Being an effective residential landlord, Part 1: Before tenancy

In our miniseries of landlord and tenant items we look at three key areas of how to be an effective landlord.

In this first part, we look at what you should do prior to the tenancy.

We receive a number of landlord claims that are being declined due to the lack of appropriate documentation being in place prior to the start of the tenancy. These include:

• Appropriate tenant credit references;
• Employment reference;
• Previous landlord reference;
• A written and signed Tenancy Agreement;
• Gas Safety Certificate;
• Energy Performance Certificate;
• ‘How to Rent’ Guide;
• Check-in inventory;
• Deposit Protection Certificate – within the first 30 days of the tenancy.

If you are paying a letting agent to manage your property for you make sure you discuss this with them and get copies for your own records.

Also make sure you have the appropriate Legal Expenses Insurance in place for your needs, as this may be invaluable if an issue arises during the tenancy, and don’t put yourself at risk of invalidating your insurance – speak with your main insurer to understand your obligations and conditions under your proposed or existing policy.