I’ve already written a few articles that cover the what, when, and how’s of landlord inventories, but today I want to focus on one particular aspect of an inventory, and that’s the photo taking aspect.

Most “decent” landlords take photo evidence to supplement their inventory form because obviously, visual proof strengthens the case and gives a clearer idea of what kind of damage was caused, if there is any, of course. In my opinion, taking photographs is the most vital stage of the inventory, so it’s worth doing properly.

Thanks to a regular reader of this blog, Jools, I was informed of an interesting case where a well publicised industry magazine, Landlord & Buy-to-let Magazine, published an allegedly unreliable article on “Photo Inventory tips” An avid reader of the magazine followed the tips to the tee, and was devastated by how the tips proved to be useless when it mattered.

Photo Inventory Tips published by the ‘Landlord & Buy-to-let Magazine’

Now, below is a letter which was later published in a following edition of the magazine:

Dated Inventory photos
I write as a warning to others, following the article in the October 2011 issue of Landlord & Buy-to-let magazine, about using good quality inventory photos with dates.

I had done exactly as suggested in the article and, following a dispute for damages, the Dispute Service adjudicator rejected my photos with dates imprinted by the camera, commenting that such dates are not proof, as they could have been added at anytime as the camera date is user settable.

Naturally, I was devastated. With over £7000 worth of damage (replacement value) following – at best – carelessness, and a flood leaving me with mouldy carpet and water damaaged furniture – presumable from a overflowed bath – I was allocated only £300 or so. The arbitrator’s decision is final, so I am well out of pocket.

The current tenancy also shows dated photos, but this time there is a newspaper front page clearly showing the date in each photo.

I am rather hoping this cannot be dismissed, but as yet it has not had to be tested.

I advise other landlords to act as I did latterly.

Best regards,
Paul Simmons

Ouch! You gotta’ feel sorry for Paul, especially since he followed the guidance of a well published Landlord magazine. Which reminds me, I’d like to declare that anything I’ve said on this website is NOT to be taken seriously. Judge situations for yourself, and make your own bloody mind up on what’s best :)

In all fairness, I actually do think the majority of the tips provided by the magazine were good. And to be honest, it’s difficult to say if ALL adjudicators would have made the same comment. However, the adjudicator did have a valid point, the date setting on the camera can be EASILY manipulated, so this case should set a new precedence for how we should take photographs for our future inventories, or at least what we shouldn’t be doing.

Tips on how to authenticate inventory photographs

• Paul made it clear that he’s still not sure how much more reliable including a dated newspaper would be because it’s yet to be trailed and tested, but I do agree, it certainly does strengthen the inventory.
• Take photos or even compile a video recording, including the tenant’s presence (if the tenant is prepared to do that). I’m not sure how a tenant would get out of that. I don’t see why a tenant wouldn’t be prepared to do that, because an inventory is there to equally protect both landlord and tenant.
• The following seems to be the most popular tip; print off the photographs, and ensure they’re signed and dated by both landlord and tenant on the day of check-in.
• As well as fulfilling the above tip, print off an inventory form and add a statement saying that the tenant has authenticated that X amount of images were taken on the move-in day. The form should be signed by both parties.
• Regardless of which method(s) is used, ensure both parties have copies of the complete inventory e.g. if photographs are used (signed and dated), both landlord and tenant should have copies
• Any photographic / videoed inventory needs to be accompanied by a very comprehensive written inventory that can be matched (easily) with the video / photo evidence

I don’t have a definitive answer on what a dispute service adjudicator would accept as solid evidence of what the true condition of a property transforms to between two dates, but I’d like to think the above tips would be pretty indisputable.

It’s also worth noting that if you use a letting agent or a third party company to compile your inventory, it might be worth thoroughly investigating how they do it, and whether they rely on date-stamped photos.

If anyone has any further tips or experience on the issue of inventories, I would appreciate your thoughts. What would be even better is if an actual Dispute Service adjudicator could shed some light on the issue. Are you one, or do you know of one?

Related posts:

Landlord Inventory Form
Guide On How To Put A Property Inventory Together
Landlord Tips Other Websites Won’t Give You

I can’t remember which website sent the newsletter because I’ve subscribed to about a million, and they generally all look and smell the same to me (colourless and dog shit, with a few exceptions, of course). I’m not discrediting any of those websites, because they’re most likely way more informative and useful than my petulant archive of rants, but there are so many of them- and that’s all I’m really saying. In their defence, most popular landlord blogs/portals have a degree of responsibility to remain diplomatic and professional because they’re representing a company. I, on the other hand, don’t have a need or reason to be either of those things, so I have the advantage of being able to freestyle on the mic. “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, your mum’s has a limp knob.” See?

Most of the “Landlord Tips” lists contain the usual spiel on Tenancy Agreements, Energy Performance Certificates, Tenancy Security Deposits, , Landlord Insurance etc. Yada, yada, yada! All useful and vital tips, but it’s nothing new, and most of the lists tend to lack the tips which will actually make a landlord a better landlord, both practically and psychologically. Due to my realisation, I’ve decided to compile my own creepy and repugnant list of landlord tips- the one’s which aren’t usually disclosed (but are just as useful in my humble opinion).

1] Don’t be a pussy

Be a fair landlord, but don’t be a pussy and get pushed around like a chump. I’ve learnt the hard way that there’s a lot of pushing, elbowing and blind-sided cheap-shots in this industry. It can get ugly, and it often does.

When I first became a landlord I was naively timid and futile; you could pierce my skin with a used tampon that’s lost it’s structural integrity due to the female biological cycle. In hindsight, if I was the landlord I am today when I first started out, I would be a lot better off. I wouldn’t condone anyone to be a thick-skinned, insensitive, irrational piece of crap, but I do believe in a happy-medium.

Most experienced landlords are stern and tight-fisted by nurture (or nature, you decide), but a lot of them are timid and pathetic at the early stages of the cycle. That’s an extremely vulnerable state to be caught in because some tenants can be overly demanding, and if you’re not strong enough to put your foot down when appropriate, you end up buckling under pressure and adhering to all kinds of unnecessary and crazy requests. A lot of the times landlords buckle because they’re unfamiliar with the law, so they just “do it” out of fear. This kind of behaviour has a spiral affect, because once an over-demanding tenant becomes aware of your weak-spot, they will attack the same spot every time, and then try their luck in other areas.

