Don’t fall foul of the law and put your tenants at risk Making sure that your electrical appliances have been PAT tested and that the property has a landlord gas safety certificate are regulations that you’ve probably heard of and accepted as being part of your landlord duties. However, when you started out as a [...]
How to avoid landlord disputes around deposit money With a little luck and a good tenancy vetting process, you should benefit from a long-term tenant who respects your buy-to-let investment as if it were their home (which, of course, it is for the period of their tenancy). One of your responsibilities as a landlord is [...]
Buy-to-let landlord tactics for finding the best tenants Buy-to-let investors have never had it so good. Nor have they ever had it so bad. The ratio of privately rented homes is rising to levels not seen for decades. However, increasing numbers of tenants are crossing over from social housing. I know that I’m using a [...]
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best Winter is coming. With natural disasters ranging from tornados to floods, from severe snow storms to more floods, savvy buy-to-let property landlords have already started winter-proofing their properties. If recent history is anything to go by, we’re almost bound to suffer a natural disaster. TheAssociation of British [...]
Maintaining buy-to-let property security and tenant safety Now that summer is drawing to a close and autumn is fast approaching, it’s time for but-to-let landlords to protect their property and their tenant relationship. With the end of the school holidays comes the end of bored teenagers wandering the streets. Unfortunately, it is also the sign [...]
Communication is key to long-term relationships Have you ever taken your partner out for a celebratory dinner, and been frustrated with the service provided? Your starters aren’t cleared away promptly. You sit for what seems an eternity with empty glasses in front of you. Whenever you want something, you expend continuous effort getting a waiter’s [...]
Landlord responsibilities for gas safety Utility bills are a cost that never seems to fall. For some unsuspecting landlords in London and elsewhere, their gas bill is enough to make them faint. In 2011, London landlord James Long had to pay £30,000. He hadn’t understood his landlord responsibilities for gas safety. In one of his [...]
Make working together a legal foundation In my last two posts, I discussed your obligations as a landlord and the responsibilities of the tenant under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The best relationships are those where both parties show mutual respect and trust, and this law encourages this. By setting clear [...]
Extend rental contracts and avoid tenancy voids According to a recent survey, buy-to-let landlords have around a 10% chance of their tenant moving on before the end of a tenancy. If this happens to you, your buy-to-let is likely to be non-income-producing for several weeks while you spend money trying to find another tenant. Suddenly [...]
Abide by this law to keep your reputation intact In my last post, I examined Section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and your landlord obligations. This piece of law is pretty detailed when it comes to what repairs you’re expected to make as a landlord. It also provides a lot of guidance about how [...]
