Landlords.. help me pick a tenant?
Discussion
First time landlord here, and i've found myself in what ultimately is a great position to be in, but i'm hoping for some advice from any more experiences landlords on here!
Long story but we've been inundated with enquiries since advertising our 2bed house on Monday. Having done 9 viewings already, and with another 4 to do tomorrow, we already have 7 applicants confirm that they wish to proceed, so we're in a good position in being able to choose our tenants. We priced the house quite high for the estate, so are not looking for any more rent, and would rather to pick the tenants in terms of suitability.
Things which are important to us:
- House has a very very large garden and plot which requires reasonable maintenance.
- Longer term tenants obviously preferred as we're not planning to move back to this house.
- Um.. nice people preferred as the house is at the end of a shared drive, and it's important to get on with the neighbours.
- We'll be managing the let ourselves, but not sure whether this really affects the type of tenant we should be looking for?
We've narrowed it down to 2 so far, but would appreciate some thoughts on anything we're missing in terms of things to consider. For both of these applicants, the moving timescales are similar, and they were both very pleasant to talk to and seem "normal":
Applicant 1
Single male, early 50s, self employed builder, states he's looking for a longer let (3-4yrs) as he's recently separated from his wife. Seemed very keen on the garden, plus states he's fine doing any minor repairs on the house if they crop up as he's an experienced builder. Been local to area for many years.
Concerns:
- He already has a girlfriend, so the need for a longer let might disappear if he can suddently move in with her?
- Should I be concerned with the self employed status? I guess a builder's income can fluctuate from month to month so this might be a risk?
Applicant 2
Younger couple, expecting a child in January, both local in full time work. Liked the garden, and the female's father is a gardener by trade. We have a day nursery next door so could encourage a longer let? Full time work means the credit checks etc might be better?
Concerns:
- Younger couple so might be more demanding in terms of little jobs that need doing on the house compared to the builder? Not sure on this point really as obviously i'm ultimately responsible for any major bits.
- I don't have kids... so not sure if a young baby means any more liklihood of the house being neglected at all?
- Potentially less time to keep on top of the garden?
I guess maybe the question is whether there's anything I can do/offer to help choose? Maybe see if either of them wants a 12month let with no break clause? What about looking for any guarantor for the rent?
Any guidance from experience landlords would be much appreciated!
Long story but we've been inundated with enquiries since advertising our 2bed house on Monday. Having done 9 viewings already, and with another 4 to do tomorrow, we already have 7 applicants confirm that they wish to proceed, so we're in a good position in being able to choose our tenants. We priced the house quite high for the estate, so are not looking for any more rent, and would rather to pick the tenants in terms of suitability.
Things which are important to us:
- House has a very very large garden and plot which requires reasonable maintenance.
- Longer term tenants obviously preferred as we're not planning to move back to this house.
- Um.. nice people preferred as the house is at the end of a shared drive, and it's important to get on with the neighbours.
- We'll be managing the let ourselves, but not sure whether this really affects the type of tenant we should be looking for?
We've narrowed it down to 2 so far, but would appreciate some thoughts on anything we're missing in terms of things to consider. For both of these applicants, the moving timescales are similar, and they were both very pleasant to talk to and seem "normal":
Applicant 1
Single male, early 50s, self employed builder, states he's looking for a longer let (3-4yrs) as he's recently separated from his wife. Seemed very keen on the garden, plus states he's fine doing any minor repairs on the house if they crop up as he's an experienced builder. Been local to area for many years.
Concerns:
- He already has a girlfriend, so the need for a longer let might disappear if he can suddently move in with her?
- Should I be concerned with the self employed status? I guess a builder's income can fluctuate from month to month so this might be a risk?
Applicant 2
Younger couple, expecting a child in January, both local in full time work. Liked the garden, and the female's father is a gardener by trade. We have a day nursery next door so could encourage a longer let? Full time work means the credit checks etc might be better?
Concerns:
- Younger couple so might be more demanding in terms of little jobs that need doing on the house compared to the builder? Not sure on this point really as obviously i'm ultimately responsible for any major bits.
- I don't have kids... so not sure if a young baby means any more liklihood of the house being neglected at all?
- Potentially less time to keep on top of the garden?
I guess maybe the question is whether there's anything I can do/offer to help choose? Maybe see if either of them wants a 12month let with no break clause? What about looking for any guarantor for the rent?
Any guidance from experience landlords would be much appreciated!