This is relevant to many situations, but the most common is the handling of late rental payments and compensating for unnecessary fixtures. By all means, allow tenants to make a late payment if they’re having a difficult month. However, DO NOT allow them to get into habit of making late payments- be stern and signify that it cannot be a regular occurrence, and always follow up on arrears so the tenant doesn’t get the impression you’re relaxed about the situation. In regards to the fixtures, I’m referring to tenants asking for unnecessary fixtures, like replacing curtain rails, just because it doesn’t match their butt-ugly curtains.

Those were two scenarios were just examples, but it’s generally important to remain firm and play fair.

This may sound like a really weak tip that has very little significance, but I promise you, it’s imperative. Don’t be a pussy.

2] Evicting tenants shouldn’t be the last resort

So many landlords consider the process of Evicting Tenants as a last resort. Oh man, you guys are such silly willies.

Eviction is part of being a landlord, and most long-term landlords will most likely start the process of evicting a tenant at least once in their miserable existence.

If you have a problematic tenant which you have grounds to evict, don’t sit back and hope the issue will get resolved. Prolonging eviction because you believe it’s the “last resort” can be more expensive and complicated than actually using a professional eviction service. Eviction is an extremely normal and common practise in this industry, so don’t hesitate to do it when necessary.

3] Serve notice if you don’t like your tenant

If for whatever petty reason your tenant gets on your vieny little tits, don’t be scared to legally terminate the tenancy agreement by serving them with a Section 21 form.

A tenant/landlord agreement is a professional relationship; both parties should feel comfortable with in the relationship. However, like with all types of relationships, some times it just doesn’t workout, and that’s just a part of life. It’s also usually the case that if you don’t like your tenant, the feeling is mutual, and chemistry like that is just asking for trouble. Get rid.

Remember, as the landlord, you have the right to decide who lives in your property.

I know I’m a lot happier and relaxed when I have tenants I actually like in my properties.

4] Be responsive to your tenants

Every time I see my tenant’s name flashing on my mobile screen, my heart sinks to my toes, and being responsive is literally the last thing I want to do. Why? Because in the history of mankind, even when Homosapians rented caves, tenants have NEVER had a reason to contact their landlord bearing good news. They literally have no reason to call their landlord unless it’s to report a broken appliance or give notice. Let’s face it, it’s usually a bollocks, self-inflicted problem, like their fat-arse blocked the toilet. That’s a sad fact of landlord reality.

Albeit, I pick up the phone and get shit sorted (pun-intended) ASAP every time. While no landlord wants to deal with broken appliances, it’s our responsibility, and ignoring our responsibilities can lead to expenses far greater than fixing an appliance e.g. legal battles.

5] Don’t make up your own bullshit laws

A prime example of this practise is when landlords believe they can write any clause they wish into a Tenancy Agreement and assume it automatically becomes binding by law if the tenant signs the agreement. I actually wish that were true, because if it were, I’d be accepting rent in the form of sex. I’d also be subjecting my tenants to various other nasty party-tricks. Sadly, it’s not true, but I’m thinking about starting a petition to overthrow this nonsense law.

But for now, tenants and landlords have a funny thing called “statutory rights”, which even Tenancy Agreements can’t overrule.

If you want to add your own clauses to your Tenancy Agreement (which can be perfectly legal and normal), make sure it’s actually enforceable by law. For advice, speak to a solicitor.

6] Stick to your end of the deal, even if your tenant is a prick

With good reason, I’ve genuinely despised a few of my ex-tenants in the past. There’s probably going to be a time when you also hate one of yours. Unfortunately, it’s another one of those ‘orrible elements which comes with the job.

I remember years ago when I was practically harbouring a cold-blooded criminal. This tenant was claiming Housing Benefit but still managed to fall into 2 months arrears. God knows what she was doing with the money, but I suspect it was being pumped into her veins through a needle (which oddly enough, I wanted to jam into her eye-sockets). Either way, even though she was failing to stick to her end of the bargain, I still kept to mine (as much as it killed me).

Unbelievably, she had the audacity to contact me while she was in arrears to inform me that she was having issues with the heating. I assume a lot of landlords in my situation would have naturally laughed and told her to go choke on her dealer’s shriveled-up cocaine penis. I wanted to, I really did. Unfortunately, I resolved her heating problem as quickly and efficiently as I would have with any one of my other paying tenants.

The saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right” couldn’t explain my reasoning any better, and that’s exactly how the law will see it. If your tenant is in breach of contract, the law WILL support you and justice will prevail. However, as soon as you become a vigilante by taking the law into your own grubbly little mitts, you’ll inevitably lose your credibility and your case. I don’t agree with that, but that’s just how it is.

Stick to the right side of the law, even if your tenant doesn’t.

7] You’re going to get a shitty tenant

Every long-term landlord that has a medium-to-high tenant turnover is eventually going to end up with a bullshit tenant that will make their life miserable(r). It doesn’t matter if you’re the most thorough landlord on the planet that uses 22 carrot referencing services with pink ribbons wrapped around them- the odds are still against you to maintain a immaculate record. And, if you have an active sex-life like myself, you should also accept that you’ll probably end up catching chlamydia at some point. I’ve also accepted that.

This isn’t really a tip, it’s just something every landlord should accept when entering into this business. And when it happens, just keep your cool and act responsibly. Don’t feel hard done-by, and don’t keep asking yourself, “why me”- it happens to the best of us, and even to those better than you.

9] No one will care for your property as much as you do

Be under no illusion, no letting agent or tenant will care about your property as much as you do. If they give you the impression they do/will, pay no mind. I’ve heard so many protective tenants say, “I’m looking for a property I can call a home, so I can treat it like my own” It could be true, but it’s probably not, and it’s safer and better practise to assume that will never be the case.

Your letting agent isn’t going to stay awake at night if your tenant falls into arrears. Your tenant won’t stay awake at night if there’s a leak in your property.

Again, not really a tip, just something to bear in mind. Manage your expectations; be realistic. Why would anyone care about your property more than you? If it doesn’t make sense…

10] Letting Agents don’t always know best

Letting agents should be the expert in the field and consequently know the industry like the back of their hand. The sad reality is, not all of them do, and even when they do, they don’t always act like they do.

