Everyone seems to know someone who has had a bad experience in the rental market. There are however many thousands of homes let out each year with no problems and providing care is taken at the outset there is no reason why your home should not be one of them.

There are 3 prime requirements when a landlord lets- Will I be able to obtain possession when I want to - Will the property be looked after - Will the rent be paid. As an established rental company and being landlords ourselves we know how important these points are to you.

Although the Landlord and Tenant Act has been described by many as a maze of mumbo jumbo in favour of the tenant there are a variety of rental agreements to suit all letting situations. It is, however, essential that the correct agreement is drawn up and signed by the tenants before they move into your home and with this done possession can be guaranteed. An important point to remember is that you should always let at the right market rental. Tenants paying low rent will often be reluctant to move to similar properties at higher rents.

The condition in which your home is returned to you should not cause concern providing it is regularly checked. Under our agreements you, or we have the right of access for this and when we fully manage properties we would inspect at the end of the first month of the let. At this stage one can tell exactly what type of let it will be by the tenants lifestyle. Tenants in good jobs do not necessarily like housework or gardening! If all is well we would then inspect every 3 months. However, if problems are found, depending on their nature, the tenant would be given 7 days to rectify matters. If this is not done we would send contractors (usually cleaners/gardeners) to do the work at the tenants expense. After each inspection a written report is sent to the landlord.

Lastly, rent payments. One again letting to the right type of tenant at the outset should ensure the rent is paid. If problems do occur, early contact with the tenant is essential to see why and if the situation can be resolved. The extra months rent taken as a deposit at the beginning of the tenancy still gives the landlord a further cover while the situation is assessed.

For the landlord who is still nervous about letting there is an insurance policy available which offers your legal costs and a percentage of any lost rent subject to certain conditions.

We hope you will find this informative and but if there are questions you may have, please contact us without obligation on 020 8545 0591