I'm not a landlord but I'll still offer my thoughts if you don't mind!
Builder 'could' treat the house as a house, just a place to go after a hard days work, eat a takeaway after a few drinks at his local.
Young couple with a baby on the way 'should' treat the house as a home. But how are their finances going to be after wife stops working? WRT the large garden, they are going to be too tired with a new baby to want to put much effort into the garden so it might be worth asking about putting a clause in the AST for the father to look after the garden.
Builder 'could' treat the house as a house, just a place to go after a hard days work, eat a takeaway after a few drinks at his local.
Young couple with a baby on the way 'should' treat the house as a home. But how are their finances going to be after wife stops working? WRT the large garden, they are going to be too tired with a new baby to want to put much effort into the garden so it might be worth asking about putting a clause in the AST for the father to look after the garden.
I am a landlord, you need to first look at their ability to pay the rent. Next decide who will look after the house better, in my experience single blokes can happily live in s
t holes, but so can harrassed young mothers who can't cope.
My last bit of input is forget about the garden, you will be lucky to find a tenant who cuts the grass once every 3 or 4 weeks let alone does anything else, I have a solicitor and his wife in one and I did a drive by the other day and the front lawn is over knee high!!
You seem to be treating this property as your house still, it's not anymore, it's a rental machine.
t holes, but so can harrassed young mothers who can't cope.My last bit of input is forget about the garden, you will be lucky to find a tenant who cuts the grass once every 3 or 4 weeks let alone does anything else, I have a solicitor and his wife in one and I did a drive by the other day and the front lawn is over knee high!!
You seem to be treating this property as your house still, it's not anymore, it's a rental machine.
After a bad experience with my first (and last) tenant I would insist on a reference from their previous landlord. One snag with this is that a landlord might write a good reference in order to get rid of them... prospective tenants may promise the world but don't expect it to happen. In short it's not an area I'm going to visit again.
oldnbold said:
I am a landlord, you need to first look at their ability to pay the rent. Next decide who will look after the house better, in my experience single blokes can happily live in st holes, but so can harrassed young mothers who can't cope.
My last bit of input is forget about the garden, you will be lucky to find a tenant who cuts the grass once every 3 or 4 weeks let alone does anything else, I have a solicitor and his wife in one and I did a drive by the other day and the front lawn is over knee high!!
You seem to be treating this property as your house still, it's not anymore, it's a rental machine.
Thanks for the reply. The garden is a difficult one as it's such a key feature of the house (3 times the size of equivalent houses nearby, and has been fully landscaped), whilst it might sound like I'm still attaching emotion to it, it's more so that I know when the time comes to find tenant number 2, the garden still needs to be looking good. I guess I could just add it into my refurb budget but things like keeping the grass cut are hard to sort out quickly.t holes, but so can harrassed young mothers who can't cope.My last bit of input is forget about the garden, you will be lucky to find a tenant who cuts the grass once every 3 or 4 weeks let alone does anything else, I have a solicitor and his wife in one and I did a drive by the other day and the front lawn is over knee high!!
You seem to be treating this property as your house still, it's not anymore, it's a rental machine.
I had mentioned to both applicants that there was an optional garden maintenance contract so taking your advice I should be looking to ensure that even if the tenant sounds like they'll maintain it, I need to plan for them not to.
The online agent charges the tenant £90 for a credit check so how common is it to ask multiple tenants to apply, even if they're not guaranteed to be accepted? Seems a little harsh to me but if it's common practice then that might help as I'll just go with whoever is best able to afford it and also agrees to the garden maintenance.
For info.. Here's the house http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/proper...
Edited by MrChips on Monday 20th July 22:39
I'd go for the builder - single person means less wear and tear, and if he's a builder he's likely to be able to fix any little things that break, which means less out of the blue phone calls. Expecting your garden to be maintained though in the style that you want it to be though is unlikely whoever you choose I would say.
Just looked at your right move link. The garden looks to be fairly low maintainance, its a nice size but not huge. I don't think you will find anyone who will maintain the borders for you, unless you are very lucky, but a family may be inclined to keep the grass cut so the children can use it.
At the end of the day all you can really expect a tenant to do is keep the grass a reasonable length. You've obviously spent some time and/or money on the garden and the interior, the reality is whoever rents it will not share your level of enthusiasm for keeping it in good order. That's what deposits are for.
The biggest problem you will face is getting the rent paid on time, so I suggest you have at least 3 months mortgage payments tucked aside or get some rental insurance.
