Lettings

Protect your investment and your health by following these stress-busting property management tips. Being a landlord is a great way to earn income and build equity – but it’s a job that can be challenging sometimes. While most tenancies run without a hitch, issues such as emergency repairs or tenant disputes can occasionally crop up. And when problems occur, resolving them can be stressful and...

For many parents, proximity to an outstanding school tops their property wish list. Here’s what you need to know before relocating for a school place. The desire to live in the catchment area of a good school is nothing new. Ten years ago, one in four families moved or changed their address to get a child into the school of their choice.* However, the issue came under renewed attention last year...

Redecorating your rental helps protect your investment and keeps your tenants on side. Here, we’ll look at how often you should refresh your buy-to-let.   The law on rental redecoration   There are no specific rules on how often you must redecorate a rental property.   The law says that a rental property must be fit to live in, safe and free from hazards. So it is something that...

Ensure everything stays rosy with your tenants by following these simple garden maintenance strategies. A garden can be a real drawcard at a rental property, helping to attract and keep good quality tenants. But garden maintenance can be a thorny subject and consistently ranks among the top five causes of end-of-tenancy deposit disputes*. So what triggers garden disagreements, and how can...

How can you encourage tenants to settle long-term in your rental? A report compiled by consumer psychologists claims to have the answers. A report on the psychology of buying and renting includes some helpful advice for landlords. The Bricks to Belonging report* was compiled by the psychological and behavioural science firm IB. It examines what drives renters to become first-time...

New Home Office figures show there were 5,000 reported cases of rental fraud last year, alongside losses of £9 million. Here’s how tenants and landlords can protect themselves. With new figures revealing the scale of rental fraud in the UK, the Home Office has provided an insight into how scammers work and who they target. Types of rental fraud A common fraud, says the Home Office, is where...

Buy-to-let investors can tighten their belts and improve their bottom line in many ways. Landlords searching for inspiration need look no further than Apple founder Steve Jobs, who famously said, “Details matter.” That’s because the key to success as a landlord is keeping a firm eye on all the details. That means making the big decisions—such as setting rent—right, but also paying...

A rise in the number of landlords taking out buy-to-let mortgages shows that the market fundamentals in the lettings sector remain strong. As Chief Commercial Officer of buy-to-let lender Fleet Mortgages, Steve Cox is a numbers man. And after crunching the data released so far this year, he’s given his verdict on the outlook for the buy-to-let (BTL) sector, and it’s pretty positive. In an...

Most tenancies run smoothly. But when a tenancy goes wrong, it can go very wrong. Conducting a regular property check is one way to head off problems. Why should you inspect your rental? An inspection of your rental is an opportunity to check its condition. You can see how your tenant is looking after your property and identify any maintenance that might be needed. You can also ensure no one is...

New rules on dealing with mould and damp in private rental properties are on the horizon. Here's what landlords need to know. The UK is a (generally) cold and wet country with the oldest housing stock in Europe. So, it's no surprise that problems such as damp and mould can arise in residential properties. This was brought into sharp focus earlier this month when the English Housing Survey...