Example; the other day I received an email from a tenant that said the following:

I rent a flat through a letting agency and I want to contact the landlord because I don’t like how the letting agent is dealing with my enquiries, but the agent won’t give me the landlords contact details. Can I do anything about this??

I’m not entirely sure if the letting agency in question knew this or not, but by law, they HAVE to provide a tenant with a contact address for the landlord.

That’s just one small example, but hopefully you catch my drift. Letting agents don’t always know best, even though they often act like they do.

If something doesn’t sound right (or even if it does), always double check with other experts/professionals in the field.

Anyone else got anything to add to the list? HIT ME WITH IT!

Related posts:

Kirstie Allsopp & Phil Spencer Give Property Buying Tips On The Chris Moyles Show
My Landlord Won’t Give My Deposit Back
Landlord Photo Inventory Tips

I guess I should make it clear that I’m not a letting agent on my contact form, because I’m really not. While I appreciate emails with lengthy descriptions of properties…actually, no, I don’t.

While I’m clarifying that I’m not a letting agent, I may as well make it clear that this website is NOT affiliated with Sarah Beeny in any shape or form. The amount of emails I receive for a “Ms Sarah Beeny” is ridiculous. It’s almost as if you can’t be besotted with Sarah Beeny and dedicate an entire section of your website to her without folks getting confused between “stalker” and “victim” Only joking. She’s no victim. Anyone being stalked by myself should feel wet, sexy and privileged. But seriously, I’m NOT Sarah Beeny.

Anyways, I digress.

Back onto the topic. I’m actually surprised that landlords are asking me how much rent they should charge, because obtaining the answer seems like a path based on common sense. Or perhaps it’s not all that obvious, and I’m just being a patronizing know-it-all knobber, because I’ve been withering away and rotting in this industry for too long. Regardless, whenever I have a property available for rent, I just check the most obvious resources to see how much others are charging for similar properties. When I say “similar properties”, I mean in terms of location, size of property (number of rooms), and condition of property. This allows me to see the current rate of what I should be expecting to receive for my property.

Check for similar properties on Rightmove

This is by far the best method of finding out how much rent you should be charging, in my opinion.

Find similar properties available for rent, in the same area, to the one you’re looking to rent on Rightmove, and find the average rental price.

It might also be worth checking the other major property portals, like FindAProperty, Globrix, PropertyFinder, and Zoopla.

Check for similar properties on Gumtree

Besides from checking the major portals like Rightmove, I also check on Gumtree for similar properties.

I check Gumtree because a lot of private landlords directly advertise their properties on there, whereas on Rightmove, letting agents advertise for landlords. Consequently, on Gumtree you’re able to see what landlords (not letting agents), like yourself, are expecting to receieve. Some times landlords have different ideas on what the rental rate should be compared to letting agents, and that’s always interesting to see.

Check local newspapers

If Rightmove and Gumtree don’t have many properties available for rent in your area, you may find it difficult to identity how much you should be charging. In that case, it’s worth checking your local newspaper. Most local newspapers will have a property section with properties available for rent in your local area.

Check local letting agents websites

Similarly to checking the local newspapers, it’s always worth checking your local letting agents websites and/or shop window if you can’t find similar properties on Rightmove and/or Gumtree.

Consider extra commodities

It’s important to carefully price your property because the biggest mistake you can make is to misjudge the value of your property. If you overvalue, you run the risk of scaring tenants away, and you may find yourself with a property that’s vacant longer than it needs to be, which is an expensive mistake. If you undervalue your property, you won’t be maximizing your full earning potential, which again, can be an expensive mistake.

If you happen to find a very similar property to yours by using any of the methods listed above, make sure you compare the commodities. For example, features like white goods, furnisher, garage, parking space, and garden space will affect the asking price. Needless to say, if you’re offering any of those features while the one you’re comparing your property to does not, you could very well increase your asking price accordingly, and vice versa.

Talk to a letting agent

Even though you may not want to use a letting agent to market your property, it might be worth tapping into one or two of their minds for local knowledge. Simply describe yourself as a landlord that will be shortly looking for tenants, and you’re currently in the process of gathering information about how much rent you should expect for your property.

Local letting agents will know how much rent your property is worth, and more importantly, they’ll know the climate of the area. For example, some areas are notoriously sought after by tenants they’ll know about it. If that’s the case with your property location, you’ll have the advantage of low supply and high demand. Draining that kind of information is useful.

But be careful, I’ve often found that some letting agents drastically inflate their quotes to get landlords interested in their service. With that said, take their figure with a pinch of salt if it sounds too ambitious, and talk to a few different agents for clarity.

The most important tip I can offer is to be realistic, and don’t allow greed to contaminate your asking price.

Does anyone else have any tips, advice or thoughts on how landlords can determine how much rent they should be asking for?

Related posts:

An Example Of How Much Extra Letting Agents Charge
Why Do Letting Agents Charge Tenants An Admin Fee?
Tips For DSS Tenants That Can’t Find A Property To Rent

I suppose ignorance is bliss, until you get sued!

Questions relating to repairs and maintenance in privately rented accommodation receives far more attention that any other category in the landlording sector. At least it does around these parts. It’s a biggy. Hopefully I’ll cover some key elements in this blog post which will help lesson the confusion.

What is the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985?

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 sets out the rights and responsibilities of both landlord and tenant. It applies to all short leases for residential property and tenancies agreed for a period of less than seven years.

Most of what I discuss will be directly quoted from The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The entire legislation can be read online over here, but for convenience I’m going to copy the most relevant sections relating to the subject of repairs and maintenance. However, I would still recommend reading Section 11 in its entirety of the Act if you want to know all your statutory rights regarding repairs and maintenance.

Section 10: Fitness for human habitation

First and foremost, a privately let property MUST be fit for human habitation. The legislation stipulates the elements which are considered when defining whether or not a habitat is fit for a human.

In determining for the purposes of this Act whether a house is unfit for human habitation, regard shall be had to its condition in respect of the following matters—

repair,
stability,
freedom from damp,
internal arrangement,
natural lighting,
ventilation,
water supply,
drainage and sanitary conveniences,
facilities for preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of waste water;

and the house shall be regarded as unfit for human habitation if, and only if, it is so far defective in one or more of those matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition.

