A stitch in time saves nine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What other phrases did your granny use? But she was right: preventing a problem from happening is better than sorting it out. Even careful decent tenants might not be keeping a close eye on some things. Indeed, things on the outside of the property are often not their concern but your responsibility. Be proactive… Read more
You know what they say. Never mix business with pleasure. What’s the right balance for landlords and how friendly should you become with your tenants? When you’re a landlord, perhaps with tenants who live nearby, or who have been living in your property for some time, you’ll naturally start to get to know them. Upad CEO James Davis thinks keeping a positive relationship going with… Read more
How can I verify property ownership when renting directly from the landlord? Nice easy question for a Friday afternoon. Search the Land Registry for the owner or leaseholder of the property; a search will currently cost you £4: worth it for peace of mind, we think. photo credit: William… Read more
One rent void that landlords want to avoid is that between putting a property on the market and selling it. During this period, usually after some negotiation with the tenants, you can have buyers viewing your rented property. Obviously the tenants will have to move out before the sale completes, but many tenants are happy to oblige if it means putting off moving for a few more months. But are… Read more
The Painsmith blog has news that the new government will be keeping protection for tenants when landlords fail to pay their mortgages. Before the Act, if the landlord had not obtained permission to let from their mortgage lender and then failed to keep up mortgage payments, the tenant had no protection from repossession: they could be thrown out of their homes with little or no notice…. Read more
Before you move into a new property, it’s almost certain that your landlord will want some form of reference to check that you’re who you say you are , and that you’re not going to move in and immediately stop paying rent. If you’re prepared for this and have your referees primed, you’ll stand a better chance of moving into your desirable property sooner rather than never. Let’s take a look… Read more
It seems incredible, but the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) has said that it has almost £5 million of deposits which it is unable to repay because it can’t get hold of the tenant to whom the money is owed. The Director of the DPS, Kevin Firth, said that “some tenants are not keeping their contact details up to date – resulting in this large number of unpaid deposits”. For security… Read more
A Upad.co.uk survey of tenants found that they were overwhelmingly in favour of being able to find out information about their landlord before they rented a property. Last week, Housing Minister John Healey announced that the government would be establishing a “Trip Advisor-style website” on which tenants could leave feedback on their landlord and their accomodation. Our tenants… Read more
A Carmarthenshire landlord has been fined £2,000 for failing to comply with the terms of an improvement notice served on his HMO. After several complaints from tenants, council environmental health officers carried out a full inspection of the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. They found numerous problems with the accommodation, including issues with fire safety, damp,… Read more
Before you rent accomodation, would you like to know what other tenants think about your landlord? We’re asking tenants if this is a good idea, and how it could best work. If you’re a tenant, please take part in our survey. Leave your email address at the end for the chance to win £50 in M&S vouchers too!… Read more
It all seems so plausible. The landlord has been messed about before by people who say they’re going to rent, and then don’t have the money. Can you prove to them that you have the cash? Sure, you say – the flat looks lovely, the rent is a bargain, and you’re anxious to secure the deal. Look, says the landlord, do this for me: obviously I’m not going to take any money from you until we’ve… Read more
It’s a landlord’s worst nightmare: an empty property. It’s still costing you money for the mortgage and service charges, but it’s not earning. But there are many things landlords can do to minimise void periods and keep their properties bringing in the cash 365 days a year. Here are our top twenty tips. 1. Be seen. You can have the most desirable property at the lowest rent, but if no one gets… Read more
I’ve just read a very interesting article from the Guardian. According to figures from the Property Ombudsman, there has been a huge rise in the number of disputes involving letting agents in 2008. The problem seems to have emanated from the increasing number of inexperienced estate agents who are attempting to cash in on the burgeoning rental market. Many of the complaints were… Read more
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