Be accessible – Make sure your tenants can reach you by phone or email if that’s more convenient, should they need to. Responding to requests promptly will help tenants feel heard and supported.
Give advance notice – As the property owner, you may feel that you need to be able to visit regularly to make sure everything is in order. Please note, however, that while this is your home, it is the home of your tenants, and it is not wise to enter the property without their permission for any reason. The law states that you must give the tenant reasonable notice (considered at least 24 hours) in case he needs to see the property.
Be fair: It’s natural for items to break with wear and tear. If this happens, consider whether the item was old and needed to be replaced anyway. If so, it may be your responsibility to replace the item, not the tenant. Similarly, it is important to convey to the tenant what breakages they will be responsible for in the lease, with costs if possible.
Property Maintenance – Make sure you do your duty to tenants by fixing problems as soon as they occur. Communication is important here. If your tenants feel they can’t come to you with a problem or a break, they may try to fix the problem themselves and make it worse, or leave a problem too long, which could make the problem worse.
The importance of adequate insurance: It is not necessary to have specific homeowner’s insurance, but it is definitely worth considering as there are a host of benefits. Some companies offer Legal Expense Coverage that gives you financial peace of mind in the event a dispute with tenants leads to legal action, as well as coverage for any malicious damage or vandalism by tenants. It’s also worth looking into providers who offer optional rental guarantee coverage to protect you in the event your tenant defaults on rent. This could also give you the peace of mind to take on a tenant that may seem less financially ideal at first glance.
EPC: Each property must be rented with an Energy Efficiency Certificate. EPCs also include a property size estimate, which can be helpful when comparing properties. As a homeowner, you ideally want a property with a high rating or one that is easy to increase energy efficiency. If you have a good EPC rating (within A to C), this should appeal to potential renters as it means lower heating bills. New construction must have an A rating and the worst properties will be those without dormer insulation, double glazing or cavity walls.
You can organize your EPC by choosing an energy consultant from epcregister.com or your leasing agent should be able to do it for you. Property management companies such as insured properties have included this in their landlord services. When buying, check that you can use the provider’s EPC.