As anyone who has invested in property to rent will know, being a landlord can be a difficult task sometimes. Messy, unreliable or noisy tenants can cause serious amounts of stress and worry, and you can be left wondering why you bother.
However, it is almost always the case that if you vet your tenants first and do your best to be a good landlord, you will get good tenants. A landlord who takes little interest in his tenants and properties is likely to be rewarded with tenants who don’t care much about keeping the place nice, respecting the neighbours, or paying the rent on time.
No tenant wants their landlord popping round unannounced every five minutes, and it is in fact a contractual obligation in most rented properties that the landlord or lady should give at least 24 hours’ notice before calling round. So respect this and respect your tenants’ privacy.
Don’t go too far the other way however, and take so little interest that your tenants feel they can’t contact you should they need to. Answer calls from tenants and call them back if you miss them. Fulfil your obligations and fix problems when you say you are going to fix them. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to call and pester your landlord incessantly before anything gets done.
Keep your tenants in the loop and if you can’t fulfil a promise, let them know.
Make sure the house is fit to live in. Ask yourself if you would be happy paying rent to live there and if things need replacing, replace them. If the bed is full of woodworm and you can’t afford to buy a brand new one, you can get beds on finance from stockists including Bensons. It’s an investment worth making if you want to maintain a reputation as a good landlord.