NEW PODCAST: I tried to sell a property at auction – this is what happened
NEW PODCAST: I tried to sell a property at auction – this is what happened
Weekly data-led tips, local hotspots, and what actually moves the market.
The difference between a good tenant and a nightmare one isn’t just a few hundred pounds in damages – the effort you put into finding and screening the right tenants will make or break your landlording experience.
You’re about to hand over one of your most valuable assets to a complete stranger, governed by a web of laws that heavily favour the tenant, so getting this bit right is absolutely fundamental to everything that follows.
Most tenants begin their search on Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket. As a private landlord, you can’t upload directly to these platforms, so you’ll have to use an “online agent” who’ll handle the listings for a fee (usually £50-£100). They’ll take care of getting your property onto all the major portals and pass tenant enquiries straight to you.
Local newspapers and university accommodation offices can still be goldmines, depending on your target demographic. If you’re near a university and targeting students, get yourself on their accommodation lists. If you’re after older, more settled tenants, the local paper might surprise you.
A lot of landlords get this wrong – they either undersell themselves or get greedy and price themselves out of the market.
The trick is simple: look at what’s actually letting (not just what’s being advertised) in your immediate area. Head to Rightmove, set your search criteria, and tick “Include ‘Let Agreed’ properties”. This shows you what rents are attracting tenant interest, which is more useful than what optimistic landlords are hoping for. You won’t see what was actually agreed, but at least you’ll know what level of rent gets people through the door.
Our advice? Price towards the high end of the range. Tenants generally expect to negotiate, and they’ll often view something slightly over budget if it ticks their other boxes. You can always come down if you’re not getting interest, but you can’t easily go up once you’ve advertised at a lower rate.
For tenants on benefits, check the Local Housing Allowance rates for your area, but don’t feel you have to stick rigidly to them. Many tenants can top up from other income, so it’s just a question of whether you want to target that market.
Your advert has one job: to get the right people to pick up the phone and the wrong people to scroll past. Here’s how to nail it:
Include between 6-12 photos of good quality.
We can’t stress this enough: good photos are the most important part of your advert, and £60-100 for professional photos you can reuse every time the property becomes available is a one-off cost that’ll pay for itself many times over.
Avoid the cardinal sins of property photography: bare lightbulbs, unmade beds, toilets with the lid up, closed curtains, and general mess. If you’re providing furniture, stage it a bit – some strategically placed cushions and flowers can transform how a space feels.
The rent – obviously. State it clearly (weekly or monthly, whatever’s normal in your area) and mention if anything’s included.
Availability date – don’t make people play guessing games.
Furnished status – unfurnished, furnished, or “flexible” if you’re happy to go either way.
Property description – Be clear about the type of property, number of bedrooms (singles or doubles), bathrooms, reception rooms, any outdoor space, parking arrangements.
Area information – transport links, local amenities, anything that matters to your target market.
EPC rating – this is a legal requirement.
The rules changed dramatically in recent years, and most fees to tenants are now illegal. Here’s what you can charge:
You can take up to one week’s rent as a holding deposit once a tenant has decided they want the property, while you do your necessary checks.
You must return it if you decide not to rent to them (through no fault of theirs) or if you can’t reach an agreement within 15 days, but you can keep it if they provide false information, fail Right to Rent checks, or just change their mind.
In England, this is capped at five weeks’ rent (six weeks if the annual rent exceeds £50,000). You can offer “No Deposit Insurance” instead, where the tenant pays a smaller premium rather than finding a large deposit, but we prefer traditional deposits – tenants with skin in the game tend to take better care of the property.
You can charge for late rent (under strict conditions), lost keys, changes to the tenancy they request, and early termination costs if agreed upfront, but that’s about it – everything else is now illegal and can land you with hefty fines.
You want to be efficient (because viewings can take over your life) but thorough (because choosing the wrong tenant is a disaster).
Unless you enjoy being constantly interrupted, don’t put your main number on the advert. Get a cheap pay-as-you-go SIM or use a call answering service and check messages once or twice a day and call everyone back in batches.
Before you even think about booking a viewing, get on the phone and ask the important questions:
Trust your gut here and be sensible – if someone gives you a sob story about their current landlord or seems vague about basic details, that’s usually a red flag.
Book viewings in blocks with 15-minute slots. If someone can’t make any of your available times, so be it.
Arrive early to make sure the place looks its best – open curtains, turn on heating if it’s cold, make sure it smells fresh. Have basic information ready about bills, council tax, local transport, and shops.
If someone seems keen, dig a bit deeper with casual questions about their work, living situation, and why they’re moving, but be wary of anyone who seems too keen, especially if they’re offering cash upfront or trying to rush you into a decision.
Never skimp on referencing. It doesn’t matter how charming they are, how desperate you are to fill the property, or how convincing their sob story is – you’d rather have no tenant than a bad tenant.
Start with the basics: check their passport or driving licence (originals, not copies) and take photos. Then do your Right to Rent checks. This is legally mandatory for every adult who’ll be living there and yes, it’s a bit like being an unpaid border guard, but the penalties for getting it wrong include fines and potential imprisonment.
You can do all the checks yourself, but for around £25, a professional referencing company will save you hours of work. They’ll check credit history, verify employment, contact previous landlords, and generally do all the legwork while you get on with your life.
The key things they’ll verify:
Sometimes you’ll get great applicants who just can’t tick every box, like new graduates, people new to the UK, or those whose circumstances have recently changed. In these cases you can either:
For guarantors, ideally find someone who owns their home and can pass the same referencing checks as your tenant. Make sure they understand they’re liable for the full rent if you have multiple tenants on the same agreement.
Referencing tenants on benefits can be tricky because traditional checks often don’t apply. At minimum, verify their identity, check they’re legally allowed to be in the UK, and confirm their story about previous addresses is consistent. A guarantor can be particularly valuable here.
Get all of this right, and you’ll have tenants who pay on time, take care of your property, and give you glowing references when they eventually move on. Get it wrong, and you’ll discover just how tenant-friendly the legal system really is.
Don’t rush to occupy your property with just any tenant – take your time, follow the process, and trust your instincts when something doesn’t feel right.
Weekly data-led tips, local hotspots, and what actually moves the market.
