Top 10 Tips On Becoming A Landlord

Learn to listen

Meet iAgent Homes and other landlords and hear what they have to say. Consider joining the National Landlords Association.

Do your homework

Read Successful Property Letting (RightWay £9.99), by David Lawrenson, creator of the LettingFocus.com website. Also Vicki Wusche’s book Property For The Next Generation (Amazon, £10.23).

Take aim

Decide (with advice from iAgent Homes) what size of property to go for, and what kind of tenants you will be targeting (students, families, young professionals, company lets).

Be prepared to travel

Look at properties outside your own area because properties may be cheaper to buy and offer a better rate of return on your investment.

Shop around

For a buy-to-let mortgage offering a reasonable rate of interest (3.3-3.5 per cent) plus equally reasonable arrangement fee (£1,400 is low, £2,000 is high).

Saving for what?

How much profit do you want to generate per month? £100? £200? What is that money for, immediate spending or long-term pension top-up?

What’s the worst?

Work out how you will manage if your tenants lose their job, or if they leave the bath running and flood the house.

Decorate accordingly

Not how you like, but how your tenants will like. Don’t alienate men by making everything pink, or put off women by opting for wall-to-wall grey.

Be reasonable

Remember to be flexible with your tennents. A good reputation goes along way to attracting new customers.

Resist greed

If you’ve got reliable tenants, go easy on the rent increases. Driving them away could cost you a lot more money in the long run.