European 24/7 News: sell your rental house

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

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

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Who is responsible for maintaining and repairing a rental property?

You might have imagined that a landlord is chiefly responsible for the maintenance and repair of their own property. But it's important to make yourself aware of your exact responsibilities, as you don't want to have to sell your rental house due to lack of time and money to carry out essential work.

Although landlords are responsible for maintaining certain standards within their property, who has exact responsibility for what repairs should be outlined in the tenancy agreement - electrical and gas appliances and furniture safety being the exceptions. If it isn't clear from the tenancy agreement or statement of tenancy terms who has responsibility for repairs and the tenancy started on or after 1st April 2007, 'default' terms are imposed by the law.

A landlord's repairing responsibilities, according to those default terms, include the property's structure and exterior, covering such elements as the drains, gutters, external pipes and exterior paintwork. The property's interior is another landlord responsibility - save for matters covered under tenant responsibilities - along with any installations for the supply and use of water, gas, electricity and sanitation.

Also covered in these default terms are any appliances that the landlord has provided under the tenancy for making use of the water, gas or electricity supply, as well as any installations for space heating and water heating, and any fixtures, fittings and furniture that the landlord has provided under the terms of the tenancy. Any common areas or areas required for access will also need to be kept in good condition by the landlord according to these terms, any areas required for access also needing to be adequately lit and safe to use.

Remember that if you need to access the building for repairs, the obligation is on your tenant to permit you to enter. You are not entitled to enter the property with force or without first securing the tenant's permission. However, you must also be allowed by your tenant to enter the property to carry out repairs.

A tenant's responsibilities for repairs should also be laid out in the tenancy agreement. Again, certain 'default' terms apply if responsibility isn't made clear, including taking good general care of the property and making good any damage caused to the property as a result of the tenant's behaviour or negligence.

By ensuring that both parties are fully aware from the start of their repair and maintenance responsibilities, you can minimise the likelihood of having to sell your rental house due to a damaging dispute with your tenant.