How to be the perfect tenant

It’s a sad fact that tenant evictions have steadily risen over the last few years.  This is something that not only the tenant does not want, both the agent and the Landlord would prefer to avoid it too so here are a few tips in how to avoid it.

Be aware of your own and your Landlords’ rights under a tenancy agreement – before you sign a tenancy agreement check what type it is, how long it is for, is there a break clause etc.  If you have any questions, ask the agent or Landlord, be clear on what you are signing before you sign it.  This is a legal document and must be stuck to or you will be in breach which could jeopardise your tenancy.

Look after the property – Landlords can evict tenants if damage has been caused.  Accidents happen and everyone accepts this but try to put things right if an accident occurs.  We would always recommend that tenants take out insurance.  That way any damage caused could be covered and put right by the insurance thereby keeping you in the Landlords good books!

Avoid falling into arrears – This is the most common cause of evictions.  Before you commit to taking a property do your sums taking into allowance things like holidays.  If you do find you are struggling, talk to your Landlord or Agent.  Most good agents and Landlords will try and help if you talk to them.  If you ignore them you will leave them little option but eviction.

Don’t upset the neighbours! – The second most common cause of eviction is anti social behaviour.  If you think your neighbour may complain either justifiably or not, again, let your Landlord or Agent know.  Better still, try to avoid confrontation of any sort!

These points are all common sense but as with all relationships communication is key!  Talk to your agent or Landlord about any issues and they will be far more forthcoming than if you bury your head in the sand.

Deposit disputes- an overview

The Deposit Protection Service recently reported that a large number of both Landlords and Tenants fail to submit evidence on time when adjudication has been agreed to during a deposit dispute.  18% of Landlords and 23% of Tenants miss the deadlines clearly set out at the start of the process, or even worse, fail to submit any evidence at all.  If deadlines are missed the DPS will automatically find in the Tenants favour.  This may seem a little unfair but it needs to be remembered that the deposit is the Tenants money and the Landlord needs to prove why they have a claim on it which, in turn, the Tenant need to argue why they don’t!

The DPS clearly set out the process at the very start of the adjudication but these dates are set in stone.  Dealing with adjudication can be time consuming if done properly but it is worth doing thoroughly as you really only get one shot at this. 

Evidence is key – both photographic and written.  It is worth spending time putting together all the evidence that the DPS request and any additional, relevant information.  Try to make the adjudicators job easier for them by highlighting appropriate paragraphs, numbering photographs referred to in documentation and number and list all evidence provided.  Adjudicators look through several of these every day so you want to make sure they don’t miss anything pertinent to the case. 

If evidence is received it will be sent to the other side for their comments, once the adjudicator has glanced over it.  This is the last point at which you can comment or provide any further evidence.  It will then go through the full adjudication.

Remember – the adjudicators’ decision is final!  So spend time on getting the evidence right as there is no comeback!

If you want any advice on adjudication please feel free to ask.  This is something that we will cover in further blog articles.

The importance of thorough referencing

We cannot stress enough the importance of through referencing. A tenant in St Just, Cornwall has recently been jailed for 2 years for fraud as, on 3 separate occasions, she took up tenancies having supplied false references and payslips.  Once moved in, she failed to pay the rent and then refused to leave.

This highlights the importance of thorough referencing.  A good reference includes a credit type check and an employment reference direct with the employer checking that the contract is for longer than the initial tenancy and that the salary paid is as reported.  The final element is the landlord reference, which again must come direct from the current landlord or agent if the property is fully managed.

If you need any advice regarding referencing, please feel free to pop into our office for a chat.

House of multiple occupation: Good money - if you do it right....

Owning and letting an HMO (House of multiple occupation) can lead to good yields on an investment for a Landlord.  However, if you get it wrong the fines can by huge.

Two Landlords (not in the Andover area) were recently both fined £30,000 for breaches of the rules covering HMO’s in their area.  In one instant a Landlord was found guilty of 46 offences relating to 4 different properties by the Magistrates Court in Cambridge for allowing tenants to live in dangerous conditions, namely fire safety issues, dangerous electrics and poor security.  He was also charged £1250 in costs.

In a separate case another Landlord was again fined £30,000 for leaving a property with 5 tenants in it with no heating or hot water for 4 weeks during the winter, as well as a leaking toilet.  The fine was high as he was charged £15,000 for failing to licence the house as an HMO, £5,000 for failing to fix the boiler, £5,000 for failing to fix a soil pipe and a further £3,000 for failing to respond to an investigator.  On top of this he was also charged £2,160 in costs.

So the rewards for owning an HMO can be high but beware.  Always ensure you fully comply with the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 and talk to your local authority as there are regional variations to deal with as well.  If in doubt – ask your local authority or a good agent!

Buy to Let opportunity with ready made tenant

This newly listed property is a great buy to let prospect as the current owners would like to rent it from the new owner if possible!

The price of this property is £164,950 and you could expect to achieve around £800pcm giving a yield of around 5.8%.  Add to this the added benefit that the new owner will collect rent from day one!

Click here for more information