todays the day tennants moving in

rent_and_buy

We move out of our house today and we have tenants moving in on monday, they have signed 6 month agreement and paid the deposit and i will be having their first months rent paid to us on monday, when they move in.

I think i have everything covered but thought i would just double check on here that i have done everything right, before monday.

Ive had the comprehensive references done and took out the rent guarantee policy for the tennants.

changed my insurance to landlords building insurance

Got all gas certificates and have also took out the landlords homecare package with british gas, for any callouts to do with electricity,gas and water.

I was going to give the tennants the number for homecare so if they have any problems they can contact british gas direct.

Smoke alarms fitted.

Now when they move in on monday i was going to write down the metre readings with the tennants and get them to sign to say they are correct on the day they move, i was also going to do a walk round with the tenants and take some photographs for the inventory.

does everything seem to be okay?? just thought i would check as this is the first time i have tried this, but from what i have read it does sound quite easy to do as long as you have everything in place.

cheers

benjo

The law has changed alot since I rented out my house for a while years ago, so Im not really up on the deposit schemes etc, but many on here are and Im sure they will comment.

As well as being a home owner and LL along time ago, I have also been a tenant on and off throughout my life, necessitated by work locations and reading your post makes me think that you seem very organised and just the kind of person I would prefer as a LL.

I think if boundaries and expectations on both sides are very clear then it makes for a happier tenant/LL relationship. Anecdotally I did once rent from a friendly acquaintance, all very informal, no deposit required, no inventory, no tenancy agreement, below market rent on a lovely secluded bungalow with a couple of acres of land and while it suited us both and worked very well for over 4 years - I really could see the potential for disaster and despite having had no problems during this tenancy I wouldnt go down the informal route again.

Goodluck with your venture, I hope you find the tenants of your dreams.

Jowo_2

It's the norm for the first months rent to have cleared ahead of the tenancy being signed and tenants moving in. It's usually paid with the deposit. So I hope that your tenants are paying their first months rent with cash so you don't join the legion of landlords who receive a bouncing check or excuse.

Have you left out operating manuals for all of your appliances? Doesn't hurt to show them how to operate the boiler, washing machine, etc.

Have you issued them with smoke detector forms where they sign to take over responsibility for changing the batteries and testing them on a regular basis?

Book a date for the first inspection of the property a few months into the tenancy where you can check the condition of the property.

You can actually compile the inventory/schedule of condition in advance rather than doing it from scratch ahead of your walk round, (but you may have intended that anyway). I'm not sure legally how much weight photos carry but have a check on this - main thing is that the inventory should be accurate and not vague. Perhaps you could read advice on how to do this or get an independent inventory clerk to do the check-in/check-out.

If they are new to renting, make sure you let them know the boundaries between the landlord and the tenants responsibilities as its common now for tenants to think that all they have to do is pay the rent and their landlord is a lightbulb changing service.

I say this because I had inexperienced renters who wouldn't facilitate repairs, who frequently called me out to report things for being broken when in fact they just needed to set the timers, change the batteries or fuses, and who switched off the heating over xmas/new year to save money on fuel bills, oblivious to the fact that there is a frost thermostat to prevent the pipes from freezing, etc.

Learn from my mistake and if there is a need to educate them on their role, do it, or you'll find the majority of the calls will relate to trivial things they should be resolving themselves.

Also, negotiate upfront their willingness or not to stay in for visiting engineers or if you/they prefer to be present. some tenants like to be present or see it as a typical duty of any householder, some tenants refuse to wait in, some landlords regard it as part of the service.

rent_and_buy

its going to be cash for the first months rent, then it will be a standing order from next month.

I will be leaving the manuals for the cooker and boiler, but we are taking everything else as the house is being rented unfurnished, thats why i dont think the inventory will be a big issue, so i will do it myself.

im just going to do the condition of each room and get them to sign if they agree to it, we have just decorated it in plain wallpaper, so if it does get a bit messy hopefully we will just have to give it a lick of paint.

cheers for the advice, hopefully they will not need to be educated in light bulb changing and fuse trip switches, they have been tenants before so im sure they will know, but i will mention it to them.

cheers again people

tbs624

Jowo wrote: »

Have you left out operating manuals for all of your appliances? Doesn't hurt to show them how to operate the boiler, washing machine, etc...