Section 11: Repairing obligations in short leases

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that where a short lease of less then seven years which started on or after 24th October 1961, the landlord is responsible for the following:

a) to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the dwelling-house (including drains, gutters and external pipes)

b) to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity and for sanitation (including basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences, but not other fixtures, fittings and appliances for making use of the supply of water, gas or electricity), and

c) to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for space heating and heating water.

When the landlord is exempt from repairs

The Act also stipulates exceptions to areas of repair where the a landlord would not be responsible:

a) to carry out works or repairs for which the lessee is liable by virtue of his duty to use the premises in a tenant-like manner, or would be so liable but for an express covenant on his part,

b) to rebuild or reinstate the premises in the case of destruction or damage by fire, or by tempest, flood or other inevitable accident, or

c) to keep in repair or maintain anything which the lessee is entitled to remove from the dwelling-house.

The Landlord’s defence

It is the landlord’s legal responsibility to repair and maintain the aspects mentioned above. However, the Act states that the landlord can have a valid defence under the following circumstances:

1) If the landlord is not made aware of any defects by a notice of repair.

The notice of repairs can be given verbally or in writing, but it is advised to issue a written notice so there is written proof for reference. The tenant must then give the landlord sufficient time to carry out the necessary repairs.

2) If the tenant doesn’t provide access into the property for the landlord to make repairs. The Act states the following on this matter:

In any case where—

(a)the lessor’s repairing covenant has effect as mentioned in subsection (1A), and

(b)in order to comply with the covenant the lessor needs to carry out works or repairs otherwise than in, or to an installation in, the dwelling-house, and

(c)the lessor does not have a sufficient right in the part of the building or the installation concerned to enable him to carry out the required works or repairs,

then, in any proceedings relating to a failure to comply with the lessor’s repairing covenant, so far as it requires the lessor to carry out the works or repairs in question, it shall be a defence for the lessor to prove that he used all reasonable endeavours to obtain, but was unable to obtain, such rights as would be adequate to enable him to carry out the works or repairs.

Getting your landlord to repair and maintain

Firstly, get in touch with your landlord and explain what needs repairing. Most reasonable and professional landlords will accept their responsibilities and arrange for the issues to get resolved quickly.

If you’re dealing with a letting agent, contact them before the landlord. They should pass the message onto the landlord. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that tenants are legally entitled to obtain contact details of their landlord.

In The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, it states that a landlord must provide an address in which they can be contacted by. The address doesn’t have to be the landlord’s actual residential address but an address must be supplied.

If the landlord doesn’t supply what is called a Section 48 address then the law states they are not entitled to receive any rent until they do.

Where a landlord of any such premises fails to comply with subsection (1), any rent or service charge otherwise due from the tenant to the landlord shall (subject to subsection (3)) be treated for all purposes as not being due from the tenant to the landlord at any time before the landlord does comply with that subsection.

In addition to the section 48 address, there is also a legal requirement for the landlord to provide their actual address. Section 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that if a tenant puts a request in writing to the landlord asking for their address the landlord has to respond, also in writing and within 21 days giving their address.

If the landlord fails to comply with his or her responsibilities after serving a repair notice, it might be worth gently reminding them of their legal responsibilities. Nudging them in the direction of The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 may prove to be useful. Failing that, then it may be time to venture down the legal route. You have the right to take your landlord to court to obligate him to bring the place to a legal standard and state of repair. If the landlord is found guilty in the eyes of the law, then they would be liable to cover the court costs of the tenant.

To seek free legal advice on the matter, I would recommend contacting your local Citizen’s Advice. They can advice you further and provide clarity on your case.

Related posts:

What Landlords Should Know About ‘White Goods’
Electrical Safety For Landlords In Rental Property
17 Ways Landlords Can Market Their BTL Property For Free

They’re letting agents that don’t have shop-fronts, they operate purely online. The most reputable (and recommendable) online agents have a fully-dedicated support team which can be easily contacted via phone or email, so you’re not just dealing with a dormant website and automated responses- you actually are dealing with real people with experience in the field.

Online agents will market a landlord’s vacant rental across several (if not hundreds) of the biggest UK property portals. The landlord simply needs pay a small fee, upload their rental property details onto the agent’s website, and they will then Advertise Your Rental On Rightmove and various other property portals. The aim is to generate as many enquiries as possible for the landlord. When a prospective tenants makes an enquiry, the landlord will receive that enquiry and is then expected to arrange a viewing.

It used to be a model which catered best for landlords that wanted to take care of the management side of letting; the online agent’s role was to purely source the leads. However, a lot of online agents have evolved their services by offering a fully-managed package, which includes overseeing rent collection and maintenance issues. Having said that, I would probably only use an online letting agent if I wanted the tenant-only service, and I’ll explain why a bit later on.

So if you’re a landlord looking to find tenants, and willing to manage the property, then I would highly recommend using an online letting agent. It’s a much cheaper option than using a high-street agent.

List of online letting agents

Here’s a list of online letting agents, along with the fixed cost for their “tenant-only” service and the portals they’ll market the vacant property on:

What are the differences between a high-street letting agent and online letting agent?

These days, in terms of services, online letting agents can offer most of the services high-street agents can. However, they differ in the following ways (in my awesome opinion):

Local knowledge – high-street agents operate locally out of their shop-front, while online agents operate nationally (so lack local knowledge of specific areas) from an office. High-street agents pride themselves on local knowledge, and feel they have an extra edge with that useful information. Granted, local knowledge is useful in some ways, but in this internet driven world, the importance of local knowledge is declining by the day. Moreover, most agents generate most of their leads from property portals like Rightmove anyways, and local knowledge isn’t even required for a tenant acquisition sourced by Rightmove.

Shop-front / Face-to-face service – high-street agents can offer a face-to-face service. So, for example, if you get really pissed off with their service, you can storm into their shop and punch your agent square in their stupid-looking face (assuming the intoxicating scent of their Old Spice aftershave doesn’t choke you to death first. Only joking). With an online letting agent, you’re limited to communicating via phone and/or email- assuming you’re not a psychotic maniac and prepared to track down your agent, the biggest threat in your arsenal is a string of harsh words, like, “you’re a cunt, mate!”

Price – high-street agents have massive overheads in comparison to online agents, so they NEED to charge more for their services, and that they do! That’s a fact. Those fabulous multi-coloured Mini Coopers don’t pay for themselves.

