1. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 1 Practical Tips for Landlords Simon Turner

2. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 2 Topics Selecting Tenants Contents of the Tenancy Agreement Safety Inventory / Schedule of Condition Repairs Rent Arrears/ other breaches Quiet Enjoyment

3. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 3 Selecting Tenants Consider tenants referred from Housing Advice Watch out for “friends of friends”, “doing someone a favour” Check identity – driving licence, passport Ask for references Consider credit check

4. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 4 Why bother with a tenancy agreement ? A clearly written tenancy agreement is essential for both landlord and tenant The agreement sets out what each party will do The agreement sets rules for what happens when things go wrong If you want tenants to do something – e.g mow the grass, not keep pets – put it in the agreement

5. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 5 Tenancy agreement checklist Amount of deposit Amount, frequency of rent Landlords Address – s. 48 LTA 1987 Refer to grounds for possession that may be relied on – e.g. owner occupier (1), arrears (8,10) persistent delay (11), nuisance (14) Stop the tenant doing certain things Ensure tenant does certain things Define the extent of property let Who pays water rates, Council Tax

6. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 6 Pre Tenancy Show tenants a blank tenancy agreement Be up front about rent, deposit, any contribution towards preparation costs of tenancy agreement Tell them about the Landlord Accreditation Scheme

7. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 7 Safety Gas, electric, fire safety – inspect and produce certificates on request Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, fire blanket – protect tenants & property Advise tenant of means of escape Consider safety of security bars Keep records – this allows easy scheduling of checks, proves you have done them

8. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 8 Inventory / Schedule of Condition Essential for furnished lets Make an accurate and agreed list Use photos Refer to the list and link it to the tenancy agreement Get the tenant to sign a copy of the inventory before you hand over the keys Check it with the tenant before they vacate

9. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 9 Excluded Areas of the Property Excluding certain areas of the tenancy – e.g. sheds, attics Mention this in the tenancy agreement Lock the access door

10. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 10 Insurance Insure the property as appropriate Remind tenants that they should insure their own belongings, as these won’t be covered by landlord’s insurance

11. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 11 Repairs Landlord should keep property in a reasonable state of repair Consider a planned maintenance programme

12. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 12 Receipts If rent is paid weekly, provide a rent book (section 4(1) Landlord & Tenant Act 1985) If rent is paid annually provide an annual statement, and if you want to, provide a rent book

13. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 13 Rent Arrears Make sure you can prepare a schedule of rent arrears quickly and clearly Write to tenant with schedule of rent arrears as soon as they miss a payment Consider serving a notice to end the tenancy – use a section 21 if possible, otherwise use a section 8 You don’t have to evict just because you have served a notice

14. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 14 Other Tenant Breaches Write to the tenant to tell them what they have done wrong Meet the tenant to discuss how they are going to put things right Consider serving a notice to end the tenancy – use a section 21 notice if you can, otherwise use a section 8 one

15. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 15 Quiet Enjoyment Try to respect your tenant’s privacy If you have big plans for works, tell the tenant before they take on the tenancy Set out in the tenancy agreement the procedure for inspections, other visits If is a routine inspection contact the tenant to arrange a time and a date (at a reasonable time) Give 24 hours at least (unless its an emergency)

16. 12/10/2014 Simon Turner, Legal Services, Stafford Borough Council 16 Simon Turner Solicitor Legal Services