What should Landlords do to encourage Tenants to stay longer??

Tiddlywinks

1. Longer leases (but with reasonable break clauses for both parties) to indicate that it is an investment / professional let and not just an amateur until a buyer comes along.

2. Less inspections (2x3 months at beginning of tenancy and then once a year to check on repairs etc)

3. Pets (within reason) / decorating allowed

4. Emergency contact numbers that are current plus prompt attention to problems

N79

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

1. Longer leases (but with reasonable break clauses for both parties) to indicate that it is an investment / professional let and not just an amateur until a buyer comes along.

How does a longer lease with break clauses indicate this over a series of shorter leases as the security of tenure is the same in both cases?

thegirlintheattic

Lokolo wrote: »

From an outside of view of neither renting or being a landlord I find this a little contradictory. If someone wants a short term lease (which 12 months is imo), they can't expect to have extras such as pets and decorating themselves.

If someone agreed to a 2-3 year lease, then I would quite happily allow them to decorate, have pets etc. as they will want to make them have a home. But with a 12 month lease, they could paint the whole house red, leave after 12 months, then the landlord is stuck with an ugly looking house with no tenants and going to have to repaint to get anyone in.

Most leases are 6 months and many LL will not agree to longer or even to go to another 6 months after that has finished - therefore a 12 month lease would provide security. 12 months is a reasonably long lease in the rental market. I would actually want a lease that lasted several years but LL don't want that.

As for decorating, I thought it was obvious that the tenant would of course put the property back to the original condition if the LL wanted. Most tenants would improve (the often substandard) property. Currently many people have to ask permission for putting in anything even hooks for paintings, mirrors or smoke alarms.

seven-day-weekend

We have rented property out and have allowed pets (within reason\) and decorating (with proviso that nothing was done that couldn't be undone with a coat of paint, i.e. no artex or heavy wallpaper). We gave one set of tenants a year's notice that we were going to sell (they still didn't move out on time), and the lodger we have at the moment has been given several month's notice although we don't by law have to give him any as he lives in the house with us.

I can understand however, why people would not allow pets or decoration.

lynzpower

I know Ive ranted about this before, but please landlords take out that awful clause about not being allowed to put political posters in windows.

Its not in all TAs but it is in some of them

seven-day-weekend

lynzpower wrote: »

I know Ive ranted about this before, but please landlords take out that awful clause about not being allowed to put political posters in windows.

I've never heard of that clause but can understand it, I would not want my house associated with something I might not support.

lynzpower

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I've never heard of that clause but can understand it, I would not want my house associated with something I might not support.

Totally makes the point!

When the property is let out it belongs to the tenant for the terms of the agreement (be it in fixed term or not)

Why should a tenant have less rights to express their political opinion than a homeowner?

Again boils down to the whole "landlord telling me how to live" thing that is just the pits.

Ex landlord lectured us about 3 pizza menus behind the door: its none of the LLs business what I do in the property as long as it creates no long term damage to the property ( which would obviously come out of the deposit)

Flibsey

1. be nice. don't be arrogant and don't act like lord of the freaking manor. be approachable and don't treat any request like it will result in your tenant being kicked out at the next available opportunity. remember your tone of email, writing and voice can say a lot about you. they are a paying guest, not your subordinate.

2. address maintenance problems asap, even if they're not classed as legally essential like guttering. don't ignore your tenant, discuss requests politely and rationally. above all, don't keep them in the dark about things. if you can't afford to replace a blown double glazed window or a threadbare carpet at this time, tell them this. we're all squeezed at the moment and they'd probably be incredibly understanding.

3. leave your tenant alone. no this is not mutually exclusive with number 2. basically unless you have a pressing issue or your tenant requests contact, don't insist on entering into their home. remember, it is their HOME not just your property. be accomodating if you do need to enter their home. if they're a night shift worker for instance, understand that during the day they will be sleeping so make appointments for after 4pm.

may I add a couple more? allow a longer lease than 12 months, but still allow a 2 month get-out clause just in case. everyone's circumstances change.
allow small pets without written confirmation. no I'm not talking dogs and cats which frankly CAN stink up a place and I can understand why landlords don't want them (please don't jump on me dog and cat lovers, when you live with either you can't smell it but other people can)... I'm talking small rodents or fish. caged animals for instance. they wont destroy your property, but they could give a tenants a lot of joy.
invest in security and check your wiring. ok it's not a legal requirement to check wiring yet, but the wiring in the place i live in freaks me the hell out and knowing it's safe would allow me to sleep easier! as a esult of the wiring, we have smoke alarms coming out the wazzoo, not just the landlord's legally provided ones.

insulate insulate insulate. we all like lower energy bills! and on that point, if you're providing appliances, please make them energy efficient ones. in some fridge freezers the difference can be massive.

seven-day-weekend

lynzpower wrote: »

Totally makes the point!

When the property is let out it belongs to the tenant for the terms of the agreement (be it in fixed term or not) No it doesn't, the tenant rents it from the owner. It may be the tenant's home, it is not their property.

Why should a tenant have less rights to express their political opinion than a homeowner?I understand what you ar saying, although it would make me cringe if I saw a poster for a Psychic Fayre or Socialist Workers' Party in the window of my property.

Again boils down to the whole "landlord telling me how to live" thing that is just the pits.

Ex landlord lectured us about 3 pizza menus behind the door: its none of the LLs business what I do in the property as long as it creates no long term damage to the property ( which would obviously come out of the deposit)

MY head agrees with you but my heart doesn't. However I would abide by the law.

Tigsteroonie

What would we like from a Landlord?

• Be there when we want you - easy to contact, quick to make repairs
• Don't be there when we don't want you - no intrusive inspection regime
• Let us treat it as if it were our own home - don't make us ask permission for stuff, just warn us that we'll be responsible if the house isn't in a decent condition when we eventually leave

It's a shame that tenancy agreements are designed around the 10% of people who abuse the relationship, rather than the 90% who are sensible adults.