News from our blog
Decorating your rental property..
Whether the property is a totally unfurnished blank canvas, or is part-furnished and gives you something to work with, one thing’s for sure when it comes to renting: although not technically your house, you can quite easily make it feel like your home. And doing so doesn’t have to cause any damage or result in leaving items you’ve bought behind when you move on, either.
Check out our creative cosmetic tips for how to put your own stamp on a rental properly, while still being able to leave without a trace after your tenancy is up. Click image to read our simple guide.
Questions to ask when viewing a property..
It’s important to be prepared for rental viewings, so come with a list of questions to ask the letting agent or landlord. Write down their responses or save them to your phone, to help ease the renting process. Click image to read some important questions to ask at a rental viewing..
Register your home appliances..
Whether you are a landlord who supplies appliances to a tenant in a rental property or a homeowner who has bought their own appliances, there is one thing we are all guilty of when it comes to registering those appliance. We don’t!
Almost every home appliance we buy has a sticker on it encouraging us to register the appliance, often offering a free extended warranty in exchange for our popping online and completing a form. The majority of us look at this activity with cynicism. Surely the item is guaranteed under consumer law and all the manufacturer wants is our contact details? We will then get bombarded with letters in the post, text messages and emails. So, we think, there is no point in registering the item. We’re sure it is covered anyway and it avoids the plethora of messages that we really don’t want. That’s not the whole story, though and there are some really important reasons why we should all be registering the home appliances that we buy. In this article we will take a look at why you should reconsider registering your home appliances. PS you can also opt out of receiving those sometimes-irksome marketing messages – click image to read more..
Top Tips for Gardening for Renters
Whatever your flat and landlord situation is… There are lots of options for gardening for renters, and for growing your own to suit. Be Patient If you have moved into a flat/house with a garden and an easy-going landlord who doesn’t mind what you do to your garden,...
All you need to know about Deposits
Deposit Schemes
Tenancy deposit scheme have been around for more than a decade – but they can still be tricky to understand for tenants.
In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how the schemes work, the rules around them, your obligations as a tenant and what your landlord must do to stay compliant.
What is my tenancy deposit for?
Tenancy deposits are sums of money payable by tenants and used as security by landlords against costs or damage at the end of a tenancy.
Does my landlord have to take a deposit from me?
Landlords aren’t legally required to take a tenancy deposit, but it’s highly recommended and the vast majority do.
If your landlord is letting their property through an agent, they will always be required to take a deposit.
What is deposit protection?
If you sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), your tenancy deposit must be protected in a deposit protection scheme, which is government-backed.
Deposit protection was introduced for all ASTs starting after April 5, 2007.
If you’re renting a property from a private landlord, your tenancy is an AST and it began after April 5, 2007, your deposit must be protected.
If your tenancy began before April 6, 2007 and you haven’t signed a new agreement since, your deposit is probably not protected and is not required to be by law.. click image to read more..
What are tenants prepared to pay more for?
It’s important for landlords to know the value of what their property already has to offer, and which features could be added to attract more renters. Due to less choice on the market for renters, many are willing to pay more just to secure particular features.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), private rental prices paid by tenants in the UK increased by 2.0% in the 12 months to January 2022, representing the largest annual growth rate since February 2017
– The growth in rental prices has a number of contributing factors. With demand reaching historically high rates, tenants are willing to pay more in order to secure a property with their desired features, rather than losing out to other applicants. click image to read more
The UK needs more landlords
Various research has shown that despite just under half of landlords taking part in research activity acknowledged that market conditions have become more challenging in the last twelve months, more than 50 percent said they still feel optimistic about the future of the rental market. Click image to read more..
Landlord guide
An empty property is of no benefit to a Landlord, and appearances really do count. The moment a tenant steps into the property, they will have an idea of whether they can see themselves living there. A touch of paint to the front door and a fresh neutral colour scheme throughout offer a versatile backdrop for any prospective tenant to consider how their belongings might look in situ. Neutral flooring and carpet is an appealing feature to a prospective tenant – it is worth selecting a carpet that is easily cleaned and cost-effectively replaced, as accidents do sometimes happen. If lightbulbs have lost their glow, replace them. All these things demonstrate that this Landlord cares, and are likely to appeal to a tenant who wants to make your property a cosy home. Click Imamate to Read more tips in our guide
Will the proposed ban on Second homes effect landlords.
In the past two years since the pandemic, city-dwellers have taken to country and seaside settings in droves. They have flocked to Devon,Cornwall, North Wales, the Lake District and many parts of Scotland. Local residents are pushing back, and want homes to be bought by locals – not by investors and second-home owners.
The Government’s new levelling up bill offers local councils the freedom to double council tax on second homes in England as a deterrent.
So, will these proposed changes affect landlords? Click image to find out
End of tenancy deep clean
If you’re preparing to leave your rental property and move on to pastures new, one key thing on your departure list will be an end of tenancy spring clean.
More than 50% of all tenancy deposit disputes between landlords and tenants are due to cleanliness
But exactly how clean do you need to leave your rental property and where do you start?
Click image to read guide to how to deep clean your rental property.