Ever since I went to university I’ve moved house a lot. I’d almost class it as a hobby at this stage, I love it. I like having a change of scenery a good clear out and the chance to decorate my new place. I’ve moved between 4 different cities over the last few years which has been a lot of fun. Actually, I’m well overdue a move and currently spend a little time each day on the Rightmove app.
When you move house/flat a lot like me you get to the point where you’ve had a variety of experience with good and bad landlords. They’ve generally all been really good apart from a couple during my university years. If you’re a student then you really must be extra careful with renting, I hope the standards have changed over the last 9 years.
Today I thought I’d put together a post about what I personally look for in a landlord. Hopefully a few of these points will also be beneficial to landlords and give them some ideas on how they can work smoothly with their tenants. The idea actually came from the folks at Homelet which is a super handy site for landlords and tenants. They have been supporting landlords for over 25 years and make it easy to compare landlord insurance.
It goes without saying that you must read your contract and take extra care to ensure you’re happy with everything. This list is not what you need to check for when you’re renting a probably. It’s simply a few things which I personally looking for from a landlord.
– Someone who lives locally – I prefer renting from someone who lives in the same city. It makes me feel much safer to know that they can be there if anything goes wrong in the flat. They’re also more like to have personal connections with plumbers etc who they trust and in turn, you can trust.
– Good communication – I think this is essential and comes in many different forms. When I go to visit a potential new flat/house I like it when the landlord takes a little extra time and care to tell you about the local shops and even better, their favourite takeaway. This makes the renting experience much more personable.
It’s also important to take note of how easy it is to get in contact with your potential new landlord. If they’re avoiding calls and questions right from the beginning then that’s not going to change throughout the tenancy.
– Reputation – These days it’s easy to jump online and do a little digging on your landlord. I don’t mean stalk their Facebook page, obviously! Just do a little research for reviews and use sites like Rate Your Landlord to share your own experiences.
– Approachable – When I’m considering a new rental I want to feel that I can talk to my landlord with ease. If they’re not approachable then I know I’ll find it hard to contact them about any problems I’m having within the property. Where you live needs to feel both comfortable and safe. If there are any concerns about this then you should be able to ask the landlord to make additional changes.
To find out what others look for in a good landlord pop over to Twitter and explore the hashtag.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you look for in a landlord.
Thanks to Homelet for collaborating this post.