Good & Bad Landlord Practices

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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

15 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 [...]

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 [...]

Guide On How To Put A Property Inventory Together

3 Comments Comments / Article written on 18 Feb 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

A few days ago I wrote an article explaining how and why I thought it’s important to perform a thorough Inventory. This time I’m going to talk in detail about the entire process of protecting the security deposit. Why? Because I’ve recently taken a financial hit (lost £200) because I was sloppy with my inventory. [...]

Tips For New Private Landlords

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

I recently got an email from someone asking me what my tips would be for a newly born private Landlord that is in the process of kicking her letting agent to the curb. Here’s, in my opinion, a generic list of principles which i’d consider “good to know” for new private landlords.
Legal Obligations
It’s imperative that [...]

The Importance Of An Inventory

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 05 Feb 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

It’s been a long, frosty week, and it’s starting to show as I haven’t been this unshaven in a while. I’ve had a tenant move out, I’ve had 5 days to turn around the property so it looks presentable for my new tenant, and I’ve spent most mornings scraping ice off the car window as [...]

10 Reasons Why You Should Use Letting Agents

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

A few days ago I posted a list of Reasons Why I Don’t Use Letting Agents to find or manage any of my buy-to-let properties. I expected a mixed bag of responses, which is exactly what I got.
I got an interesting response from an Estate Agent called Justin, from over at Petter Barry. He [...]

10 Reasons Why I Don’t Use Letting Agents

11 Comments Comments / Article written on 26 Jan 2009, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’ve just had one of my tenants move out after 4 years of tenancy. I’m in the process of finding a replacement, so I thought i’d provide a quick list to explain why I don’t use letting agents to find or manage tenants. Just for the record, the list is generated from personal experiences.

1. They’re [...]

I’m Becoming Too Friendly With My Tenants- Good Or Bad Idea?

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 29 Sep 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Guilty! Unfortunately, I don’t mean sexually, I mean strictly platonically. Yes, a plain, old, boring platonic relationship with my tenants. Fingers crossed, one day I’ll be telling the tale of a sexual nature.
For those of you who keep up with my blog, you’ll know that I’ve recently had new tenants move into one of my [...]

Transferring Utility Services When New Tenants Move In

3 Comments Comments / Article written on 25 Sep 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Some times a landlord is so keen just to get tenants in they often neglect the responsibilities that come with being a landlord once a tenant has moved in. I wish being a landlord was as easy as, “Old tenants out, new tenants in”. It’s a trap I see a lot of landlords fall into, [...]

Top Mistakes I’ve Made As A Landlord

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 09 May 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

They say the best way to progress in life is to learn from your own mistakes. For once, I think “they” might be onto something.
During my rather premature property escapades as a cocky, overconfident young buck I managed to get tangled in a series of elementary blunders that would even make Sarah Beeny shudder, and [...]

It’s Important To Inspect Your Buy-To-Let Property

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 25 Mar 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Here’s a friendly reminder for all landlord’s to regularly carry out inspections on their properties. Unfortunately, it’s easy to slip into a mindset of a lazy relaxed landlord. A lot of landlords are kept satisfied as long as their tenants make their rent payments on time. If only life was so easy. Sadly, “collecting rent” [...]

Be An Energy Efficient Landlord

3 Comments Comments / Article written on 17 Mar 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Recently there was a discussion in our Property Investment Forum about energy efficient homes. The questions being asked were, how many developers actually consider energy efficiency when renovating, is it worth the money, and will it add any value to the property?
My response to the subject was pretty cavalier. In retrospect, my stance on the [...]

Inform Your Tenant When You’ll Be Out Of Contact

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 05 Mar 2008, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

To me, this is a no-brainer, but apparently it’s not so obvious to some people. The message is simple- whenever you’re going to be out of contact in any shape or form for more than 48 hours, inform your tenant. You get me? Inform your tenant!!!
I just spoke to one of my more casual landlord [...]

Buy Your Tenant Something Nice This Christmas

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 20 Dec 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

I’m a firm believer in treating good tenants like they’re good tenants, otherwise what’s the point of them being a good tenant?
I’ve spoken about this before; i’ve mentioned how precious good tenants are; this article is just an emphasise on the point. Good Tenants shouldn’t be taken for granted. Trust me, I know, because i’ve [...]

Rent Guarantee And Legal Expenses Insurance

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 21 Sep 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

If you’re a landlord that’s letting complete strangers rent your property, I highly recommend getting rent guarantee and legal expenses insurance. They’re relatively inexpensive, and could potentially save you a heap of money.
I’ve recently had to evict a tenant because she wasn’t coughing up her rent. She ended up missing out on 2 months worth [...]

Make Sure Your Tenant Registers With Their Local Authority

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 18 Sep 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

If your tenant is responsible for paying council tax on your property, it’s important that they register their new residential details with the local authority for taxation purposes.
Ultimately, it is the tenants responsibility to do so. However, “tenants fresh out of the box” may not be aware of this process. It’s always best to remind [...]

Tips On How To Be A Good Landlord To Your Tenant

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 26 Mar 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

Why is it important to keep a smile on your tenants face? Because replacing tenants’ costs money and it requires that one thing we all hate exerting…energy. Each time a tenant slips through your chubby little fingers, you’re more than likely going to take a financial hit as a consequence. Who wants that?
Some times a [...]

You Need Good Contacts As A Landlord

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 01 Mar 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

As a landlord you will have three valuable commodities: your property, your tenant, and last but not least, good contacts. These three things should be like gold dust to a landlord.
When I say contacts, I mean tradesmen. Houses and household appliances are not indestructible, there will come a time when something with in your property [...]

Tips For Landlords That Use Letting Agencies

16 Comments Comments / Article written on 01 Feb 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

These are a few things Landlords should consider when dealing with Letting Agencies.
Choosing the right Letting Agency
Unfortunately, a large portion of letting agents are clueless cowboys that carry no expertise whatsoever. I advise not to opt for the cheaper option, but to work with the agents that come most recommended. Do some research on Letting [...]

15 Tips For All Landlords

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 01 Feb 2007, and filed in the Good & Bad Landlord Practices section

This is basically a few tips for upcoming and/or new landlords. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a Landlord, and also a lot of risks. Please note that these tips are based on the assumption that the Landlord is not working with a Letting Agency.
1) Know the relevant law
Regardless of whether [...]