Last month's rent/Bond

speedtwin

For your info which may help now or later

1 If tenant getting Housing benifit and is 2 months in arrears (= 1 full month and 1 day) Benifit has to be paid direct to L/L if requested

2 Always write to tenant close to moving out date explaining what needs to be done for the full deposit to be repaid

3 Ask for a deposit higher than the value of 1 months rent

4 Get a guarentor at start of the tenancy(make sure they have copy of aggreement)

5 Get a proper inventory done at start of tenancy signed by both L/L and tenant (pictures as well are good)

6 Protect deposit deposit with one of the schemes and dont forget to to give the tenant the perscribed info that goes with it.

7 Tenant does not have to give any notice at the end of the tenancy they could on the last day just hand their keys back (even if it says differant on the contract)

happinessfactory

I don't really have anything to add to Speedtwin's excellent advice, but one other excellent tip I was given when renting out my flat was always to take credit checks with all three credit info providers beforehand - any tenant who won't consent to this usually has something to hide;)

Also, it does depend on your local market but ideally rent to someone in a profession with a governing body - basically doctors, solicitors and accountants. They have to follow a strict code of conduct which applies whether they're at work or not, and so any threat of a CCJ or other financial blemish on their record will have a very adverse impact on their career progression.

I once had a barrister tenant who was regularly late with his rent, and who then tried to mislead me about his tenant rights under the law. I just had a word with his clerk of chambers saying I was going to make a complaint to the Bar Council, and the rent immediately started coming in on the dot:rotfl: