Lettings

So what does the Levelling Up white paper mean for landlords? As well as covering aspects pertaining to health, education, transport, crime and skills, the white paper tackles housing and living standards head on.

While it can be concerning to see black patches develop or water running down the walls, many issues are easily fixed. Knowing who is responsible for prevention and treatment in rented properties is the essential place to start, as our guide explains.

Average tenancy lengths are rising. The average stay in a rented property is now 4.3 years. This is up from 4.1 years detailed in the 2017/18 EHS, and up from 3.9 years in the 2016/17 version of the report.

Letting a property comes with a number of responsibilities and obligations and if you do not keep on top of these – there have been over 300 pieces of new legislation governing all aspects of the rental market over the last five or so years, many subtle changes that a lot of landlords are not even aware of – could cost them a significant amount of money or they could end up finding themselves in court.

Tenant wellbeing should be at the top of every landlord’s compliance list and there’s a new gas safety regulation to understand and implement this winter. The change has prompted a number of questions from landlords, which our lettings team have answered.

Following parliamentary approval all landlords in both the social and private rented sectors will be required to repair or replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms once they have been informed that they are faulty. The testing throughout the tenancy will continue to remain the tenant’s responsibility. 

Many landlords will not think of the queue as being populated by over 55s keen to live the rental lifestyle but analysis conducted over the past two years reveals there is a growing number of affluent, able and active mature tenants.

Unless you’ve been living under a stone for the last month, you’ll know green issues are the number one topic of conversation. While world leaders have debated coal mining and deforestation, there are a number of take-aways from recent weeks for landlords and tenants.

Whether it’s a stop gap, a stepping stone or a lifestyle choice, one thing is constant – the need for quality rental accommodation. With many aspects in the ascendency – and a very different landscape in terms of lifestyles and working arrangements – now is a good time to re-evaluate attitudes to renting.

Even for the humble one-property landlord or investment novice, there are gains to be made in the student let market. A shortage in traditional ‘hall’ accommodation, coupled with the desire to live with like-minded undergraduates in a freer environment, has buoyed the private student rental market.

If you’re renting your property, why stop there? We take a look at what other items you can rent as a tenant. Whether it’s haute couture clothes, the latest tech or the must-have interior design trends, renting instead of buying has an added ethical bonus too

While signing tenants up for more than 12 months sounds like a good way to guarantee rental income, what happens if the landlord needs to sell their property?