Common requests landlords deal with
Cardiff is a growing city that’s perfect for the budding landlord thanks to plenty of ideal suburbs that are primed for the buy-to-let market.
Whether you’re looking for a sound investment or are simply finding it difficult to find suitable buyers for a property you’ve been trying to sell, there are many benefits to entering the buy-to-let market and taking on tenants.
Some people are put off as they feel there is just too much work involved to get things up and running or worry about rogue tenants raising their stress-levels.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution - get an expert involved who can offer advice, guidance and even manage the entire process for you.
For those who go the independent route, a letting agent can still help you source and vet the perfect tenant, but they won’t be the first port-of-call when a tenant has a question or request.
Below we take a look at a few common requests that you may well face from a tenant.
‘Can I change the date I pay my rent?’
It seems a reasonable enough request - most people are likely to want their rent to go out around the same date they get paid, before they are let loose on St Mary’s Street on a Saturday night, but it needs to be carefully calculated and managed to ensure figures are accurately worked out so that you, the landlord, don’t end up out of pocket.
‘Can I leave before the contract ends?’
Life throws up surprises all the time, and this could mean relocating at short notice for whatever reason. It could be for family reasons, work reasons, other personal reasons. Whatever it is, it shouldn’t leave you without a tenant in your property. Make sure your tenants understand that while within the contract period they may still be liable for payments and/or cost of re-letting the property if they choose to end their contract before the agreed term. This should all be drawn up in the contract with them at the start of the tenancy.
‘Will you be coming to cut the grass?’
Though you may have stipulated at the start of the tenancy that basic maintenance of the garden is the responsibility of the tenant, and though you may have included it in writing within the tenancy contract, it’s not uncommon for a tenant to question the landlord about when they intend to deal with the overgrown garden. To avoid the garden of your property resembling that of a jungle, be sure to make it clear as early as possible so that the tenant is fully aware of their responsibility to ensure its kept in good order themselves rather than wondering why you haven’t turned up with a lawn mower.
‘Can you come and change some light bulbs?’
To be fair, the majority of tenants nowadays tend to be aware that trivial things such as changing a light bulb isn’t something to be contacting a landlord about, but it does happen more often than you may think. General upkeep of the property should be mentioned in the tenancy agreement highlighting that the tenants have a responsibility to maintain basic things - such as changing a light bulb!
Having a property expert on hand can help eliminate the stress of having to deal with tenant requests, whether serious or trivial and no matter what time of the day. Regular inspections can be carried out and you can live your life safe in the knowledge that your property is in good hands.
If you’d like to discuss the property management services we offer here at CPS Homes, contact us today by calling 02920 668585, e-mailing enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or by popping into one of our three Cardiff branches.
