First time landlord - help!

Jac_Raven

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I posed four questions in my last post one of which was a repeat from my earlier post. Granted they could be deemed rhetorical, but your responses would no doubt be interesting.

!

:beer:

give me a few mins and i'll get to them.

Jac_Raven

So how often are you in the habit of visiting each property, every quarter for an inspection AND insisting on accompanying trades?
No each is a case by case basis, obviously if I have had to go in with a trades etc and everything looks fine there is no need for inspection. We don't actually inspect every fact every 3 months, but if i haven't been in for a while i'll want to take a look, always with tenants agreement though.

Again how often would you be comfortable having your home invaded and scrutinised?
with reasonable notice i don't really have a problem with it.

Have you so little faith of your own referencing and credit checking process?
I have faith in them but they don't always tell the whole story.

I work in central London, mostly dealing with flats and i've never had a tenant have a problem with us inspecting on occasion.

But a lot will naturally be down to the attitude etc of the agent.

real1314

Fire_Fox wrote: »

So how often are you in the habit of visiting each property, every quarter for an inspection AND insisting on accompanying trades? Again how often would you be comfortable having your home invaded and scrutinised? Have you so little faith of your own referencing and credit checking process?



So it's Hobson's choice at your agency: the tenants are asked permission to enter the property but evicted if they do not accede to your quarterly demands? I would deem enforced quarterly inspections under threat of eviction harassment.

This is all getting rather silly.

If someone wants to rent a particular property and the AST requires quarterly inspections then they either agree or do not take it.
A simple straightforward choice.

If they refuse inspections, having agreed to them, then anyone who thinks so little of a contract is not really in a position to discuss the law.

I do not know of any case ever where a judge or magistrate has decreed that quarterly inspections, requested with appropriate notice and in an appropriate manner, to be a form of harrassment. That's just plain silly.

I doubt even the (untested) OFT guidance goes that far.

I think this sort of thing would be fine:-

To permit the landlord, and any superior landlord, or his agent or contractors or those authorised by the landlord, upon giving at least 24 hours notice in writing (except in an emergency) to enter the property at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspection and repair.

<sebb>

Jac_Raven wrote: »

Sebb, if your flat is in excellent condition, then assuming the agent gives reasonable notice (i'm talking more than 24hrs) then i don't see a problem. If the agent is managing the property then they will hold keys and will probably going round accompanying builders etc at times.

I'm not against inspections. But every three months is excessive. I have no interest in an agent coming round to inspect my house. It benefits me in no way, but I have to go out of my way to do it (there's just no way I'd allow an inspection unless I was present).

One after 3-6 months and then every year after would be more than sufficient IMO.

To be honest, if it were the landlord himself rather than an agent, then I'd actually be happier with something more frequent. Then at least we could discuss other aspects of the tenancy and talk about renewal and long term intentions etc. Then it wouldn't feel quite so much like I'm being scrutinised in my own home!

Sorry for taking this thread off track!

RobertoMoir

I'd personally feel that once a year or on the renewal of the agreement (whichever was the shorter period of time) would be reasonable, it's what I'd suggest as a LL and accept as a T (or, I suppose, vice-versa).

The point is that this is a case of one length of time being right and the other being wrong somehow, it is something that the T & LL/agent need to negotiate, hopefully both would be reasonable people who could find a compromise.

G_M

i find myself feeling quite "judged" by his attitude and it is not pleasant.. it has certainly coloured my view as to how i describe such inspection visits to my tenants....... tho i do have tenants whose homes i have not been into for a couple of years as i know they are completely fine....

Avoiding the word 'inspection' helps. I ring up and ask to come round at a time convenient to them so they can tell/show me anything which isn't working/needs fixing etc. I describe it as their chance to talk to me, as well as my chance to check for a structural problems like slipped tiles....

What tenants hate is the idea that someone is judging how they live, how clean the kitchen dishes are etc. And quite right. That is not the purpose of an 'inspection.'

G_M

vbt wrote: »

Hi,

I've just accepted a job abroad which will be for 1 to 3 years and which includes accommodation and bills, so I'm going to rent my flat out whilst we're away.

I'm a bit nervous because it will be the first time I've ever been a landlord. We've got a letting agent coming round to do a rental valuation next week and they charge £395 plus VAT as a tenant finders fee which includes all the credit checks and referencing etc, and then the same amount again if the tenants re-sign, or they find someone else to sign in the future.

A cautionary tale courtesy of landlordzone...

BitterAndTwisted

<sebb> wrote: »

I'm not against inspections. But every three months is excessive. I have no interest in an agent coming round to inspect my house. It benefits me in no way, but I have to go out of my way to do it (there's just no way I'd allow an inspection unless I was present).

One after 3-6 months and then every year after would be more than sufficient IMO.

Judging by some of the complaints we've had on this forum about landlords and their agents ignoring requests for repairs, I'd say that a quarterly inspection would be a god-send for some of them. It's a contract and therefore it should be a two-way street

Gorgeous_George

Jac_Raven wrote: »

edit: GG wouldn't you be obliged to put in a new cooker if you had supplied the old one which subsequently broke?

But if you just replaced it out of good faith., as you say often if you have good tenants (worth their weight in gold!) then things like this can really help keep the relationship good.

It wasn't broken but needed a new door seal (possibly due to misuse). My tenant mentioned it in passing and a new seal was £20 last time. I offered a new oven and suggested that she should have a new hob (the hob worked fine). Total cost was £495.

ET1976 wrote: »

What would happen in this situation if the tenant refused the inspection (and/or changed the locks)?

My tenant is welcome to change the locks - I change them on change of tenant and I wouldn't dream of entering her home without permission (except for extraordinary circumstances). If I was refused an inspection I'd not renew the tenancy and/or increase the rent to cover the additional risk.

GG

vbt

Thanks for your advice everyone.

Basically I'm moving abroad, so I don't have the option of managing the property myself; hence the agent. The one we've got coming round is used by two of our friends who so far haven't experienced any problems so touch wood they'll be ok.

I'm not letting it to make a profit either - I will be happy covering the mortgage whilst I'm away. Our accommodation and bills will be paid for my by work whilst we're in Pakistan so it's less of an issue. I don't want to sell until the market picks up and I'd quite like to keep a foot on the property ladder whilst we're away. We're not planning to come back to visit but if we do, we've got loads of friends and family here who we can stay with.

The three month inspection obviously sparked a lot of debate! I'd like the LA to include a clause in the contract as someone above suggested, about entry to the property when necessary and by mutual agreement.

I've been a tenant before so I certainly know that I don't want them entering the property unless the tenants are there and have agreed and been given notice. As long as checks were made to ensure the property was in good condition, after 3 months and then say another 6 months later, or even after 12 months I would be happy. I don't want them to bother the tenants any more than necessary.

The point about them changing the locks makes me a bit nervous (I've got visions of squatters in my head now!) - perhaps I could add something into the contract prohibiting this and then if this wasn't acceptable to a prospective tenant they wouldn't have to sign it and take up the tenancy?