Good luck with it, but you need to take on board that it will not remain in the same condition it is now unless you are very very lucky.
At the end of the day all you can really expect a tenant to do is keep the grass a reasonable length. You've obviously spent some time and/or money on the garden and the interior, the reality is whoever rents it will not share your level of enthusiasm for keeping it in good order. That's what deposits are for.
The biggest problem you will face is getting the rent paid on time, so I suggest you have at least 3 months mortgage payments tucked aside or get some rental insurance.
Good luck with it, but you need to take on board that it will not remain in the same condition it is now unless you are very very lucky.
We've been landlords for twenty years...our "best " house has a lovely garden. Whilst I do agree regular income is priority long term preservation of the whole property , garden included , is in your best interest. Our first tenant lasted five ( good paying ) years but were reluctant gardners.. The shrubs , hedges etc were massively overgrown and needed days of work to recover to acceptable size. Hedges , shrubs ,trees etc quickly grow unless regularly trimmed . Some grow to such a size when cut back they could be down to bare bones and will never recover. Since that experience we have had all sorts of tenants ( lot No 9 at present), some " loving " the garden ,others promising to plant all sorts of exotica...guess what...none have done anything! Luckily we live nearby so I pop in every two weeks and do it myself..no one complains as I've told them upfront and I think they actually appreciate a nice garden with zero effort. When showing the house to prospective tenants a lush well trimmed garden creates a good impression whereas barren lawn and dying plants is definately off putting. My advice is DIY or pay a regular gardener ( add indirectly to rental ) or expect a big ( and possibly expensive) garden makeover between tennets.
Surely it's preferable to have a tenant who pays in full on time every month, then you have to sort the garden when they move out rather than someone who cuts the grass but misses payments, phones you all the time for tiny problems?
As I'm currently a tenant I've paid on time in full for the past 3 years, never phoned the landlord, nor broken/damaged anything. I've fixed light fittings etc myself. During my time here I've cut the grass 2-3 times/year at most and cut the hedge once (as it was close to meeting in the middle of the garden from each side
. I'm sure the landlord is pretty happy with that. I don't care about the garden one bit, if it was my own house i'd tarmac or slab it all and stick a big shed in the back.
When I move out I'll trim it and cut the grass so it's not left in a state. When I moved out of my last place the landlord offered to reduce the rent (by 20%!) to try and keep me there...
As I'm currently a tenant I've paid on time in full for the past 3 years, never phoned the landlord, nor broken/damaged anything. I've fixed light fittings etc myself. During my time here I've cut the grass 2-3 times/year at most and cut the hedge once (as it was close to meeting in the middle of the garden from each side
. I'm sure the landlord is pretty happy with that. I don't care about the garden one bit, if it was my own house i'd tarmac or slab it all and stick a big shed in the back.When I move out I'll trim it and cut the grass so it's not left in a state. When I moved out of my last place the landlord offered to reduce the rent (by 20%!) to try and keep me there...
Did you used to live in the house rather than bought it to rent out?
It sounds like you used to live in it but you really have to lose any emotional attachment to it. What are the background checks like for the two people on your shortlist?
Either one will probably be fine from the description. The family may be more inclined to push the mower about as they will probably use the space more when the kid arrives.
It sounds like you used to live in it but you really have to lose any emotional attachment to it. What are the background checks like for the two people on your shortlist?
Either one will probably be fine from the description. The family may be more inclined to push the mower about as they will probably use the space more when the kid arrives.
I think from the sounds of it, i'm better off ignoring any promises that they'll look after the garden and instead have a garden maintenance contract (i.e. me or external gardener come in and keep it tidied over the summer). I guess at least this way we stand a fair chance of keeping it under control. If gardens were quick to repair then i don't think it'd be an issue but as someone's pointed out, once a hedge overgrows etc, sometimes it can't be recovered at all, same as the grass. Luckily it's not exactly a mega high maintenance garden.
The question now is whether it's fair to ask them both to go through the credit checking so I can make an informed decision based on the results of that, or whether i should really pick one, get them credit checked and go with them so long as their credit is ok and previous references check out. I'm leaning towards the former as at least i can see how they compare to each other.
