If you’re a landlord, it’s important to make sure that your tenants and property are looked after. Managing a successful tenancy involves cooperation from all parties involved.
With the right plans and cooperation, you can make sure that you and your tenants have a positive experience. In this blog, we’ll look at 5 tips that will help you better manage your tenancy.
1. Conduct checks on potential tenants
Before you accept any tenants, you must check their background. You should conduct a tenant reference, which will help you find out basic information about a tenant so you know if you can trust them.
You can use a professional referencing company to conduct the checks. This can cost £15 - £40 per person.
Or, you can conduct the checks yourself. To do this, you’ll need to look at their credit history. You can use websites to check if they have any history of missing payments, CCJs or IVAs. Remember, just because someone has missed payments in the past doesn’t mean they will be a bad tenant. However, a repeated history of this could make them more of a risk.
Additionally, you may ask for an employer reference to assess the stability of their income or use a bank statement. You’ll also need to see proof of identity to make sure the tenant is who they say they are, this could be a driving licence or passport.
You also need to make sure you conduct a ‘right to rent’ check on the person. This ensures that the tenant can legally live in the UK. Failing to do this check could result in a £3,000 fine. It is against the law to discriminate against tenants based on their nationality, you must conduct this check with all tenants.
Carrying out basic background checks can help you avoid missed rental payments, damage to your property, and potential trouble with evictions.
2. Set out expectations clearly
In your tenancy agreement and your conversations with the tenants, make sure you clearly set out your expectations and requirements for living in the property.
This means setting out the conditions of the tenancy, such as rent amounts, payment dates, security deposit, and the maintenance and responsibilities you expect them to adhere to.
Make it clear what the tenant will be responsible for. Most tenancy agreements include clauses about damage to the property, and which party is responsible for certain things.
You cannot expect the tenant to take responsibility for any issues that may be caused by fair ‘wear and tear’. This includes faded paint, small scuffs on floors and walls, and worn carpets or blinds.
Equally, tenants must be responsible for damage that is more than what can be reasonably attributed to normal use, this can include broken furniture or appliances and stains that cannot be removed by cleaning.
Ensure that the tenants understand the conditions of their agreement before signing. This way there should be no confusion or misunderstandings in the future.
3. Respond to issues quickly
If your tenants do have any issues, you need to respond to them swiftly. Make sure you keep communication channels open, and let them know how they should report any issues at the start of the tenancy.
When issues arise, acknowledge them and try to resolve them as fast as possible, especially if the issues will cause discomfort or make the property unliveable. Bear in mind that most tenants will usually try to resolve any issues on their own first. If they are reaching out to you, it may be that the issue is too difficult for them to deal with alone.
You might want to think about who will deal with any maintenance issues. If you are handy, you may be able to deal with some of the requests on your own. This can help you save money on home improvements.
However, some issues require a qualified professional, such as an electrician or gas engineer. You may already know such professionals, if you don’t, it could be useful to get to know some.
4. Maintain clear communication
You should keep up with your tenants regularly. By checking in with them you can prevent any small issues from becoming bigger ones. Dropping them a quick email or text every few months to check everything is fine will go a long way with most tenants. It shows you are a responsive and accountable landlord.
However, make sure you’re not bombarding them. No one wants to be constantly hassled by their landlord, so always give them notice before you visit them or are planning any maintenance.
By keeping up-to-date with your tenants, you will develop a better landlord-tenant relationship. Tenants who get on with their landlords are usually more receptive to rent raises and may be more likely to stay in the property for a longer time.
5. Carry out regular checks
You should conduct inspections on your property during the tenancy. This will allow you to check if there are any maintenance issues you need to address in the property.
How often you conduct checks is up to you. Many landlords inspect their properties every 3-6 months.
As mentioned earlier, you should give your tenants as much time to prepare for an inspection as possible. Many tenants will want to make sure your property is clean and tidy before you visit, so if you spring a last-minute inspection on them, you could risk compromising your relationship.
However, if you have reason to request an inspection in a short period of time, you should try to give the tenants at least 24 hours notice.
If you've not got a property yet and want to understand how you might find the right one, our blog covering tips for finding the perfect buy to let property may help.
Summary
Having a good relationship with your tenants can make being a landlord so much easier.
Always start by checking the tenants’ background. This way, you can avoid letting out your property to anyone who may be unreliable.
You should always clearly set out your expectations for tenants. Make sure they know how much the rent is, when it’s paid, and your expectations for maintenance and responsibility for damage.
Try to respond to any problems your tenants have as quickly as you can. Knowing reliable tradespeople will help you if urgent repairs are required.
Additionally, make sure you communicate clearly and regularly with your tenants. Make them aware of any visits or inspections you intend to conduct as early as possible.