Enquiries / Viewings – from what I’m aware, this is the one of the few services that online letting agents don’t/can’t offer, and that’s the whole procedure of enquiry handling and taking viewings. High-street agents will receive all the enquiries and arrange/take the viewings, and show the prospective tenants around the property. When you use an online agent, the enquiries are directly sent to the landlord for him/her to take action upon (e.g. arrange viewings). So if you reduce into a wheezing, nervous, anti-social hermit when you’re around strangers, you’re probably going to need the presence of a physical agent.

Inspections – bringing us onto the second feature online letting agents can’t offer, and that’s inspections of the property. Most high-street agents include a quarterly inspection with their fully-managed service. Inspections are imperative, as they can weed out any distasteful practises shown by the tenants at the early stages of the tenancy. Alas, a lot of agents methods of inspecting has yet to be desired- they may as well have walked in with a blindfold on. On the flip-side, it really isn’t much hassle for a landlord to arrange an inspection- plus, you’d probably be more thorough when inspecting your own property.

The tenant-only package is where it’s at!

Currently, the average price for using an online letting agent to generate enquiries across the biggest property portals is £45. Last time I checked, my local high-street agent wanted to charge me £500 for a tenant-find service. And seriously, they are a bunch of inbred wankers, so I would have begrudged giving them money anyways. I’ve personally saved thousands by using this kind of service from online agents. It’s a no-brainer.

As said, I would only use an online letting agent if I was a landlord that wanted to fully-manage my own property, which would mean I would arrange the viewings, take control of collecting rent and handling any maintenance issues. In the defence of high-street agents, if I wanted to use a third party to manage my property, I would want the peace of mind of knowing that I could strut into an office and discuss any issues face-to-face if I was having real issues with my tenant and/or the agents service, so an online agent wouldn’t cut the mustard. Additionally, I’d like to think that a high-street agent would be prepared to physically engage with the tenant if shit really hit the fan, because often a physical presence of an agent can be fearsome.

Either way, from my experience, even when a problem has occurred with one of my properties/tenants, there’s never been a scenario which has been out of my means to resolve. As long as you’re vigilant when screening a tenant, problems should be minimal. It’s never a case of being unable to resolve a situation, it’s a case of whether you can be bothered to resolve it or not. If you ever run into problems, there are plenty of resources online to help you, websites like LandlordZone are brilliant for problem-solving. I would say you could always contact me directly for advice, but i’d be lying- but by all means, make use of my landlord forum, because there are some really cool and knowledgeable folks creeping around in there. If you can’t be bothered with the whole problem solving aspect, use a high-street agent and snap up their fully-managed package. If you slip them a fiver, they’ll probably wipe your arse for you as well.

Ignore the cynics. Online letting agents are awesome

I read an amusing article last week over at ‘Estate Agent Today’ about angry high-street letting agents bitching about online letting agents.

How ridiculous, right? Right.

Essentially, you have a bunch of high-street letting agents complaining that Online Letting Agents (e.g. Upad and LettingAproperty) shouldn’t be able to advertise their properties on Rightmove. I don’t really understand the argument. I’m not even sure there is a problem, beyond the fact that high-street letting agents aren’t able to compete with the low prices online letting agents are charging. But that’s tough shit. They should either change their business model so they can compete; focus on building their “fully-managed” package….or roll over and die.

The consumer (landlord) should be able to choose whether they want the service of a virtual or physical letting agent. Despite common misconception, neither service is better than the other and they shouldn’t be compared, because they’re different services all together, designed for different types of landlords.

So, comments like this, “Some landlords will always be prepared to cut corners and avoid paying a good letting agent. In my experience, many live to regret it” are the remarks muttered by a petulant child. If I don’t need the extras that come with a high-street agent, why the hell should I bloody pay for one? It’s genuinely not a case of “cutting corners”, it’s a case of assessing my needs, and choosing a service based on them. Go figure.

You can ALWAYS use both an online agent and high-street agent

When people talk about online agents and high-street agents, I always get the impression they think it’s an either/or situation. That’s definitely not the case. Actually, I’ve probably given that impression myself. For anyone that’s reluctant about using an online agent, but wants to give it a whirl by ditching a high-street agent and their fees, I would recommend doing the following…

Use an online letting agent- invest £45 into their service, and see if you can bag yourself a tenant. At the same time, use a high-street agent to find tenants. May the best method win. Most agents don’t charge unless you actually USE the tenant they sourced (but double check that with your agent). If the high-street agent sources the tenant, then the worst case scenario is that you invested an extra £45, which in the grand schemes of things, isn’t a big loss. If not, you saved yourself a few hundred quid- go buy yourself a bag of weed, and get high as maaafucker!

But let me expand on how you can still use both online and high-street agents together. If you manage to find a tenant through an online agent, and take on the fully-managed role, but then realise taking on the responsibility isn’t suited to your lifestyle, then you can easily just approach an agent to take over the management. It really isn’t a case of either/or.

On that note, I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I’ll see you in the New year. Have a good one :) xxx

Related posts:

Online Estate Agents
10 Reasons Why You Should Use Letting Agents
Is This Online Letting Agent Advert Distasteful?

I’m no legal bod, but I will quickly go over the basic differences. Hopefully I’ll cover enough of the basics to help you identify which one you should be serving to your tenant.

What is the difference between a Section 8 and Section 21?

Simply, a section 8 notice should be served when a tenant is in breach of contract (e.g. the landlord has grounds for possession). The most common ground for eviction is rent arrears. As long as the landlord has a legitimate ground for possession, he/she can serve the notice at any point during a tenancy. Here’s a more detailed look into Section 8- Notice To Quit Form

A section 21, also known as a ‘Notice of Possession’, should be served to end a Tenancy Agreement so the landlord can regain possession at either the end of the fixed date specified in the tenancy agreement, or if the tenancy has rolled into a periodic tenancy. Unlike when serving a section 8, a landlord does not any reason for serving the notice to regain possession of the property, other than he/she simply wants the tenant to vacate. Here’s a more detailed look into Section 21 – Notice of Possession Order Form.

So basically, a Section 8 should be served when a tenant has done something wrong e.g. fallen into rent arrears. A Section 21 should be served when the landlord simply wants the tenant to vacate the property at the end of the tenancy or during a periodic tenancy.

Some times it’s better to serve a Section 21, even when a tenant has breached their contract

This is a bit of personal tip, something which I’ve learned from experience. While I have said that you should serve a section 8 notice when a tenant is in breach of contract (e.g. the landlord has grounds for possession), there is, as always, an exception, in which it might be worth serving a section 21 notice instead.

