Blog: Best Practice for Landlords
Head of TDS Adjudication Services Sandy Bastin on what you need to maintain a successful tenancy.
According to the latest English Housing Survey, private renters have remained in the same property for an average of 4.3 years, this is an increase year on year since 2016 and a trend that is expected to continue.
With renters staying in properties for longer than ever, maintaining a successful tenancy is crucial. Keeping up to date with best practices will help safeguard a tenancy and provide protection for yourself, your property, and your tenant.
The new year is a brilliant time to review your records and ensure you are fully covered, checking over your legal requirements and refreshing your knowledge, whether you're an experienced landlord or new to the private rental industry, TDS has some guidance on best practices.
Is everything in the property in order before rental?
Preparing your property for renting is more than just ensuring it's freshly decorated to stand out from the competition. When the property is vacant, it's an excellent opportunity to inspect it to check for potential issues such as damaged roofs, leaking pipes, and broken appliances.
Legally, landlords must ensure before rental that:
- Smoke alarms are fitted and tested
- Carbon monoxide detectors (if required) are installed
- You have gas & electric safety certificates for appliances in the property
- You have a valid energy performance certificate
Once any repairs have been resolved, one of the most important tasks that a landlord should do before a new tenant moves in is to clean it. Focus on the dirtiest rooms, the kitchen and bathroom, to catch any potential mould problems.
Arranging a professional clean may be required. It's essential to record these pre-tenancy efforts in the inspection, schedule of condition and check-in inventory, to ensure you can expect the property to be returned in the state that you handed it over.
Are all documents completed, signed and provided on time?
Once a new tenancy agreement is signed, make sure that all the necessary details are in place for the tenant to live comfortably in the house, such as how to use the appliances, what days the bins are collected, and share the final meter readings.
Conducting a Check-in and inventory with the tenant involved is recommended; you'll be able to point out how to use equipment such as a house alarm, or explain how to use any fire safety equipment. TDS and The Inventory Hive have produced two industry training courses to help you through all things inventory at each stage of a tenancy, making the process as smooth as possible. Take a look at the course overview here
Then, there are the legal requirements. Have you provided:
- How to rent guide
- The signed AST agreement
- Energy Performance Certificate
- Emergency contact numbers and explanations of how to deal with an emergency in the property
On a practical note, leaving your tenants with instructions on how to use various household appliances and equipment will help when they're settling in, and save you a lot of time explaining how things work should they get stuck.
Have you secured the deposit yet?
You must register the deposit on a new tenancy within 30 days of receiving it from your tenant, through a tenancy deposit scheme. With TDS, are two methods available for you to do this:
- A custodial scheme, where the landlord or agent pays the deposit to the scheme, who will keep it until the end of tenancy.
- An insured scheme, where the landlord keeps the deposit but pays a premium to the scheme. This means that the deposit is insured for a fee, and the scheme will repay the tenant the agreed amount directly if the end of tenancy results in a dispute.
The Prescribed information must also be supplied. This includes your contact details, the deposit schemes detail, the deposit protection certificate and how to apply for the return of the deposit at the end of tenancy. Check out our Prescribed information Guide, for more information. TDS Academy Foundation course offers expert guidance for landlords on the timelines and requirements of tenancy deposit protection.
Keep in touch, but not too much
Once your tenant has moved in, be sure to arrange checks on the property to ensure you keep on top of any maintenance issues and repairs. However, keep in mind your tenant has the right to 'quiet enjoyment' of your rental property, so give your tenants at least 24 hours notice before visiting required under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. When the tenant moves in, make sure they know the best way to contact you, and when your tenant does get in touch, respond promptly.
Most tenancies run without issue, however, if any problems were to arise during the contract that jeopardised the continuation of the tenancy, TDS offers a free mediation and conciliation service that helps facilitate a resolution, and allows the tenancy to continue. Provided in association with the NRLA, find out more about how it works on the TDS Resolution website.
Advice for landlords
Interested in refreshing your knowledge? We have 25% across all TDS Academy and Inventory Hive training courses. The discount codes are valid until the end of February 2022. To take a look at our courses, please visit our course calendar.
Landlords can find further tools and templates in the TDS Information Lounge, all designed to help reduce deposit disputes and make life for landlords easier. Visit the TDS Information Lounge
Some of these resources are only available to landlords who use the free deposit protection scheme at TDS Custodial or the insured scheme at TDS Insured. You can access all templates, tools and the full tenancy deposit management dashboard by joining TDS.
It's quick and easy, and NRLA members receive extra discounts on TDS Insured too.
