6 Tips for Becoming a Great Landlord
As someone who owns a property, the landlord is responsible for renting and maintaining the space.
In many cases, landlords are seen as the bad guys who are unfair and inattentive to their tenants’ needs. However, it is possible for you to push back against this stereotype by working hard to make your tenants happy to live under your care.
If you are a landlord looking for the extra push towards being a great landlord, follow these six tips. You will be on the road to the landlord hall of fame.
1. Thoroughly Screen Your Tenants
There are memberships that you can sign up for that will screen your tenants for you.
The most important rule in property management is to properly and thoroughly screen your tenants before allowing them to sign a lease. You need to know exactly the type of person that you will have on your property.
This rule is important for the safety of any other tenants that you may have, but it is mostly important for you. As the landlord, you need to know that your tenants are reliable and have a clean record, both legally and financially for when it comes to paying rent.
You should consider getting cheap landlord insurance UK to keep you safe in case of unforeseen expenses, no damages and that the property is being well taken care of.
2. Set Up Your Lease and Do Not Stray
Write up a lease agreement, because nothing is set in stone until it is written down. Once your tenant agrees to the terms and you are happy with it, stick to that agreement.
Do not let your tenants take advantage of you by wearing you down until you agree to loosen up on your end of the deal. Stand by your agreement and the whole arrangement will be significantly easier.
3. Be Fair and Make Repairs
While you should stand your ground on the rules of the lease, you should also be willing to admit if there are some problems on your property.
If your tenant is continuously complaining about a broken water heater, you should make that repair as soon as possible in order to keep them happy. If you get a reputation as a bad landlord, word will spread, and you will have a lot of trouble finding people to rent your space to.
4. Know When to Use a Notice
Every locale has its own requirements for how and in what amount of time that you have to give your notice, but most places require notices before visiting the property and before terminating the lease.
Look up the laws in your local city or ordinance for notices, because as a landlord, you will likely need to have a firm grasp on the regulations for your specific city and county.
5. Inspect the Property Often
Once you have an idea of how to use those notices of your visits, put them to use by making quarterly visits to your property.
This will ensure that the tenant knows that you could be coming around, so they will adhere to all of your rules. It also allows you to make sure that there are no damages and that the property is being well taken care of.
6. Make Paying Rent Easy
Online rent payments allow ease of access to everyone involved. A lot of landlords will require online payments in their lease, and this allows the tenant to quickly and easily pay their rent online without having to bring it or mail it to you.
This will make your tenants’ lives easier, which means fewer late rent payments for you.
Stepping into the world of property management can seem difficult and confusing. It is hard to know how to start your journey as a landlord, but if you follow these six tips, you will be on your way to becoming a landlord that every tenant enjoys renting from.
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