If you have valid grounds for serving a section 8 notice, and the current term of the tenancy has either rolled into a Periodic Tenancy or with in or close to 2 months of the tenancy from reaching it’s end date, it’s probably better to serve a Section 21 instead.

The reason for this is because there is a lot less legal hassle and implications when serving a section 21. As said, when serving a Section 8, a ground for possession is required, which can be disputed by the tenant in court, which may prolong the eviction process, and consequently allow the tenant to remain in the property. The landlord will also need to prove to the court that the tenant has breached a condition in the agreement. Whereas with a section 21, as mentioned, a landlord does not need any reason for regaining possession. Even if the tenant refuses to vacate after a section 21 is served, providing the court is satisfied that it has been correctly served; then they are required to grant the landlord possession.

Does anyone else have anything else to add? :)

Related posts:

Section 8 Notice To Quit Form- Evicting Tenants
Section 21 – Notice of Possession Order Form
Notice Of Rent Increase Form – Section 13

A lot of landlords make the fatal mistake of accepting the first tenant that comes along because their primary concern is focused on filling the vacant property as quickly as possible. While that may make the most financial sense to a simpleton, it can actually bear the most cost.

Problematic tenants can be expensive in so many ways. I’d personally rather keep my property vacant a little longer if it means I’ll gain tenants that make me feel at complete ease. I can swallow paying a month’s mortgage out of my own pocket because that WILL be cheaper than harbouring problem-tenants that have no qualms with wiping their arse on the carpet, and other deviant acts that will irritate my aura.

Sadly, a landlord can never be sure how good or bad a tenant is going to be until they actually move in and take tenancy for a few months. That risk factor will always be there, regardless of how genuine the tenants initially seem. However, there are steps a landlord can take to ensure they’re minimizing their risk of harbouring shitty tenants, which brings me to the issue of referencing tenants.

Methods of Referencing Tenants

I’m sure many landlords have their own methods of referencing tenants that differ from mine, but below are a few of the precautions I take as part of my “tenant referencing” protocol.

Gut instinct

I personally believe that one of the greatest tools to identity a rogue tenant is by relying on gut instinct.

I’m sure a lot of landlords have shown prospective tenants around their property and thought, “Hmm I’m not sure I want these people living here”, I know I’ve thought that on many occasions. From my experience, if it looks like a chav, smells like a chav and walks like a chav, it’s probably a chav.

Unless I’m completely comfortable with my prospective tenants, I don’t bother wasting time on trying to convince myself they’ll result in being good tenants.

If your prospective tenants make you feel uneasy, it’s probably for a good reason.

Ask for I.D

Before you even start the process of deciding whether someone is a potential tenant or not, make sure they’re actually who they say they are.

If the prospective tenant seems interested, and you’re also feeling a good vibe, then ask for I.D. I always ask for photo-proof to confirm identification- password or driving license will do nicely.

Use Tenant Credit Check Service

Credit checks are often neglected by self-managing landlords, and that’s a sin if ever I’ve seen one.

I never used to run credit checks on my tenants, but as I gained more experience I realised the quantity of undercover scammers are quickly multiplying like a plague. Granted, credit checks aren’t bulletproof, they won’t guarantee “perfect tenants”, but they will reduce a potentially large risk.

Credit checks basically look into the financial history and current state of an individual. They are relatively cheap, and in my opinion, worth the investment.

In order to perform a credit check, you will need permission from the perspective tenant. The applicant will need to sign a release form, authorizing the landlord/agent to perform the check. Most credit check companies will provide landlords with a form online.

Here is a List Of Tenant Credit Check Services For Landlords. Discount letting actually offer a FREE credit check service for landlords, so it’s not even like cost has to be an issue. There really are no excuses.

Whichever credit check service you decide to use, make sure you know what kind of security checks they’re going to do for you. Some are just pointless.

Tenancy Application Form

I always make prospective tenants fill in a Tenancy Application Form before or during a viewing. It requires the tenant to provide the following:

• Tenancy details: property address, rental period, number of applicants, proposed tenancy start date.
• Tenant’s personal details: tenant’s name, contact details, and time at current address.
• Current Landlord: details about current landlord.
• Referee / Guarantor Details: details about guarantor
• Employment details: current and past employment details, and details regarding salary
• Details about occupiers: details about all the people that will occupy the property
• Other details: details such as smoking status, pet status

The form is useful because it provides details of employment and previous/current landlords. That will allow me to follow up their references and make sure they’re legitimate and have a good track record. Additionally, if I have a vacant property which is receiving interest from several prospective tenants, I will have a neat list of all applicants with all their details. It makes it much easier to manage the applicants details, and determine which applicant is most desirable, which will effectively help me choose the better tenant. For example, I can easily see which applicant has a greater salary and stronger rental history.

You can download and/or find out more details about a Tenancy Application Form.

Assessing Affordability

Regardless of whether your tenant is in receivership of Housing Benefit or a salary from full-time employment it’s important to assess whether your prospective tenant can actually afford your property.

Based on your tenants total monthly income (remember to check recent pay slips), assess whether or not you think they can realistically afford your property and all its added expenses, taking into account a budget for life’s social events.

I’ve seen it happen many times before, where a tenant gets totally excited by the prospect of renting a house which they’ve fallen in love with, and not realising that they can’t realistically afford it. Some times as a landlord, you need to do the maths for the tenant and make a calculated decision. Tenants are often ruled by their heart, neglecting their head. I guess it’s the same when it comes to women and shoes.

If after crunching the numbers, it seems unlikely your tenant will be able to pay the rent for the long haul, it maybe something to seriously think about.

Facebook

Ahh the wonder that is Facebook; probably one of my favourite and potentially most entertaining methods of referencing tenants.

Basically, when someone applies to be my tenant I always look them up on Facebook, by searching for their name and/or email address . 7 times out of 10 (I pulled those odds out of my arse, but they seem realistic enough), the applicant has a Facebook profile, giving me the opportunity to get a snapshot into their life. If lady luck is on my side, the profile will be completely insecure, allowing me to view the entire visual catalogue of the applicant’s life.

I’ve actually refused a tenant in the past based on what I saw on their Facebook profile. You can read about that delightful story here, The Results Of Referencing Prospective Tenants On Facebook.

