Advice for Landlords

Advice for Landlords

Advertising tips

Preparing your property for rent
Before considering letting your property, it is always a good idea to ensure it is in a good state of repair, any decorations and fittings are in good condition, a property that is clean, modernised and has been decorated and in a "ready to let" state will fetch the most interest and should minimise the time your property is unoccupied.

The small list below may help with some ideas:

• Complete any DIY jobs such as painting, fixing door handles or leaking taps.
• Clear away rubbish or any clutter, if you have tools or cleaning equipment you have been using, if possible store it off-site for viewings.
• Air the property by opening windows, possibly purchase a few air fresheners (don’t go over the top as this will have the effect that you are trying to cover something up). Also remember that some buyers may be allergic to pets, so make sure that all signs of animal smells and hair are removed.
• Get carpets professionally cleaned.
• If your bathroom or kitchen looks tired then by applying some of the following practices will make a difference.
• Re-paint the ceiling and walls.
• Clean, re-grout any tiled areas that are going black.
• Ensure you have the instruction booklets for all of the appliances, i.e. cooker, heating system, etc.
• Cut lawns, tidy the garden, clean the patio area.
• Make sure front door and windows are clean

Remember! First impressions count.

Property value

To rent your property, the rental asking price is critical in attracting potential tenants.

Too low and you could miss out on potential income, if it is too high and then you may restrict the amount of potential tenants that would view it. When setting your rental price do not be tempted into charging too much, thinking you could earn more money quicker, this will simply drive tenants away and your property will take longer to rent out. However if you feel your property is worth more, ensure you can justify why in the description.

Look in the local letting agent’s windows and review local property papers, find properties to let that are similar to yours with respect to size and area to give you a rough estimate of the rental value of your property.

Preparing Your Advert
Before you start to publish the details, ensure you've got a few essentials in place. For example, have you taken a selection of clear and appropriate photographs?

Without doubt, properties that have photographs to accompany their advertisements get far more interest. Our website allows up to 10 photos per advertisement so ensure you take advantage of this opportunity.

Using a digital camera is the quickest and cheapest way of getting high quality, digital images of your home. If you don't have a digital camera, why not borrow one from a friend?

Just as important as photographs is your advert text. Make any potential tenant interested in your property by explaining what it has to offer. Give details of all rooms, measurements (if you have them) and describe any special features you feel will add to the potential interest in the property. A little extra effort in some creative writing may make all the difference.

Photgraphs

Take advantage of the photo upload features.

People respond well to a visual ad, research shows that ads with photos have a higher response rate than those without. They say a picture paints a thousand words and you don't need to sit writing a thousand words in your listing so get uploading!

Take care that your pictures are not blurred, ensure that there is no rubbish or clutter in the shot and ensure that Aunty Mable hasn’t wandered into the frame.

The main photos that tenants are looking for are the following.

• Front of the house

• Kitchen area

• Master Bedroom

• Bathroom area

• Garden

Also include any other special features of your property.

We also advise to make sure you have covered the following questions as these are some of the most common questions that tenants ask.

• Whether you accept DSS.

• Whether you allow pets.

• How much is the Council tax

Viewings

Have a diary set-up so that you can manage your viewings. For each potential tenant make sure that you have taken their details such as name and number just in case you have to re-arrange the appointment. If you have several viewings on the same day, allow extra time between each potential tenant to allow for late or early arrivals.

Before a viewing

• Have a note pad so that you can take any notes while you are showing the tenants around and get back to them if they have any questions you can’t answer straight away.

• Ensure all the doors are shut so that you can present the room to them. If all the doors are open it is too much for someone to take in all at once.

• Have a planned route through the property.

• Ensure you have prepared your property. See preparing your property for rent (above).

• Have a print out of your property details as they may want to take this away and review it again.

Showing the people around

Lead the tenants through the property. Therefore when you open a door to the room you enter first, pointing out all the positive points of the room.

If a room is too small to fit everybody in then allow the tenants to enter the room while you stand outside pointing out all the positive points.

During the course of viewing gather some information about the tenant for example.

• About their job.

• When are they looking to move, how long they intend to stay.

• If they have any pets.

By gathering information about the tenant, may determine who you rent to if you have several potentials.

After a Viewing

After 2 days, if the potential tenant has not contacted you then contact them to see if they are interested, and if not just to get some constructive feedback. This may help you with further viewings.

Once you have found a tenant, to make it trouble free you can do the following tasks.

Retrieve references from previous landlords and from their employers.

Have the tenant agree to a credit check. You can also do a rent guarantee with some credit check companies. Tenant credit checks and rent guarantee insurance can be obtained through our affiliate partners on the ‘resources’ page.

Go round the property with the tenant to check the inventory and for both of you to sign and date it. If more then one person is renting the property make sure that all sign and date it. This should be done on the day of tenants moving in.

Make sure all tenants sign and date the assured short hold tenancy agreement. So that if one defaults on payment for the rent the remaining tenants are responsible to make up the difference so that you are paid in full.