Practical Advice for New Landlords

Preparing your property for tenants

Before you think about renting your property out, you’ll want to ensure that it is perfectly cleaned and presented for prospective tenants. You should ensure the following:

Easy to clean walls and woodwork - if you intend for your tenants to keep paintwork, skirting boards and other areas clean and well looked after, choosing the correct type of paint could help. Condensation resistant paints for the kitchen will limit the amount of stains. A good ventilation unit and cooker hood will also aid your tenants when they come to clean. Be sure to consult with your tenants (or with the estate agents handling the listing for you) and put any terms and conditions regarding painting and decorating in the tenancy agreement. This will ensure that there is no confusion over what is and isn’t allowed.

Hard wearing flooring - flooring is one of the most expensive items in your rental property. To avoid having to replace and repair these regularly, you should choose a hard wearing and easy-to-clean flooring type. Avoid light-coloured carpets and opt for dark flooring. This could include hardwood floors, vinyl flooring or dark carpets. Consult with your local flooring company as they will be able to advise you on which flooring types will last the longest.

Practical and easily repairable fixtures and fittings - when choosing the fixtures and fittings for your property, you should ensure that these are easy to repair and that they can be fully replaced if required. Choose wooden kitchen units that can be fixed or painted and worktops that won’t absorb or retain stains and marks from daily use.

 Finding the best tenants for your property

It is important to fully vet your applicants before approving them. One of the easiest ways to handle this is to hire a lettings agency to take care of everything for you. This means that you will have no direct contact with tenants (unless you would like to do so) and that you can specify how often house inspections are made.

Property inspections and maintenance

It is important for regular property inspections to be conducted, to address any issues that the landlord or tenant may have. This is also an opportunity to pick up on any maintenance issues that the landlord should attend to. Regular small maintenance tasks can often prevent bigger problems from developing. A good level of communication from both parties will ensure that the living arrangements continue to be mutually beneficial.