Renting out my bungalow for a year

youth_leader

Since the roof blew off this bungalow in my first year here in 2021 I've never really settled. It is a 3 bed bungalow in a popular village in a coastal town, beach is a five minute drive/twenty minute walk away.

I'm in the NE and cannot afford to move home to Twickenham. 

Today I thought I might be able to rent the bungalow out and go travelling for a year.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good source of information where I could learn about renting/how to be a 'landlord' please?  

GDB2222

It’s worth thinking about holiday letting, as well. There may be a firm in town that will take care of running it for you.  

One snag with longer term letting is that the tenants won’t necessarily move out when you want them to. So, you will give them a couple of months notice that you want the house back, but if the tenants stay put you need a court order to evict them, and that can take six months or so.

GDB2222

Shelter provides advice on letting, although they are mostly tenant-oriented. 

youth_leader

Thank you very much @GDB2222.  I will look at Shelter now.

I am nervous of renting it out, my friend's place was badly damaged by her tenants, it's the luck of the draw isn't it.  

Murphybear

Sounds lovely.  

Firstly, if you are going travelling for a year you cannot manage your property yourself.  You need to be available to sort out problems and do property checks.  The laws on tenant/landlord issues are complex and long, they have this habit of changing as well. 

You need a lettings agent.  I know, like estate agents, they can have a poor reputation but there are loads of good ones.  

My first step would be to look for an ARLA agent.    I think it’s called ARLA Propertymark these days. The agents are properly trained and have to pass exams.  The exams can be difficult as an in-depth knowledge of the renting laws are essential.

secondly see if you can fund a franchised letting agent.  Franchisees have an  “umbilical cord” to the franchisor to help with any problems or gaps in their knowledge.

I hope this helps.  I was an ARLA franchised agent for years so saw the business from the inside.  

GDB2222

youth_leader said:

Thank you very much @GDB2222.  I will look at Shelter now.

I am nervous of renting it out, my friend's place was badly damaged by her tenants, it's the luck of the draw isn't it.  

You should be nervous, or at least cautious. It’s definitely not hassle free.

Stubod

...nooooooooooooooo........

youth_leader

Thank you @Murphybear, since @GDB2222's letting suggestion I've remembered it was 'let' for some years in the RightMove historical information.  There is a self catering/accommodation firm in the village - they have many properties in the village.  I know their standards are very high so I'd have to spend some real money.  And paint the whole place greige again.

youth_leader

Thank you very much for your help and encouragement. 

I think I am too nervous to be a landlord, and will go the holiday let route instead.

The holiday accommodation business in the village has a website and offers a 'Letting Guide', I've requested one.  I know the people that own this business, they helped me by taking my life size bronze lions before I completed on the station.  I can see 'the boys'  in their garden when I walk along the river, their house is at the end of my old road, raised high above the river.

I wish I had listened to my friend and painted the place in neutral colours now, unfortunately my decorator is just about to retire.  

I won't let myself get overwhelmed, I will make a list of what I need to do to get the place up to standard for letting to holiday makers.  My personal stuff will have to go into storage.   

I think it will be popular here.  I do have a small safe garden (complete mess at the moment) and would be happy to accept dogs.

Murphybear

youth_leader said:

Thank you very much @GDB2222.  I will look at Shelter now.

I am nervous of renting it out, my friend's place was badly damaged by her tenants, it's the luck of the draw isn't it.  

During my years as a lettings agent there were literally thousands of tenants through our system.  How many trashed properties did we have?  None  .  How many tenants did we have that didn’t pay the rent?  One.  She was on housing benefit (this was before Universal Credit) and was giving it to her mother to pay off her debts (mothers debts).  Tenant was a lot miffed when we asked the council to pay us directly, she came into the office ranting and raving saying “it’s my money”.  

She left soon after that 

Murphybear

youth_leader said:

Thank you very much for your help and encouragement. 

I think I am too nervous to be a landlord, and will go the holiday let route instead.

The holiday accommodation business in the village has a website and offers a 'Letting Guide', I've requested one.  I know the people that own this business, they helped me by taking my life size bronze lions before I completed on the station.  I can see 'the boys'  in their garden when I walk along the river, their house is at the end of my old road, raised high above the river.

I wish I had listened to my friend and painted the place in neutral colours now, unfortunately my decorator is just about to retire.  

I won't let myself get overwhelmed, I will make a list of what I need to do to get the place up to standard for letting to holiday makers.  My personal stuff will have to go into storage.   

I think it will be popular here.  I do have a small safe garden (complete mess at the moment) and would be happy to accept dogs.

I think that sounds great, you will be doing what’s best for you  . I’ve never been involved in holiday lettings but we’ve always got one for our U.K./Ireland trips.

One tiny point.  Don’t have too many “knick nacks” on the shelves and  window sills.  They can be a right pain . and probably not a good idea if the tenant has young children/dogs.  We had one property where we think the owner had cleared out their own house with every ornament they had. My husband calls them “dust gatherers”.  On the first evening I rounded them up and put them in a cupboard and put them back just before we left.  

We had a bungalow on the Isle of Wight not long ago.  It was lovely.  Bungalows are great if the tenants have young kids or are getting on a bit and have dodgy knees and/or hips.  Like us

i wish you lots of luck