No landlord wants to attract bad tenants.. so why do they?

From working with over 40 landlords, we’ve spotted these reasons why you might be getting less than desirable tenants in your properties.

1. You’re handing over full responsibility to a letting agent 

Whilst many do an excellent job and save you hassle, be conscious they may be under pressure to hit income targets. We’ve seen agents dismiss longer term tenants because a greater tenant turnover = more lettings fees to them.
Also, there’s nothing like gut feeling.. So if you can’t do the viewings yourself, educate your agent in exactly whom you’re looking for and you/your VA can qualify potential tenants over a video call. 

2. You’re being reactive to voids, not proactive

Desperately filling an empty room because you/your agent weren’t prepared is a recipe for disaster. Whether you use an agent or not, write a step-by-step procedure so that when a tenant hands in their notice, you just follow the process to get an ad up and viewings organised asap.

3. You’re doing repairs, not maintenance 

I have a client with an in-house caretaker who monitors the condition of his properties and does preventative maintenance. What better way to show tenants that their landlord cares about the property and their welfare, rather than waiting for things to break down before fixing/replacing, at the inconvenience of the tenants. We can’t all afford a caretaker, but we can be more proactive with future proofing our properties during frequent inspections.

4. You’re compromising on standards

If you’ve got a ‘stick anything inside the room because it’s a rental’ attitude, filling your properties with cheap furniture, unconsidered decor and poor fixtures and fittings then don’t expect the tenants to have the utmost respect for your property. 

Creating an aspirational home increases your chance of attracting tenants with a higher standard of living and respect for their home environment.