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Published: 14 August 2023

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THE SECRET SAUCE FOR TROUBLE-FREE TENANCIES AND PEACE OF MIND

Giving someone the keys to your rental property is a big deal, and you want to be as sure as you can be that whoever you choose turns out to be reliable, trustworthy, and trouble-free.

For complete peace of mind, a thorough background check will give you the confidence that your tenant:

• earns enough to live at your property.
  
• has a history of paying their rent on time.
  
• is financially stable and secure.
  
• will look after your investment.
  
• won’t be a nuisance to your neighbours.

Whenever we speak to a landlord where things have gone wrong with their tenant, the story often begins with a lack of pre-tenancy checks that could have flagged potential problems.

So for this week’s blog, join us behind the scenes of our rigorous referencing to see what we do and why only the best tenants pass the test.

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Published: 14 August 2023

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FIVE WAYS TO RAISE THE RETURN ON YOUR RENTAL HOMES

Is your buy-to-let as profitable as it could be? Many aren’t.

There’s often more mileage in a rental home than many landlords realize and some of the checks you can make to determine whether your property is a peak performer include:

• Do your tenants usually leave after the initial contract term?
• Are other nearby homes achieving a higher rent than yours?
• Does your property reflect what local tenants are looking for?

Being a successful landlord is all about balancing capital growth, cash flow, and long-term planning. If you can optimize your investment now, it'll work even better in the future as rental values increase.

With that in mind, this week's blog is packed with tips for more profitable buy-to-lets, from cutting your costs to making improvements and even reviewing your business model.

So, whether you’re thinking of becoming a landlord, have a rental property that will soon be empty, or want to negotiate a higher rent with your tenants in return for upgrades, all you need is right here.

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Published: 24 July 2023

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HOW DO YOU PICK THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY?

It sounds like a landlord’s dream come true: a shortage of rental homes, multiple tenants competing for each one, and rents going through the roof.

It’s the same story for almost every property to rent in Liverpool, but the flood of enquiries can be overwhelming. So how do you avoid getting bogged down in a sea of viewings and admin?

Well, it’s a mix of who you naturally attract in the first place and how you filter out the crowd, which means boosting your understanding of:

• Why there are so many tenants.
• The best way to target high earners.
• How to screen people before viewings.
• Typical warning signs of problem tenants.
• The secrets of rigorous referencing.

Daunted? Don’t be! In this week’s blog, we’ll show you how we sort the great from the good, so you can be sure the tenant you pick is truly the cream of the crop.

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Published: 03 July 2023

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COULD YOU BOOST THE INCOME OF YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY BY 21%?

To furnish or not to furnish? That hasn’t been the question for as long as we can remember - it’s been unfurnished all the way.

Nonetheless, the subject comes up in conversation every now and then, and a recent Zoopla article weighed up the pros and cons of furnished vs unfurnished homes, albeit from a tenant’s perspective.

So we thought it was worth exploring from a landlord’s point of view, particularly if it opens up a new angle and extra income for your buy-to-let business.

Over the last few years, surveys have found that:

• Tenants pay up to 21% more for a furnished home, according to research by onthemarket.com, rising to 50% for some furnished city rentals, according to CIA insurance;

• 28% of tenants would pay more rent in return for high-quality furniture, while 26% are more likely to rent a furnished property over an empty one.

Does that mean a quarter of tenants will pay handsomely for a furnished home? And if so, which quarter? And isn’t supplying furniture just an expensive hassle for landlords?

There are plenty of questions, so if you own a rental property in Liverpool and you’re wondering whether it’s right for a furnished letting, this week’s blog should provide some answers.

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