5 Tips for landlords to keep their property tenanted (Tips 3-5)

3. Make the property desirable
Ensuring the property is in good order could help make it more desirable, meaning it will be easier to let and may even mean tenants want to stay longer. While tenants have a duty to look after internal fixtures, landlords are generally responsible for the repairs, unless the damage is caused by the tenant, as well as the structure of the building, the exterior and the roof. In addition to this, a landlord must ensure heating and hot water installations, sinks, baths and other sanitary fixtures are maintained to a reasonable standard. But further decorating and furnishing the property appropriately, and to a good standard, may help it stand out to potential tenants.

4. See a ‘void’ as an opportunity
While it is important for landlords to keep up to date with necessary repairs, a void period could provide a good time for non-essential, intrusive maintenance and improvement works to be carried out, with minimum disruption to tenants. This could, in turn, make the property more attractive.

5. Hire a letting agent
A good letting agent can help guide you through the day-to-day complexities of being a landlord and also share the work in finding prospective tenants, meaning you will have less work to do when a tenancy comes to an end. You can get advice from a lettings agent affiliated to a professional organisation like ARLA or The Property Ombudsman Scheme (TPOS) whose members must adhere to a strict code of conduct, as well as offering client money protection and redress schemes, which protect all parties if things go wrong.

Have you got any tips?