No landlord likes to rent their property to troublesome tenants. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell if a tenant is going to cause problems or not when holding viewings for your property.
Difficult tenants can cause landlords a number of issues during the duration of and after their tenancy, from losing out on rent, to having to clear up and fix damage after they leave. When looking for people to live in your residential property, checking the following can help you ensure that those who move into your premises are not going to cause any major problems.
Get references
You should not just take an individuals’ word that they are an ideal tenant. Instead, ask for contact details to gain references from previous landlords.
If a potential tenant is unable to provide landlord references, then ask why. Those who are moving out from a family home, or have relocated from another country, may be unable to provide a landlord reference, but could still be an ideal tenant.
If unable to obtain a landlord reference, ask for an employer reference instead. This will not only prove that they are in employment, but can also provide information about their character.
Meet them in person
If you have the opportunity to meet your new tenants before they move into your property, then do. Communicating over the phone or by email can mean that you obtain a lot of information about your tenants, but meeting them in person can allow you to better assess whether they are the right renters for your residential premises.
If you are unable to meet them, then make sure you use a letting agency you trust to manage your property. This could help remove the hassle of having to find people to occupy your home and mean you avoid difficult people that will cause problems during the tenancy.
Carry out a credit check
If you are concerned about your tenant being unable to pay the rent, then you may want to carry out a credit check. A credit check can show if the tenant has any County Court Judgements (CCJs) against them, amongst other details about their credit history.
Do they have the Right to Rent?
Introduced on the 1st February 2016, finding out whether tenants have the ‘right to rent’ is a compulsory obligation that all private landlords must complete before renting their property. Landlords must check that all inhabitants of their property that are 18 or over have permission to live in the UK. Making this check applies to all landlords, regardless of whether there is a tenancy agreement in place or not.
Landlords must check if the property will be the tenant’s only or main home, check original documents for consistency, keep a note of when the check was made, take copies of all documents and keep them for the duration of the tenancy and a year after the tenancy has ended. A lettings agency can complete the check on your behalf, but you must request them to do so in writing.
Protecting yourself
It is worth getting insurance that covers the building structure and contents of your property along with providing other protection. Many landlord insurance policies comes with optional extras that provide legal protection and compensation because of tenants damaging your property or failing to pay rent.
Currently struggling with problematic tenants?
If you are having problems with nightmare tenants in your residential property and require assistance in evicting them or recovering owed rent, then get in touch with Able Investigations. Our team of certificated enforcement officers are bailiffs who are experienced in dealing with troublesome tenants in a safe and legal way. Call us on 0345 366 0000 to find out how we can help.
Comments are closed.