to Cheshire and North Wales."
In addition to the book, every quarter for the last couple of years, David and fellow director Nicola Blake have hosted webinars for landlords. The last one was attended by more than 150 people keen to keep up-to-date with the latest legislation and compliance requirements and the different ways in which landlords can optimise their business.
• David's book The Landlord's Playbook is available here:
