Landlord Tips

Give Prospective Tenants The Benefit Of Doubt At Your Own Risk

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 02 Mar 2010, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

A landlord can never be sure how good or bad a tenant is going to be until they actually move in and take residency for a few months. But there are certain steps a landlord can take to ensure they’re minimizing their risk of harbouring poor tenants E.g. getting a credit check. I personally believe [...]

I Was Gonna Stop Cannabis Farming For My Landlord… But Then I Got High

6 Comments Comments / Article written on 22 Feb 2010, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’m more frequently reading cases involving entrepreneurial tenants that are renting properties so they can develop their own cannabis farming business in them. The latest case comes with some cool pictures, so I thought I’d quickly share the good stuff (the pictures, not the weed)…

Pretty elaborate imagery, right? I’m told the photos are of a [...]

My Tenant Has Changed The Door Locks, Can He Do that?

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 16 Feb 2010, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

Just a quick answer to an ever increasingly asked question: can tenants legally change the door locks? In short, yes.
If the tenant changes the lock, landlords are not entitled to a key unless it says so in the contract. However, the tenant should not unreasonably withhold access, and if he or she does, the landlord [...]

Landlords And Tenants Shouldn’t Neglect The “Wanted” Section

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 09 Feb 2010, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

The traditional way for prospective tenants to find accommodation would be to walk into a letting agent, look in the local paper, scan through local advertising boards, or look through various online portals e.g. Gumtree. All these methods have one thing in common, it’s the Landlord doing the marketing. But it doesn’t have to be [...]

Shit You shouldn’t Write Or Put In Your Tenant’s Christmas Card

6 Comments Comments / Article written on 21 Dec 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

In my previous blog post I asked the question, are you going to bother sending your tenant a Christmas card. Continuing on with my run of festive blog posts, I’m now going to discuss what you shouldn’t say/put in your tenant’s Christmas card.
I’m sure it’s a common problem thousands of landlords face on a [...]

What Landlords Should Know About ‘White Goods’

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 14 Dec 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

I’ve been getting a few emails from folks regarding the details of “White goods”, so I thought I’d quickly jot down what I know about the issue. It’s not exactly the most exciting topic, but it’s an area worth knowing about if you’re a landlord.
What are “white goods”?
White goods refer to large electrical home appliances [...]

The Penalties For Breaking Landlord Laws

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 08 Dec 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

Landlord law is a pretty gray area from what I’ve noticed over the years, as in, penalties always seem to differ, even if the crimes being committed are similar to one another. But it does make sense, because in almost every legal battle, the circumstances between tenant and landlord or landlord and property are pretty [...]

Is Your Letting Agent Holding Deposits Or Failing To Pass On Rent?

16 Comments Comments / Article written on 30 Nov 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

Before you get bent out of shape and start raging at your tenant for failing to pass on rent, it’s probably best to make sure your tenant is the actual cock-face that is breaking the chain of making rental payments.
Recently a pompous-arse rogue letting agent in Oxfordshire was raided after several dozen landlords and tenants [...]

Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) Tips

7 Comments Comments / Article written on 23 Nov 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

1] Length of tenancy
Don’t give a fixed term longer than 6 months unless you trust your tenants. You can always extend the contract when the fixed term has expired.
2] Signed tenancy agreements
Never allow a tenant to move into your property until the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) is signed.
3] Keep an original copy
Hold an AST [...]

My Stupid Landlord-Friend Didn’t Transfer All Utility Bills Over To Her Tenant

6 Comments Comments / Article written on 02 Nov 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

My Stupid Landlord-Friend Didn’t Transfer All Utility Bills Over To Her Tenant
It’s ok, I can safely call her stupid because…

a) She ignored my advice (Transfer Utility Services Over To Your New Tenants)
b) She was careless
c) She’s my friend
d) She’s a girl- I’m way more powerful than her

Whenever a landlord gets a new tenant that [...]

Idiot Tenant Sets Fire To Property- What To Do?

12 Comments Comments / Article written on 26 Oct 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

I came across an interesting thread on the Property Tribes forum earlier. A landlord had her property accidently set on fire by her tenant, to the point where it became uninhabitable. Here’s how the landlord explained it:

Yesterday one of my tenants ran out of electric on her meter and rather than topping up the card, [...]

Minimizing Landlord Maintenance Costs

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 20 Oct 2009, and filed in the Landlord Money & Saving Costs section

Continuing from my previous blog post on landlord maintenance costs (How Much I’ve Spent On Maintenance Costs Over The Years As A landlord) I’m going to quickly ramble on about how I try to minimize maintenance costs (real exciting stuff, brace yourself for mental ejaculation). I think this may be an area where a lot [...]

How Much I’ve Spent On Maintenance Costs Over The Years As A landlord

12 Comments Comments / Article written on 07 Oct 2009, and filed in the Landlord Money & Saving Costs section

There was an interesting/good question asked in the forum yesterday,

what kind of maintenance costs landlords have had to pay over the years?

Fortunately, over the last 5 years of maintaining 3-4 properties, I haven’t had to dig too deep to cover maintenance costs (from what I can remember). And in most cases, where I have [...]

List Of FREE Goodies For Landlords

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 04 Oct 2009, and filed in the Landlord Money & Saving Costs section

Last week I wrote an article covering a list of Ways Landlords Can Market Their BTL Property For Free, so to keep on track with the FREE theme (because everyone likes free stuff), I’m going to write a list of free goodies available for landlords…
Free Tenancy Agreements

The Tenancy Agreement I use.

Tenancy Agreement by Letting Expert

Tenancy [...]

I Haven’t Protected My Tenants Deposit Into A Scheme With In 14 Days

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 02 Oct 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

I received this email earlier today. It’s an interesting question, with a rather ropey answer (which works in the favour of the landlord):

I have one property. My tenant has been with me for the last 2 years. Initially via an agent. Agents were charging a fortune and were no good, so I took it on [...]

17 Ways Landlords Can Market Their BTL Property For Free

8 Comments Comments / Article written on 01 Oct 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

1] Landlord Portals
Here’s A List Of Free Websites Where Landlords Can Advertise Their BTL
2] Leaflets and Flyers
Get creative on your PC and create a simple leaflet that you can post through local mail boxes. Keep it simple, don’t try to be Leonardo De Vinci, you will only screw it up.
3] Word of mouth
Use that irritating, [...]

When The Tenant Doesn’t Pay Rent

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 22 Sep 2009, and filed in the Evicting Tenants section

I can’t remember why or how, but i’m thanking fate for the cinematic treasure I stumbled upon earlier today. I came accross a hilarious Will Ferrell sketch, which you can watch below.
Ferrell plays a tenant that can’t pay his rent on time, as a result, his frustrated landlord, Pearl, doesn’t take the news lightly, consequently [...]

A List Of Tenant Eviction Professionals

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 17 Sep 2009, and filed in the Evicting Tenants section

In the past, I’ve been mere whiskers away from stampeding into one of my BTLs’ with the incentives of throwing a tenant and all her belongings onto the street because she had fallen into 3 months of arrears. Looking back, it was a miracle that she wasn’t limping around with my foot firmly wedged up [...]

Make Your Own ‘To Let’ Sign To Help Market Your Property

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 14 Sep 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

I recently read an article on the Telegraph website about a vendor trying to unload his £30million mansion. For some reason the vendor chose to neglect the expertise of an agent, consequently independently took charge of the marketing.
Estate agency fees are usually about 2.5 per cent; by marketing the property without instructing an agent, the [...]

Which Is The Best Landlord Association?

8 Comments Comments / Article written on 09 Sep 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’ve been thinking about joining a Landlords Association for a while, but I’ve never actually gotten around to doing it. But I’m definitely going to join one this week, it’s just a case of choosing the right one. Decisions, decisions…
For those blissfully unaware, let me go over the basics…
What is a Landlords Association?
They’re basically resourceful [...]

How To Advertise Your BTL For Tenants On The Biggest Property Portals Online

11 Comments Comments / Article written on 07 Sep 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

I recently compiled a list of A List Of Free Websites Where Landlords Can Advertise Their BTL. While that list is a super awesome resource for all landlands trying to find tenants for free, there is one fundamental problem with the websites on that list. The websites don’t actually generate as much traffic as the [...]

Landlord Guide To Marketing A BTL Property From Start To Finish

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 04 Sep 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

This flow chart shows the typical steps new landlords take to find tenants, and displays the routes/options available, highlighting the pros and & cons of each route. Bear in mind, some of the steps are legal requirements!
If anyone disagrees with this chart, or believes it can be improved, please let me know, and I’ll happily [...]

Landlord Guide On Evicting Tenants

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 30 Aug 2009, and filed in the Evicting Tenants section

Here are the steps a landlord typically takes during the process of evicting tenants. The chart doesn’t reflect every open option available; the chart displays the most common options and solutions, along with the pros and cons of each possible route.
If anyone disagrees with this chart, or believes it can be improved, please let me [...]

Guide On Picking The Right Letting Agent

3 Comments Comments / Article written on 23 Aug 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’ve had experiences with about 4 or 5 different letting agents, so I know how important it is to pick the best out of a rotten bunch. The consequences of working with the wrong letting agent can be on the same par as a slow and painful death, if not worse. That’s precisely why it’s [...]

Provide Tenants With Incentives So They Choose Your Property Over Someone Else’s

12 Comments Comments / Article written on 18 Aug 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

Somewhere, although I can’t remember quite where, I’ve already dribbled about how the BTL market is insanely tough for landlords right now, so I won’t delve into the specifics too much. But basically, demand isn’t as great as supply blah blah blah, consequently tenants are being spoilt for choice with the abundance of vacant properties [...]

Tenant’s Right To Live In Quiet Enjoyment

5 Comments Comments / Article written on 12 Aug 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

A few days ago there was a little debate on Twitter about whether a landlord or letting agent had the right to enter his/her property during the last month of the fixed term to take viewings, without giving notice to the tenant.
To me that seemed pretty ridiculous; I was pretty adamant that the Landlord [...]