To answer one question, yes this has been our home, but i'm also realistic in terms of dealing with it as an asset from now on and not emotionally. There's nothing really that emotional about wanting to ensure we pick tenants who will look after the house, so the same theory applies to the garden as much as it applies to the interior carpets/walls etc. I've rented before and certainly when I was younger, I had less respect for the house and saw any damage as wear and tear, and certainly didn't keep it as clean as my own house now, so i've already set aside a refurb budget per year, but want to minimise the risk of needing to use this.
The question now is whether it's fair to ask them both to go through the credit checking so I can make an informed decision based on the results of that, or whether i should really pick one, get them credit checked and go with them so long as their credit is ok and previous references check out. I'm leaning towards the former as at least i can see how they compare to each other.
To answer one question, yes this has been our home, but i'm also realistic in terms of dealing with it as an asset from now on and not emotionally. There's nothing really that emotional about wanting to ensure we pick tenants who will look after the house, so the same theory applies to the garden as much as it applies to the interior carpets/walls etc. I've rented before and certainly when I was younger, I had less respect for the house and saw any damage as wear and tear, and certainly didn't keep it as clean as my own house now, so i've already set aside a refurb budget per year, but want to minimise the risk of needing to use this.
Zoon said:
Glad I don't live in Reading.
£1200 for a 2 bed house, ouch!
I was just thinking how cheap it is! £1200 for a 2 bed house, ouch!
Personally I'd look at who the rest of the applicants are. The builder does sound like there is less to go wrong than a young mum. Sound him out - see how much work he's actually doing. Possibly even take rent weekly if you're concerned they may get behind. You've 7 applicants so you can afford to pick and choose and make them jump through hoops a bit. Also consider hiking the rent if you're having this much interest
MrChips said:
I think from the sounds of it, i'm better off ignoring any promises that they'll look after the garden and instead have a garden maintenance contract (i.e. me or external gardener come in and keep it tidied over the summer).
I may be wrong but if you decide to come round to cut the grass, etc., you might have to give them notice because you are the landlord and not a 'gardener'.If the tenants also realise that the garden will be regularly maintained, then dont expect them to do anything to it when you or the gardener are not around to mow the lawn.
Personally I wouldn't bother as its money you shouldnt have to spend - even it if can be offset. On one of my parents flats that have a garden, their tenant treats the place like its his own - creosotes the fence, paints the shed, mows the lawn, etc. No idea what the tenant before him did but I dont recall my parents complaining that the garden was in a state when they moved out.
I'd be more worried about internal damage than external.
Edit: Why not put a clause in the contract saying its their responsibility to look after the garden and a penalty for not doing so - hold back some of the deposit to sort it out, etc.
Edited by KTF on Tuesday 21st July 16:10
Phateuk said:
Surely it's preferable to have a tenant who pays in full on time every month, then you have to sort the garden when they move out rather than someone who cuts the grass but misses payments, phones you all the time for tiny problems?
As I'm currently a tenant I've paid on time in full for the past 3 years, never phoned the landlord, nor broken/damaged anything. I've fixed light fittings etc myself. During my time here I've cut the grass 2-3 times/year at most and cut the hedge once (as it was close to meeting in the middle of the garden from each side. I'm sure the landlord is pretty happy with that. I don't care about the garden one bit, if it was my own house i'd tarmac or slab it all and stick a big shed in the back.
When I move out I'll trim it and cut the grass so it's not left in a state. When I moved out of my last place the landlord offered to reduce the rent (by 20%!) to try and keep me there...
I'm the same sort of tenant, earlier this year I moved into a rented semi in a fairly nice area. The garden had been left to rack and ruin by the previous tenant, so the letting agent sent a gardener in to tidy it up. I now pay him to come in every month and keep it looking tidy and presentable. I generally look after the house as if it were my own and have small repairs done myself. Oh and I always pay the rent on time.As I'm currently a tenant I've paid on time in full for the past 3 years, never phoned the landlord, nor broken/damaged anything. I've fixed light fittings etc myself. During my time here I've cut the grass 2-3 times/year at most and cut the hedge once (as it was close to meeting in the middle of the garden from each side
. I'm sure the landlord is pretty happy with that. I don't care about the garden one bit, if it was my own house i'd tarmac or slab it all and stick a big shed in the back.When I move out I'll trim it and cut the grass so it's not left in a state. When I moved out of my last place the landlord offered to reduce the rent (by 20%!) to try and keep me there...
There are plenty of tenants like myself and the poster I quoted who will look after a property, and I don't think its possible to pigeonhole them into certain occupations etc. I sympathise with landlords to a degree, as there are only so many checks you can make....beyond that it is pot luck.
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