About
Built by a landlord who wanted better
SouthSide is an Edinburgh letting and management agency founded and owned by John Davidson. The reason it exists is simple: his own properties deserved better management than they were getting.
Meet the founder
John Davidson
Founder and owner of SouthSide Property Management. Every property we manage is overseen personally — the same standard John wanted for his own rentals when he started the business in 2009.
The story
From site acquisitions to Edinburgh letting
Before 2009
Acquisitions and retail development
John's career was spent as an Acquisitions Manager at Lidl and in retail development — assessing sites, negotiating deals and understanding how buildings earn their keep.
2009
SouthSide is founded
Frustrated by how his own rental properties were being managed, John set up SouthSide in Edinburgh to do the job the way he wanted it done for himself.
Since
Steady growth, year on year
The portfolio has grown every year since — residential and commercial, single properties and portfolios — almost entirely through landlords staying and recommending.
Mission
Help landlords get the most from their investment, and give tenants a home worth staying in
Those two goals pull in the same direction. Well-maintained, compliant, fairly priced property keeps good tenants in place for years — and long tenancies are what make a rental investment work.
Hands on, personally
John walks every new property himself before it goes on the market. Nothing is managed at arm's length from a call centre.
Local, not national
One city, learned properly. Street-level knowledge of rents, demand and building quirks across Edinburgh.
Compliance as a habit
Regulation in Scottish letting moves constantly. Keeping ahead of it is part of the job, not a chargeable extra.
Plain dealing
One fee, one contact, straight answers. Landlords and tenants both know exactly where they stand.
One point of contact
You will be dealing with the owner
Call the office and you speak to the person accountable for your property. That is the whole advantage of staying deliberately local.
See the landlord service