It is an age old complaint; my landlord doesn’t do anything, I cant get hold of my Landlord, my Landlord is the worst. There are plenty of people who would say this if you asked them, BUT it is not very hard to ensure that your tenants say the exact opposite.
Have a look at some of our top tips and tricks for being a good Landlord.
Make sure your property is ready for tenants before they move in:
Surprisingly this is a much more common issue than you may expect, homeowners are in a rush to make money from their asset and get tenants in before they should. There are small jobs that still need to be done and the homeowner thinks this is ok. BUT this can cause problems with tenant off the bat, and as the saying goes… You only get one first impression.
Ensure your property is safe and up to standard
This is a hugely important part of being a Landlord so let’s split it up into 2 sections; Single Lets and HMO’s.
Single let’s
This is the easier one, as a single let Landlord there is a little more responsibility on the tenant throughout the tenancy but before anyone moves in you will need these things in place:
- Home insurance
- Landlord insurance
- Deposit protection
- Boiler Service
- Full inventory
- Gas Safety check
- EPC
- Fire Risk assessment/Fire alarm test
- Ensure all repairs are complete and tenant cannot blame you for any issues.
Some of these are not a legal requirement but we recommend you get them done for peace of mind.
HMO’s
Here you can refer to another blog from us at WISE: Tenanting your HMO and being compliant – From Start to Finish
Be responsive
Talk to your tenant if they need your help. This does not mean you need to be available 24/7, but it is reassuring for a tenant to receive a reply from their Landlord within 12 hours of a message or call.
Mold
A scary word for all UK homeowners… Unfortunately in the UK we are vulnerable to mold in properties due to our weather conditions and building practices.
Before anyone moves in, you can check for mold yourself or get an expert to attend your property i.e a builder or a mold specialist.
Boiler cover/insurance
Landlord boiler cover is not a legal requirement. So it is completely optional. Boilers can be an absolute nightmare when they break down, because it usually means the tenant has no access to hot water or heat. A broken boiler is highly disruptive to everyday living, and if landlords don’t act fast to resolve the issue, it usually results in bad relations with the tenant (understandably so). A boiler care plan can certainly speed up resolution and provide convenience for landlords and tenants. A boiler is probably the last appliance I would want to breakdown, particularly during winter, because without a cover plan, finding a reliable engineer during peak season can be soul-destroying.
If needed, find a high quality agent
Having a good local agent act on your behalf can be very beneficial, it takes a lot of stress off of your shoulders and with their experience they can ensure tenants queries and problems are dealt with quickly and smoothly.
Bare in mind this is not free but can be a worthwhile investment.
Most importantly… BE NICE
Tenants are people too!!
Whether you have had good or bad experiences in the past it is always good to be pleasant and welcoming to new tenants. But ensure you are covered and have everything in place that you should.