*Tips On Finding The Right Landlord

Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Image from Cherished Bliss
Renting is the perfect low-maintenance living choice for so many people - especially in this day and age where getting on the housing ladder can be super expensive and let’s face it, kinda out of reach. As well as finding the right property to move into and make your own, it’s just as important to find the right landlord that you can see yourself having a happy and harmonious relationship with. Your landlord could be the difference between a hassle-free tenancy, or a stressful time that can drive you out of your home for good!

What kind of landlord would suit me?
There’s a few different types of landlord out there. Some landlords are large corporations with a lot of properties, such as in an apartment complex. Some might have a handful of properties and others could just have one, and you may be their only tenant. There’s pro’s and con’s to all of these eventualities, so you need to decide which would suit you best. With a corporation, it can be difficult to pin down just one point of contact which can make communicating issues quite tricky. On the other hand, they’re often very experienced and the properties are usually of a high quality.

You’ll probably have a more personable relationship with a smaller landlord. Again, there’s both pro’s and con’s to this. A respectful landlord should know when to step back and leave you to your own devices - no one wants a landlord to be looking over your shoulder all the time. When you’re their only tenant - although most landlords will know their boundaries - you might feel a little like you’re under a microscope.

Research your landlord
When you’ve found a potential landlord, it’s so important to research them. A good, reputable landlord will be accredited by one of the major landlord associations in the UK such as the National Landlord Association or the Residential Landlord Association. If a landlord is a member of one of these, they had to undergo an education course in order to earn their membership. They also have to abide by a certain code of conduct in order to retain their membership, so you can feel comfortable that you’re going with someone who knows what they’re doing!

Obviously, that doesn’t always mean that they will be the perfect landlord. You’ve probably heard all sorts of horror stories about rogue landlords and it’s probably one of the main reasons that people are put off by renting. If you can get in touch with anyone who currently rents from the landlord or has rented from them in the past, then that’s an extra bit of peace of mind.

Red flags
Above all, a landlord should be professional, kind and approachable. When you speak, they should listen. When you ask a question, they should answer it properly and not withhold any information and skirt around topics. Doing this should raise a few red flags. If a landlord is honest with you about things like temperature fluctuations in the property, phone reception issues or noisy neighbours, then you can safely assume they can be trusted. If all they seem to care about is getting you to sign on the dotted line, then it might be best to move on and keep looking.

When you meet a landlord, be prepared with questions so that you can get to know them a little better. Ask them how they became a landlord, what they like about it, what’s important to them in a tenant… Ideally, they will be comfortable chatting and letting you get to know them. It’s so important to find a landlord that you like and will be comfortable going to with any issues.

Be in-the-know 
A landlord should follow all the correct processes and protocol. If you’re unaware of these, it’s difficult to monitor whether your landlord is being professional and doing their duties. Clue yourself up a little on the basics to ensure that you’re being given all the right paperwork, your tenancy agreement looks legit and that your deposit has been, or will be, protected with a tenancy deposit scheme.

Your landlord should also have all the correct insurance in place, to protect themselves against financial issues such as major repairs and legal fees that could also impact on their tenants. It’s worth taking a look at a company such as CIA Landlord Insurance to become familiar with the kind of cover landlord’s should have. It’s easy to have the wool pulled under your eyes when you put your trust into someone else. Remember, you’re entering into a legally binding agreement with your landlord, so make sure they’re the right one for you.

Do you have any tips or advice?

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18 comments

  1. I'm one of those people who is very unsure about renting from a landlord. I currently rent through my local council and they're 50/50 with certain things but they are okay. I have thought about looking for a landlord who does an apartment so I can have a place in a safer area!

    These tips are really helpful so thanks! xx

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  2. These are some wonderful tips


    Candice || natalyaammour.com

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  3. Some really good points made. I have had some dodgy landlords in the past, when I was at Uni being the first time and he tried invoicing me and my housemates for sending a plumber in to fix a broken bath before we had even moved in! It turned out the previous tenants had decided to just wreck the house and he hadn’t bothered to check any damage before we moved in!

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  4. Great tips. I'm not in a position to rent at the moment x

    Jenny
    http://www.jennyinneverland.com

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  5. Great tips. It can be hard to find a landlord you trust. Luckily ours is great but I'm excited to own our own home and not have to worry anymore about various things xx

    Tiffany x www.foodandotherloves.co.uk

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  6. There's some great tips here - I've been fortunate that I lived at home and bought my first home with my parents.
    Em x

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  7. These are such amazing tips my darling!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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  8. I have it SO good! My landlord is my mum, needless to say she is pretty good! lol

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  9. Some wonderful tips here, my parents now rent after coming back from Australia, and i have to say their landlord is a real pain, which is why they are now looking elsewhere

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  10. Thankfully, I was so lucky with my landlords when I was at uni. x

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  11. Great tips! We always rent through an estate agent but we've still ended up with some corkers! I suppose you can never really know anyone! xx

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  12. Oh gawd, we've had a bit of a situation where we are now although it's not the landlords fault. So important to have a good relationship I think x

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  13. My landlord is quite good to be fair and I've lived here for 6 years x

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  14. There are definitely pros and cons to going with smaller or larger landlords. I guess you never know until you've tried both x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  15. Great points. I became a landlord last year myself.

    https://littlemissmelanie.com/

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  16. Great tips and really important. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. I've had some really bad experiences in the past so these are good tips!

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