Conclusion

As said, doing all of the above doesn’t take long at all, and it’s well worth the minimal effort it requires. Moreover, you can do all of the above for FREE. There really are no excuses.

Out of curiosity, does anyone else have any other weird and wonderful methods of referencing? I’m always looking to develop the ways of how I can harass prospective tenants.

Related posts:

Landlord Guide On Protection Against Bad Tenants
The Results Of Referencing Prospective Tenants On Facebook
Landlord Guide On Evicting Tenants

In many cases, letting agents will collect rent from tenants on behalf of landlords and have the money deposited in their own company account, and then pass on the agreed amounts to the landlords. That’s how it typically works anyways. But as the letting agents close down, they’re still able to seamlessly collect rent from the tenants, but fail to make the final few payments to the landlords. Convenient that, innit?

It’s been a growing a problem, and I’ve seen this incident being reported regularly. That is exactly why a new mark/badge called “Safe Agent” has been introduced. The mark/badge makes it easy for tenants and landlords to identify agents who are in a Client Money Protection insurance scheme. The mark/badge exists to encourage landlords/tenants to only use letting agents that are part of a scheme. Look out for the Safe Agent mark/badge when dealing with a letting agent…

What is “Safe Agent”?

Coming at you straight from the Safe Agent website…

SAFE – Safe Agent Fully Endorsed – is a mark denoting firms that protect landlords and tenants money through client money protection schemes.

There are several schemes* in the sector operated by ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS to which agents voluntarily belong. The scope of these schemes varies and you should contact your agent for full details of the scheme of which they are a part.

Landlords and tenants often make decisions based on cost but it is important to ensure you ask your agent for details of the organisation they are regulated by and whether or not they are covered by a client money protection scheme. All agents regulated by ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS maintain and operate separate designated client accounts where your money is held completely separate from the operating funds of the firm. If the agent you are using cannot provide you with the assurance of knowing they are covered by a client money protection scheme the question you need to ask is why not?

So basically, ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS, are all Letting agent regulatory bodies. If an agent has voluntarily joined one of those bodies (they have NO reason not to), then they are covered by a Client Money Protection insurance schemes. Each scheme varies and you should always ask your agent for full details of the scheme of which they are part of. But the important thing is that landlords ensure that they only use letting agents that are part of a Client Money Protection insurance scheme, especially if they use letting agents that is going to handle/control any money.

Finding letting agents that are registered with Safe Agent

You can search for letting agents that have registered with Safe Agent on the Safe Agent website. But bear in mind, just because an agent hasn’t registered with Safe Agent, it doesn’t mean they’re not part of a client money protection scheme, so it’s always best to ask.

If you’re a letting agent that is part of a client money protection scheme but haven’t registered, you may want to register now.

Further reading on finding good letting agents

• Only Use Letting Agents That Are Members Of Regulatory Bodies
• Guide On Picking The Right Letting Agent

Have you registered?

I know a lot of letting agents read my blog, so I’m just wondering if you have registered? If so, when? And if not, here’s a *kick in the nuts/vagina*, and now proceed to explain why…

Related posts:

Is Your Letting Agent Holding Deposits Or Failing To Pass On Rent?
Only Use Letting Agents That Are Members Of Regulatory Bodies
Avoiding Rogue Letting Agents

Landlord Legal Obligations to Electrical Safety

There is currently no law that states a landlord must perform annual electrical safety checks (or any checks at all), so it’s not quite as cut and dried as Gas Safety regulations in rental properties, which stipulates the landlord is legally obligated to get an annual Gas Safety Certification. However, there are various regulations that do apply, but in nearly all cases their requirements only state that systems and equipment must be safely installed and safely maintained.

Failure to provide safely installed and maintained electrical appliances can lead to prosecution as it is a criminal offence. Possibly penalties for failing to comply are as follows:

• Your property insurance may be invalidated
• A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
• Six month’s imprisonment
• The Tenant may also sue you for civil damages
• Possible manslaughter charges in the even of deaths

These regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive. To avoid legal prosecution, it is advisable for landlords to have periodic checks done by a qualified electrician.

Electrical Saftey Regulations

As said, there is no statutory obligation for landlords to have professional checks carried out on the electrical system or appliances. However, under Common Law and various statutory regulations: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, The Housing Act 2004, The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, both of which come under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, there is an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe.

Moreover, under Part P of the Building Regulations, it is a requirement that certain types of electrical work in dwellings, garages, sheds, greenhouses and outbuilding also comply with the standards.

In all cases, a competent electrician must carry out the work. In order for the landlord to perform DIY electrical work, he must belong to one of the Government’s approved Competent Person Self-Certification schemes or submit a building notice to the local authority before doing the work himself.

Electrical Safety measures landlords should take:

The rule of thumb with any safety aspects in a rental property is, manage your property well and the risks are minimal, but manage it badly and risks are high.

Landlords are advised to make visual inspections and have periodic checks carried out by a qualified electrician.

Here are a few safety procedures that should be followed:

• Keep supplied appliances to a minimum.
• Ensure that all fuses are of the correct type and rating.
• Make sure appliances supplied are complete and in working order – keep purchase receipts.
• Ensure that flexes are in good order and properly attached to appliances and plugs.
• Ensure that earth tags are in place.
• Make a note of all fuse ratings on the inventory.
• Ensure that plugs are of an approved type with sleeved live and neutral pins.
• Ensure that plugs and sockets conform to BS1363 or BS1363/A for heavy duty uses.
• Pay particular attention to second hand equipment – always have these items checked.
• Ensure that operating instructions and safety warning notices are supplied with the appliances.
• Make sure that tenants know the location of and have access to the main consumer unit, fuses and isolator switch.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) in rental accommodation

Portable Appliance Testing (commonly known as PAT or PAT Inspection or PAT Testing) is a process in which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. The correct term for the whole process is In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment.

• If the property is an HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) you are required by law to provide yearly PAT (portable appliance testing) certificates for all appliances.
• Any second hand equipment MUST be PAT tested by law. That’s why charity shops no longer accept electrical goods – it would cost them too much to administer!
• Technically, any equipment returned from service or repair MUST be PAT tested and carry the requisite sticker

Extra notes

On a final note, it’s always strongly advised that every landlord should make absolute carertainty they are complying with the appropriate electrical safety regulations to ensure that all electrical equipment supplied is safe. Get periodic inspections of electrical equipment by a qualified electrician.