This is especially important for things like your smoke detectors, your heating system - it not just a case of it "doesn't hurt", it's about being able to demontrate due diligence towards your Ts should it be necessary to do so.

Jowo wrote: »

Book a date for the first inspection of the property a few months into the tenancy where you can check the condition of the property.

To do this when your T is just about to move in is likely to get people's backs up - let them settle in and *then* negoitiate a mutually suitable date/time for a property inpsection, which should be confirmed in writing. You want a T who feels that the property is a home: happy T = rent payments on time and a long term tenancy.

Jowo wrote: »

You can actually compile the inventory/schedule of condition in advance............ I'm not sure legally how much weight photos carry.

Most decent inventories *will* include photographs and both parties retain copies: some LLs provide the photos embedded into a hard copy of the inventory, others on disk. Fully acceptable way of backing up the stated condition of a property.

Jowo wrote: »

.......as its common now for tenants to think that all they have to do is pay the rent and their landlord is a lightbulb changing service.

I say this because I had inexperienced renters who wouldn't facilitate repairs, who frequently called me out to report things for being broken when in fact they just needed to set the timers, change the batteries or fuses, and who switched off the heating over xmas/new year to save money on fuel bills, oblivious to the fact that there is a frost thermostat to prevent the pipes from freezing, etc.

Couple of things there Jowo - your personal experience hardly makes it "common now for Ts" to act in this way and some of your difficulties may have been due to your own lack of experience/forethought as a LL. Had you for, example, fully explained to the Ts how the heating system etc worked and that there was a frost stat?

tbs624

rent_and_buy wrote: »

I will be leaving the manuals for the cooker and boiler, but we are taking everything else as the house is being rented unfurnished, thats why i dont think the inventory will be a big issue, so i will do it myself.

You may want to list the colour of the walls,the paint on the woodwork, what type of door handles there are (doors/ cupboards /kitchen units) the colour, make etc of floor coverings, your radiators/thermostats, your boiler, your cooker ( have you had the cooker checked for electrical safety/gas safety?). Be honest about any pre-exisiting flaws and bear in mind that it is usual to leave the inventory with the T and ask them to sign and return it to you within 7 days.

rent_and_buy

tbs624 wrote: »

You may want to list the colour of the walls,the paint on the woodwork, what type of door handles there are (doors/ cupboards /kitchen units) the colour, make etc of floor coverings, your radiators/thermostats, your boiler, your cooker ( have you had the cooker checked for electrical safety/gas safety?). Be honest about any pre-exisiting flaws and bear in mind that it is usual to leave the inventory with the T and ask them to sign and return it to you within 7 days.

cheers mate , we will be doing what you have told us, if its going to be done it needs to be done proper and i always like to treat people the way i would like to be treated myself, so hopefully the tenants will be happy.

thanks again

franklee

Have you got the paperwork from the deposit scheme you are using ready to hand over?

Have you got consent to let from your mortgage lender?

Don't forget to include the condition of the garden and any outside buildings garage/shed on the inventory.

It would be helpful if you let the tenant know who supplies the gas/electricity/water.

Jowo_2

Be shown and have a leaflet with info on the where the stop-!!!! and gas tap is, plus info on what day the local council take away the bins, recycling, garden waste.

tbs624

franklee wrote: »

Have you got the paperwork from the deposit scheme you are using ready to hand over?....... Have you got consent to let from your mortgage lender?

The paperwork from the deposit scheme can be downloaded on the day the tenancy deposit is registered. Franklee it would appear that you can rest well - see http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21810353&postcount=7 and http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=19717515&postcount=1. The OP has been regularly posting of his plans for this tenancy for a few months, gathering advice as he goes

loki13

We had a landlord once who left a folder with all the instruction manuals for everything in the house, contact numbers, and local takeaway menus. We now try to leave a pack of takeaway menus for the new tenants when we leave a house (so nice to be able to call for a pizza when you've moved if you've changed areas)

You seem to have it all sorted