Being a landlord can be a great way to make money on a second home or flat – but it’s always easier if your tenants are happy! After all, if they are keen to rent long-term, it will save you money.

Our latest blog provides four tips to keep your tenants happy.

Inform of rules and regulations up front

Don’t want pet owners or smokers to rent your flat or house? Make sure that this is clear in the description when you put your property up on ASPC. You don’t want to think you’ve found your dream tenant, only to find out at the last moment that they don’t fit the bill.

It’s also a good idea to let them know what you are happy for them to do to the property, internally – are you happy for them to paint the walls, for example?

Make sure that when tenants sign the contract, they know exactly what they will be responsible for. This can be especially important in a fully-furnished flat, so they know what will be replaced and under what circumstances – and what will be considered damage to the property.

Make sure tenants know how to work everything

From the washing machine to the oven – it’s a good idea to leave manuals to make sure that the tenants know how to work everything.

These days, most manuals can be found online, so you could even just print out the appropriate pages if you don’t have a hard copy. This will make life a little bit easier for the tenants, and could save having to replace broken items!

Respond quickly to complaints

Nothing is more frustrating for a tenant than having to cope with broken or malfunctioning items, and having to wait a long time to get something fixed.

There are some things that you’ll want, and need, to get fixed early – for example, if the lock on the front door is broken, but other tasks such as a wobbly floorboard will not be as urgent and a reasonable delay is fine.

But by getting repairs done quickly – or at least calling out a repairman as soon as you can – you’ll keep your tenants happy.

If it’s the case of something new needed as a replacement e.g. a microwave, or something bigger such as a fridge, you’ll obviously want a little bit of time to research before buying. However, it’s important to respond to your tenant as soon as possible, by phone or by dropping by, to let them know that you are aware of the issue and will be aiming to fix it as soon as possible.

Let them know in advance if you need in

That being said, if you are going to be dropping in to your tenant’s flat, try to give them at least 24-hours’ notice.

If you’re looking to, say, do a check-up on the property, it is a requirement that you give this period of notice. However it is polite to give more notice if you can, to ensure that tenants have time to wash dishes and generally tidy up.

Of course, in an emergency situation, such as a flooded bathroom, you have the right to enter the property to carry out repairs without notice.