LANDLORD NEWS AND ADVICE FROM UK'S LARGEST ONLINE LETTING AGENT
The latest from the world of lettings and written for landlords. Top stories, advice, commentary and analysis...
Keep the discussion lively, if you read an article and have some thoughts, please comment. We’re always looking for new landlord tips and stories so if you have something you’d like to share please let me know, simon@upad.co.uk (editor).
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Archive for the ‘Property Management’ Category
Ask Upad: Am I liable for food lost when the freezer broke down?
Q: I rent a flat to a couple and the freezer broke down. I have replaced the appliance but the tenants have asked for £20 to replace food that perished when it broke down. Must I pay them? I think it’s a bit of a cheek because I have replaced the freezer with a brand spanking new model. A: There’s an easy legal answer. You are not obliged to pay for the food. So your decision will be a... Read more
Ask Upad: How often should I undertake a property inspection?
Q: I rent out 4 properties in Surrey and have rarely done property inspections. But recently, I had a damaged property that cost a lot to put right, and that could have been avoided if I’d inspected the property during the tenancy. How often should landlords undertake a property inspection? A property inspection is where a landlord gives notice to the tenants and visits the property he lets... Read more
Do you know where your tenants will be this Christmas?
Will your tenants be at home this Christmas? If they’re going to be away over the season, make sure that you’ve taken all the precautions you can to ensure that your property isn’t damaged by burst water pipes. If there’s no one at home, there’s an even bigger chance that something could go wrong. A burst or split pipe is a whole world of pain. It’s not just damage to the pipes... Read more
Ask Upad : My tenants have painted their bedroom black. What do I do?
This question comes from a landlord who has discovered that one of the rooms in a house he rents out to private tenants has been painted black. Previously it had been a neutral colour. The landlord discovered the change on an agreed maintenance visit. Since you did not consent to this change and, because you’ll also need to restore it to its original state at the end of the tenancy, you can... Read more
Are tenants paying the price for slow residential sales?
We heard a story this week from a tenant that makes us wonder if Lettings Agents are looking to tenants to fund the shortfall they’re experiencing with residential sales. The tenant told us: “I split up with my girlfriend and she moved out of our flat. The contract was in both our names so I did the decent thing and told the Lettings Agents. They said that they’d like to amend the... Read more
Landlord nightmares: A vast menagerie
A few weeks ago we read the astonishing story of a tenant who filled her home with dozens of pets. The RSPCA found 50 cats, 10 dogs and a squirrel inside Kindred Hummer’s rented property in Hull. The anonymous landlord said: “I found out three months after she moved in that she had 50 cats and 15 dogs in my house. I was shocked and stunned. It was horrific. I had recently refurbished the... Read more
Should I let my tenants redecorate? A response from Pimlico Flats
Our post asking should landlords let their tenants redecorate caused some comment. Nick from Pimlico Flats, a fantastic landlord with a lot of experience, wrote this in response. Whilst reading the Upad blog post on letting a tenant redecorate a number of issues sprang to my mind, both for and against letting a tenant redecorate your property. I should start by laying claim to considerable... Read more
Landlord Nightmares: My tenant was a prostitute
Karen has been sharing her experiences of working as a letting agent... When I worked as a letting agent way back when, one of the properties I managed was rented by a woman who worked as a prostitute. She worked from home and when we found out what she was up to, we had to do something about it. The woman in question was always a bit of a funny one: very demanding and slightly bizarre. But... Read more
So, you think you’re a salesperson?
As a private landlord, you wear many hats. One day, you’ll need the skills of an amateur psychologist, the next you could be a painter and decorator. A good working knowledge of the law, the tax system and accounting won’t go amiss either. But you’re also a salesperson, selling the idea of your property to potential tenants. It’s not always a responsibility that landlords relish but it is... Read more
Ask Upad : Can I evict my tenant for smoking?
Q: My AST clearly states no smoking in the house. I went round to do routine maintenance last week (with the tenant's prior knowledge), only to find him sitting smoking in the kitchen. I reminded him he's in breach of his lease. His reaction was "what are you going to do about it?" Well, what can I do about it? In practise, probably nothing at the moment. He's ignored the clause in the lease.... Read more
Ask Upad: Who’s responsible for pest control?
Q: My tenant emailed me to say she had pest controllers in to remove mice from her kitchen. This was the first I knew of a problem. She expects me to pay. Am I liable? As a general rule, if the problem was there before she moved in, then you should pay for pest control; if it was after, then it’s her responsibility. Even if it was your responsibility, she should have got your permission... Read more
Are landlords really all a bunch of rogues?
Shelter has commissioned some research about what tenants think about their landlords. It makes pretty uncomfortable reading: “1 million victims of landlord scams” shouts the headline... but read a bit further, and it’s not quite so cut and dried. 2,234 tenants were surveyed, and 2% of them said “they had been the victim of underhand practices when privately renting”. Shelter says... Read more
AST rent threshold to increase
It’s more bad news for landlords who want to see less red tape and less badly implemented regulation on the private lettings. The coalition government has confirmed that rumoured changes to the rent thresholds will be going ahead. From the 1st October 2010, all properties with annual rents up to £100k will be subject to ASTs. That means that deposits for such properties will also need to be... Read more
Cannabis Factories. Are you at risk?
Hamilton Fraser provides best practice guidance for landlords Police forces across the country have reported a rising number of rented properties being used to grow cannabis. Purely from Hamilton Fraser’s experience, claims for damage caused by unscrupulous tenants can range from a few thousand pounds to total losses from resultant fire. To help prevent your rental property from being... Read more
Student lets are opportunity for landlords
Upad is advising landlords to embrace the student opportunity this autumn as the university year starts once more. With fewer undergraduate places up for grabs this year, landlords will have to work harder to attract the best tenants to their properties. Upad CEO, James Davis says: “Today’s students will be in debt up their eyeballs when they graduate, but they often have more ready cash... Read more
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Recent Comments
- Steve Frost: A really useful and interesting blog post, thanks for sharing these useful tips I am sure Landlords as...
- Karl: As a landlord, I never use Agents. They only want to get the earliest tenant so that they can get paid a large...
- Barry Danser: I always feel that Alarm systems have to be put in. Morally or legally its crucial that you or your...
- A Harding-Smith: We never do anything but interview our own tenants and manage our own properties. Now we have found...
- Sharon Crossland AIRPM: This is great news but I’ve yet to see a landlord (apart from one) even visit their own...