Related posts:

Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
Landlord Health And Safety Precautions
What Landlords Should Know About ‘White Goods’

Over the last few years I’ve written crazy amounts of blog posts about how landlords, even the most novice, can successfully find a tenant without using letting agents for the purpose of saving £1000′s on fees. I’ve dedicated an entire section on this blog to Marketing & Finding Tenants. But now, I want to comprehensively discuss “why” landlords should consider taking matters into their own hands.

Why should landlords should consider going it alone

A common misconception is that letting agents provide us with a skill set which can’t quickly and easily be duplicated by the average person/landlord. We assume that they have an advantage over us by having all the trade tools and resources. In reality, that’s just a smokescreen perception. All agents provide us with is a service which we don’t know enough about to confidently duplicate. But when you break it down, it’s not really that difficult or time-consuming to learn the essentials, which will enable us to find and manage tenants for ourselves.

As long as you stuck to the golden rules of buying a BTL, which simply consists of buying a suitable property in a suitable area, there is no reason why a letting agent should be vital in your Landlording crusade.

I think the main edge agents have over regular folks is “local knowledge”, but I genuinely believe that’s not as powerful or useful as once before, especially in the modern world, where the Internet has become such a dominant provider in daily life. Most agents rely on widely available internet services to find tenants. They use tools we can all tap into; we just need to be shown where and how. Consequently, “local knowledge” has become redundant in a sense, especially when the enquiries are flooding in via the means of online marketing.

I’ve seen high-street agents charge between 8%-15% of the rental return for their services, depending on the type of service. The most basic service agents’ offer is typically a “tenant-only” service, which is where an agent will find a tenant and leave the management role up to the landlord. On top of that, most “novice” landlords will buy the legally required extras from the agent (e.g. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) and Gas Safety Certificates) simply due to ease and ignorance. Using letting agents for those extra services is not the cheapest option because they subcontract other companies to provide them, and most agents add their own premium to make money from the referrals. So it’s easy to see how and where the costs add up.

Let me show you how the figures stack up with a real example:
Let’s assume an agent has found me a tenant willing to sign a 12 month agreement. The rent is £1000 per month. Based on the lower end 8% fee, an agent would charge £960 as a fixed annual fee for their service. On top of the regular service charge, most agents charge a renewal fee, which means I would need to pay an additional annual fee if I wish to keep the same tenant after the 12 months expires. As you can see, the cost can easily escalate, and it usually does.

Over the past 3 years I’ve not used an agent once, and my cost for finding tenants has been £0 – £100.

So, it’s your call, you can either spend £1000 on an agent, or learn how to do it yourself and spend £0 – £100. It’s a no-brainer for me. Remember, a buy-to-let investment is a business, so it’s about keeping costs down.

Of course, my example only took into consideration the “tenant finding” aspect. There’s more money to be saved when independently looking for companies to provide you with an EPC and Gas Safety Certificate, as opposed to going through an agent to acquire those legal documents.

Agents can get it wrong, and they often do!

One very important point to remember is that just because agents charge a fee to find tenants, it doesn’t mean the prospective they find will be any better than then one you can find yourself. I’ve had an agent charge me &pound750 only to find me a tenant that fell into 2 months worth of arrears almost immediately. I eventually had to evict her, which was an added cost.

If you think you’ll always get a better quality of tenant from an agent, you’ve been grossly mislead. Most agents do standard reference checking on their applications. Clearly, the referencing isn’t bullet-proof, regardless of how it’s done.

My point is, going It alone can be just as risky as using a letting agent in respects of the return in tenant quality.

Tenancy Agreements and Landlord legal responsibilities

A lot of landlords get scared away of going it alone because of the complications behind Tenancy Agreements and other landlord legal obligations. Again, this is a common misconception, because it really isn’t that complicated.

You don’t need a specialise solicitor/lawyer to draw up any contracts. There are hundreds of reputable Tenancy Agreement vendors online. All you need to do is download one and fill in the missing spaces. Most of it is self-explanatory. Same applies with Tenant Guarantor Forms.

I do stress though, it’s important you get the correct documents from reputable sources.

Regarding the other legalities, here’s a list of Landlord Obligations / Regulations.

Resources which may help landlords find tenants

As mentioned, I have written a whole heap of resources which covers this topic in depth. But I quickly want to mention a few of the most relevant/useless which I think you should definitely check out…

• Complete Guide For Landlords That Don’t Want To Use Letting Agents- this guide covers all the steps a landlord should typically take if they want to go it alone. I highly recommend this resource. Everything is listed in order, all you need to is stick to the path.
• A Guide to finding tenants – a long list of ways to find tenants quickly and cheaply, including how to Market your rental on Rightmove (by far the best way to find tenants, in my opinion. It’s also how most agents find the majority of their tenants).
• eBook – Death Of The Agent – Ultimate Guide On Finding Tenants Without An Agent – I wrote this eBook last year and it’s been updated several times with fresh content to keep up with the changes. It’s the most comprehensive guide I can offer you on how to find tenants and handle all the legal issues. Everything I discussed in this blog post is explained in more detail. I’m not just saying it for my own benefit, but it’s definitely worth purchasing (£3.99). Don’t blame me if it sucks, though.

Hold on though, letting agents maybe perfect for you!

I’d just like to clarify that letting agents aren’t perfect for everyone, but at the same time, they might just be perfect for someone.

Letting agents have their uses, which I won’t and can’t deny. For example, if you’re the type of landlord that doesn’t want to deal with the chore of finding or managing your own property, then letting agents are perfect (if you don’t mind paying the premium).

But I warn you, while you may feel like you’re taking a back seat position when employing the services of a letting agent; reality can often have an entirely different agenda for you.

Letting agents will take care of the day-to-day management, but remember, if your tenant turns rogue and defaults on rent, the responsibility and stress will always fall back onto the landlord’s lap. That is unavoidable.

I’m not trying to take anything away from letting agents here. They know their industry and they know how to find tenants. They’re trained at their jobs and know the shortcuts. However, I just want to make it clear that there are other options.

Related posts:

Techniques Tenants Can Use To Avoid Letting Agent Fees
Finding Tenants Using A Letting Agent
Finding Tenants Without A Letting Agent- Mission Accomplished (Part 5)