A Few Reasons Why Landlords Should Use Twitter

7 Comments Comments / Article written on 04 Aug 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Oh damn, I’m about to eat my own dick here. To cut a long and shameless story short, I’m just going to say it…”I’ve started to get Twitter.”
A few months ago I mentioned how I thought Twitter was a pile of donkey shit, and how Most Of The Estate Agents On Twitter Are Idiots. While [...]

The Type Of Landlords That Are Getting Repossessed

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 28 Jul 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

A lot of Landlords have been repossessed. A lot of landlords are on the verge of getting repossessed.
Why is it happening?
Interestingly, the other day I was asked how I’m coping with the downturn; specifically if I’m struggling. In short, I’m not struggling. I personally believe only certain types of Landlords are struggling- it’s [...]

Letting Agent Or Landlord Responsible For Securing Deposit Into A Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme?

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 16 Jul 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

Is it the Landlord’s responsibility to put the security deposit into a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme, or the Letting Agents?
For those Landlords out there that are using Letting Agents, are you certain that your agent has deposited your tenant’s deposit into a legally required tenancy protection scheme? What happens if your agent receives the deposit, [...]

Use Letting Agents That Are Registered With An Approved Redress Scheme For Consumer Protection

7 Comments Comments / Article written on 06 Jul 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Being haunted by the urge to inflict pain upon a letting agent isn’t an unfamiliar feeling to me. My hate has been real, fueled by God awful customer service and snake-sly antics. I’ve had visionaries of being the executioner; I’ve congealed mental images of hanging an agent up from a tree. I’ve had graphic and [...]

Landlord Guide For Marketing A BTL Property From Start To Finish

7 Comments Comments / Article written on 24 Jun 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Here’s a typical step-by-step explanation of the steps a landlord needs to take in order to get started. Depending on what stage you’re at, you may find your starting point in the middle of the guide.
1. Make sure the property is legal and in working order

Electrical Safety
A valid Gas Safety Certificate is in place
A valid [...]

How To Be A Shit Landlord

16 Comments Comments / Article written on 15 Jun 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

1. Be a treehugger, don’t use a Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement.
2. There’s no room for empathy- you don’t want to hear excuses. You’re running a business, not a charity shop.
If you’re a shit-fuck and ignored point #1, then redeem yourself by putting the following into your tenancy agreement:

1.1: I don’t want to hear [...]

What’s The Best Way To Collect Rent?

10 Comments Comments / Article written on 21 May 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Over the years of being a Landlord I’ve had different tenants pay me rent in various ways. In most cases, the method of payment was based on their personal financial circumstances.
Various ways I have received payment

Cash
Direct debit
Two cheques per month- one from social benefits and the second from the tenant to cover the shortfall
One complete [...]

A List Of Free Websites Where Landlords Can Advertise Their BTL

16 Comments Comments / Article written on 12 May 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

I’m pretty sure there are plenty of online property portals out there that provide a free service for landlords to advertise their BTL property. Unfortunately, I’m only familiar with a handful of them, and I’ve only used two of them. However, I’ve had a lot of success with the free services, consequently, I doubt I’ll [...]

What Added Services Do You Provide As A Landlord?

5 Comments Comments / Article written on 08 May 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Personally, as a Landlord, I don’t believe that tenants are paying just for a roof over their head. I believe they’re also paying for a service from thier Landlord. They’re paying for a Landlord that will help make their living experience a little easier. That’s just my personal opinion, of course. I know some landlords [...]

Know The Specifics Of Your BTL Property

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 29 Apr 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Auuurrghh tandoori chicken shit balls. The other day I shamefully got caught out when my new tenant asked me questions that I didn’t know the answers to! I should have known the answers, they were questions directly relating to the BTL property. Fortunately, I managed to answer the majority of his questions, but he threw [...]

Which Landlord Management Software Do You Use And/Or Recommend?

28 Comments Comments / Article written on 22 Apr 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’ve been looking around for the past few hours at landlord management systems, to handle small to medium property portfolios for private landlords. There are loads out there, so naturally there’s a small issue of cutting through the shit in order to find anything useful.
I haven’t had extensive experience with any landlord managements systems, but [...]

How Much Should Landlords Pay For An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?

14 Comments Comments / Article written on 16 Apr 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

I had to get an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the first time recently. It was made a legal requirement for all landlords back in October 2008. Booo!
Meh, waste of time and money as far as I’m concerned. From my experience, tenants don’t give a shit about how energy efficient a property is. In fact, [...]

Tenant Wants To Vacate Early, Before Agreed Term In Tenancy Agreement

47 Comments Comments / Article written on 09 Apr 2009, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

So, what happens when a tenant wants to ignore the lawfully binding Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement they agreed to and signed, by abandoning your property before due date? It happens all the time. Until recently, I wasn’t actually sure what rights the Landlord had in this situation. I only bothered to investigate further when a [...]

I Found Tenants With Gumtree Again

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 07 Apr 2009, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

I guess this is another post about how awesome I think Gumtree is for finding tenants. I swear to God, I don’t work for them, or am I involved in any kind of affiliate partnership. I just like giving credit where due. As it so happens, Gumtree delivered the goods again, so here’s the credit…
The [...]