Owned by us. Managed by us. Your home.
At Zebra Leisure Lease, we take pride in owning and directly managing our own property portfolio. When you rent from Zebra, you deal directly with your landlord—no letting agents, no management companies and no unnecessary middlemen.
Just a local, accountable team that knows its properties, takes responsibility for them and cares about the standard of every home we provide.
A local property company, established in 2015.
Zebra Leisure Lease Limited, trading as Zebra Living, is led by its sole director, Dane Nicholson. Dane is well known throughout South Tyneside’s property community for the distinctive style, careful detail and finishing touches he brings to each property.
Dane believes that everyone deserves a roof over their head. Whatever their personal circumstances may be, everyone should have access to a clean, safe and affordable place to call home. That belief is why Zebra works closely with local housing organisations and charities to help provide accommodation across South Tyneside.
We Buy
We buy directly for our own portfolio, including properties that do not always suit the traditional estate-agent route.
We Rent
We provide clean, safe and affordable homes, supported by our own team and trusted local maintenance contractors.
Directly owned. Directly managed. Directly accountable.
We self-manage our property portfolio. Our residents deal directly with Zebra—the company that owns and rents their home—while repairs and improvements are carried out by trusted local maintenance contractors.
By removing unnecessary layers of estate agents, managing agents and property sourcers, we keep communication clearer, make decisions faster and direct more of our resources back into our homes and the people living in them.
Big or small, we consider them all.
Some properties are awkward to sell through the usual route. We assess each property ourselves and, where it fits our portfolio, deal directly with the owner.
Self-contained homes across South Tyneside.
What sets us apart is our local, hands-on approach. We work closely with tenants, local charities and housing organisations to provide clean, safe and affordable self-contained homes. We believe everyone deserves a secure roof over their head, regardless of their personal circumstances.
Tyneside Flats
Upper and lower flats are a core part of our portfolio and experience, including refurbishment, access, leases, roofs and long-term maintenance.
Emergency Accommodation
We work alongside local charities, housing organisations and other partners where safe, self-contained accommodation is required at short notice.
No HMOs
Zebra does not offer houses in multiple occupation. Dane has deliberately chosen to focus on private, self-contained homes where every resident has a place of their own—whether that is a flat or a house.
A home when it mattered most.
The clearest measure of our work is the difference a safe, secure home makes to the people who live in it.
“When I first met Dane, I admit I was sceptical because of his appearance and tattoos. The reality could not have been more different. At the time, I was living in a tent in Westoe Park, South Shields, with only three bin bags of belongings. Dane offered me a home and even arrived at eight o’clock one evening with a settee and a quilt. After being let down by several housing organisations, I cannot thank him enough for everything he has done for me.”Paul • Zebra resident, South Shields
“As a single man aged 27, I found it extremely difficult to rent a suitable home. Everywhere I turned, the only accommodation I was offered was a room in a house in multiple occupation. I contacted Dane through Rightmove and he offered me a self-contained one-bedroom flat. I have now lived there for three years. On the rare occasion I have reported an issue, Dane and the Zebra team have been there the following day to resolve it. I could not recommend them highly enough.”Zebra resident • South Tyneside
The standard we expected as tenants is the standard we provide today.
Our director started out in rented accommodation here in the local community. That experience still shapes the way Zebra works: listen, respond and never forget that every property is somebody's home.
Dane, the team and our maintenance contractors work directly with residents.
We act to keep homes clean, secure and at the standard tenants should expect.
We aim to offer good-quality housing at rents that remain accessible.
A familiar face on BBC Homes Under the Hammer.
Dane Nicholson has appeared on BBC Homes Under the Hammer across multiple episodes over the years. Through these appearances, Dane has demonstrated his property experience, distinctive approach and attention to detail—bringing South Tyneside property and local investment projects to television screens across the country.
Growing locally—with purpose.
Zebra currently owns and manages a multimillion-pound property portfolio, with the majority of its homes situated throughout South Tyneside. Our growth is built around long-term local ownership, responsible investment and maintaining a direct relationship with our residents.
Residents housed today
We currently provide homes for more than 130 residents across our local communities.
Our next milestone
Our aim is to double the number of people we house by 2028 through new acquisitions, responsible finance and further local investment.
Property portfolio
Our multimillion-pound portfolio has been built through direct ownership and continued reinvestment in local property.
Established lending partners
We work with leading UK property lenders to finance acquisitions, improvements and carefully planned growth.
Dane Nicholson
Local entrepreneur and Director of Zebra Leisure Lease Limited
Dane Nicholson is a local entrepreneur who grew up in the community Zebra serves. Like many people, Dane once lived in rented accommodation himself, giving him first-hand experience of what a tenant should reasonably expect from a landlord.
Now a landlord himself, Dane uses those same expectations to shape the way Zebra treats its residents. He believes every tenant should receive respectful communication and a clean, safe, well-maintained home of the quality he would expect for himself.
Since 2015, Dane and the Zebra team have continued to invest locally, work closely with residents and use trusted local contractors throughout South Tyneside.
Have a property or housing enquiry?
We provide support and respond to enquiries by email only.
Zebra Leisure Lease Limited
Trading as Zebra Living
Company No. 09711117
Incorporated 30 July 2015
Email: info@zebraliving.co.uk
Area: South Tyneside and surrounding areas