Why it is so vital to check your rental property regularly

It really does pay - if you want to avoid having to sell your rental house - to check your property regularly. This is especially the case amid the current popularity of longer-term tenancies that, while giving tenants security, do increase the risk for landlords of a stressful and time-consuming dispute at a later stage of the tenancy.

You might therefore engage an inventory management company that can complete inventories at check-in and check-out stage, in addition to undertaking mid-tenancy checks. Such firms often uncover such problems as tenants failing to adequately air out their home in the winter and unreported flooding, as well as sub-letting without the landlord's knowledge. It's not unheard of for a property initially rented by one tenant to end up having many inhabitants who then cause extensive damage to the property.

Although landlords are advised to carry out checks a minimum of once every six months, once every three months is ideal. Unfortunately, many landlords do not check their property for a year or longer, which allows plenty of time for hundreds of thousands of pounds of unreported damage to occur. The winter months can bring an especially high risk of problems, making them a good time to carry out checks and discuss any issues with the tenant. Any necessary repairs can then be undertaken, and a plan agreed with the tenant to prevent any re-occurrence of the problem.

Disputes most often tend to arise at the end of a tenancy. However, if a landlord has already carried out frequent and well-documented checks, the results can prove not only their awareness of problems, but also the steps that they took to resolve them. This gives the landlord a significant advantage if a dispute does happen. If you aren't able to carry out checks on your property in person, a professional inventory management firm can pay regular visits on your behalf, letting the tenant know and providing you with periodic written reports.

With recent figures suggesting an increasingly buoyant rental market and ever-greater demand for rental properties, it has never been more important for landlords to adopt measures to protect their investments, guarding against the potential loss of rental income and ensuring their property's continuing attractiveness to tenants.

Such steps will also hopefully mean that you never need to sell your rental house due to damage, tenant arrears or other issues that you become aware of at too late a stage to resolve. However, if that does prove the case, you will likely appreciate our efficient and hassle-free property buying service here at Dream House Buyer.

Dream House Buyer is a family owned property company that considers all types of property, and we buy property with sitting tenants too. We will make an instant cash offer for any property in the UK, regardless of the size, location, condition or value.

We will buy any property that you might consider a problem - including property with sitting tenants, flats with short leases, problem tenants, unmortgageable and structurally damaged property. We also buy ground rents and portfolios. If you think we can help, then please invite us to make you an immediate cash offer for your property.

Contact us on 0800 1577 497 or email us info@dreamhousebuyer.co.uk