UK Landlord Forum / Life

looking to the future im wanting new tenants, as a landlord I will be doing this myself and not through a letting agency.
I've had a bad experience!
Is there a good and bad way to do this? I've searched the Internet but struggling to find any woes items that help to check on new tenants previous history, any advice on this would be great -thank you in advance

Doing it yourself and not through a Letting Agency are not mutually exclusive.

I would not dream of letting a Letting Agent manage any of my properties. However, I am quite happy to let them do aspects of Tenant Find for me. What was your bad experience with?

Hi, Hippogriff
The bad experience was & still is with my tenant. (We'll him and the 3 sub letting tenants he has  living in my property that I knew nothing about)
I originally lived in the property but this tenant came to me as he heard I was getting married and I was looking to rent, he's sister and friends of a friend said he would be OK, but I've had a few problems with him, the sub letting for one, he's changed the front door locks, Everything is yellowing inside with a looks like it's from heavy smoking (probably with 4 males in it)  I received a mouthful of abuse when I asked about him nicely about the smoking. . I've tried to check my property to check on smoke alarms check the condition as its been 16 moths since last one, but he wouldn't allow me in two of the bed rooms, one being a new extension with wet room?? When I said I would like to check them and will call over again giving him 4 days notice to do this he refused again and said its not convenient. He's 6 month tenancy is up end of this month so purpose to give him two months notice to leave. He's become very confrontational to a point my husband has had to take over but he's still abusive to him, offering him out etc. I suspect he's trying to hide something. Maybe more people living there..?!? 
I just hope it's a quick process and I'm able to get into my property, clean it, decorate and start renting it out again. Although I did go through a moment of thinking whether to just sell it because of this dreadful experience, that I will/am having to go through.
I don't want this to happen again, I never checked this tenants back ground or asked for any references.. Nor checked for any bad credit?? If this is possible. Is there any help out there to do this rather than going through an agency.

Many Thanks
I have my concerns

Your whole approach appears very confused. Maybe you'd benefit from the involvement of an Agent? What is your reason for not wanting this, it's not because of your current predicament, right?

Hi!
This is my first landlord experience, we do have a friend who rents out through an agent, but she always seems stressed when she has to get them involved and because of the % that they take it, didn't seem to be doing nothing that myself or my husband couldon't do.
It's because of this situation that I feel I should of gained some more background info

I wasn't saying do that. Approach some to talk about Tenant Find.

Hi, thanks, I wasn't aware you could just use  them to help find a tenant, that's great advice. Does each agent charge different prices do you know?

Many thanks

Sorry Hippogriff, Would you be so kind in helping I forgot to ask, if I have found out my tenant has been sub letting my 4 bed property to 3 other males, is the best option to serve him section 21, or can I evict him within 24hrs. I've just been reading other blogs and wanted to check.
The tenant has a 6 month tenancy that finishes the last day of this month.

Many Thanks

Quote from: mrsmac06 on October 15, 2016, 11:24:53 PM
Hi, thanks, I wasn't aware you could just use  them to help find a tenant, that's great advice. Does each agent charge different prices do you know?

Many thanks

Of course. You can even negotiate. Good luck.

No,you can't serve 24 hours notice.Despite having grounds for Section 8,it will be less open to hassle to serve 21.Follow the rules scrupulously,don't leave any loopholes.Give notice of your intentions to visit a few days before notice expires.Assume you made an inventory? Take this,plus any photos of the state it was in prior to letting.Inform him of the deductions you will be claiming for repainting etc.
The percentages vary greatly in my area (Warwickshire) for agents fees.Around 10% for finding tenant would be typical,but some one-man services are offering 5%

Get online,empower yourself,learn from this experience,horrible though it has been.Never EVER let to friends,acquaintances,colleagues,family etc.Trying to save money on credit checks is a false economy,personal references mean nothing. Good Luck !

I pay a one-off fee for Tenant Find. After that our engagement is ended, until next time.

If the same Agent does Tenant Find for the same property again i negotiate a £50 reduction (no need to visit and take photos or write up an advert).

The fee is the same regardless of whether the property is bringing in £500 per month or £1,200 per month (both real examples of mine) and I'm OK with this as I figure that the work is the same for them. The same should be true of Full Management, but they do like their %age models, that's for sure.

Many Thanks Hippogriff and Heavykarma.
Much appreciated.

Hi Guys, sorry to ask another question,,,

  If I kept  the same tenant but renewed the AST on a  6 months basis for the past 18 months, should I have being renewing the secured bond?
May seem a silly question but its been nagging at me, as I haven't being. Because its been the same tenant I didn't think I needed to. Going to serve section 21 on my tenant and wanting to make sure I have done this correctly.


Many Thanks