We recently caught up with Tessa Shepperson, a veteran solicitor who specialises in Landlord and Tenant law.
Tessa gave us some fantastic Landlord Advice snippets that we figured would be beneficial to share with you directly!
Here’s our Q&A in video form.
Without further ado, here’s Landlord Law: 4 Handy Tips You Should Know!
A little bit about Tessa...
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Yeah, sure! I’m a solicitor and I qualified a very long time ago. I’ve been specializing in residential landlord and tenant law for most of that time. I also have a website, which you can access here…
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Yeah, sure! I’m a solicitor and I qualified a very long time ago. I’ve been specializing in residential landlord and tenant law for most of that time. I also have a website, which you can access here…
Here’s a summary of the 4 Handy Tips. Feel free to click on them to scroll to certain points.
1. Tenant Rent Arrears.
“Rent arrears are always a hot topic, and initial advice for rent arrears start at the beginning.
My personal recommendation is that any tenants you bring on need to be thoroughly checked. Remember, your portfolio is your livelihood and at the end of the day you’re taking your tenant’s word for what it’s worth.
Do checks in the beginning to avoid these types of situations from happening!
Credit reference reports, background checks… You could even pop their name into Google and see what comes back!
I know some people won’t enjoy hearing these, but even check their social media. It could save you a lot of money on glaringly troublesome tenants!
Having a great property management software can also help you keep tabs on overdue rent arrears, too…
Some landlord insurance providers also require these checks to be undertaken before letting too, so keep that in mind!”
2. Inspections.
“My personal recommendation is that you undertake a visual inspection at least once every three months and a more thorough internal inspection every six months.
Why?
Because you’ll want to check for things like illegal activity and any repairs or damage that needs to be addressed.
It’s also a good opportunity to check in with your tenant.
A conversation might go a long way.
A decent check in might uncover changes in your tenant’s personal circumstances that may impact their ability to pay rent.
Like I mentioned above, some providers of landlord insurance will want you to do the necessary checks, so…
Be a proactive Landlord!”
3. Grants & charities.
“Looking after your tenants is a large part of what being a Landlord is all about, and when arrears start to mount up it becomes increasingly more difficult.
The more money that’s involved means more headache and stress, right?
There are places out there that your tenants can go to, particularly charities like Turn2us, which helps combat poverty.
These are particularly handy, because unlike Universal Credit, any overdue payments are paid directly to the Landlord.
Some charities even offer aid to tenants of particular nationalities or disabilities and it’s worth letting your tenants know that these things do exist.”
4. How to evict a tenant.
“You might be asking…
How do I evict a tenant?
Unfortunately, there are situations where evicting a tenant is perhaps the only route you can go.
It’s best to avoid it, if you can. There are various mediation services that Landlords can use, which are often frowned upon by Landlords.
But even if your tenant doesn’t engage with the mediation service, this will work in your favour as you’ll receive documentation that proves that you tried to mediate.
When filing an eviction claim, you need to do everything you possibly can to put the judge on your side.
Missing simple things like not addressing repairs or taking illegal tenant fees or not giving your tenant a copy of the How to Rent Guide can practically derail your eviction claim and even take months to get back on track.
So, serve the correct notices. Whether it’s a Section 8 or a Section 21. Make sure your Section 21 is valid, as a lot aren’t!
Conclusion & Landlord Law Kits.
Tessa provides great content & information for residential & commercial Landlords. She also offers fantastic legal kits.
Use code HV2XUDTS for 20% off the following kits. Active until the 31st August 2022, so snap it up quickly!
Download our free eBook!
Grab a free copy of ‘The Essential Legal Handbook for Landlords” today by clicking the button below!
Download our free eBook!
Grab a free copy of ‘The Essential Legal Handbook for Landlords” today by clicking the button below!
