Should you become a landlord?
It’s been reported that the cost of renting has risen for the sixth month in a row. We’re finding more and more first time landlords coming to us for advice and Landlord services.
In July, the average rent paid in England and Wales rose by 0.6 per cent to a record £705 per month. On average, rent is up £29 compared to a year ago.
At Legal 4 Landlords, we can’t see this trend reversing any time soon as the demand from tenants continues to grow.
New data from the Department for Communities and Local Government shows that one in every six homes in England is now rented out. The number of properties in the sector is now 3.9 million.
There are many more buy to let mortgages on the market compared with last year, meaning that there are now more opportunities for investors that want to get into the buy to let sector. If you can get mortgages and finance in place, now could be a good time to take the plunge.
In the past, renting was seen as primarily for students and young professionals. The difficulty in obtaining a first time buyer mortgage coupled with tough economic conditions means more and more people are choosing to rent rather than buy until they’re more secure. This means there are far more families and mature tenants out there looking for buy to let properties.
Even if the tenant you’re letting your property to appears trustworthy, always carry out full Tenant Checks to make sure references are in order. It can be tempting to go on first impressions but these can sometimes be deceptive. Don’t be tempted to make exceptions. Checking references is a skill and its best to get the professionals to handle this. A careful selection process can help you avoid most problems entirely. Of course, you want to fill a vacant property, but rushing and getting bad tenants is a false economy. In most cases, a full reference check can be carried out in 48 hours so it’s worth the wait.