Complete Guide to Letting Property

Contents......Page 5
About this book......Page 9
A (very) short history of rented property......Page 15
1 Is letting for you?......Page 20
What it takes to be a landlord......Page 21
2 Finding the right property......Page 39
Could I live in it myself?......Page 42
Location, location, location......Page 59
Keep your eye on the market......Page 66
Investment pointers......Page 67
Service charges......Page 70
3 Working out the numbers......Page 72
Cash buyers......Page 73
Finding a tenant......Page 89
Landlord action......Page 103
Buying at auction......Page 105
Buy-to-Let......Page 107
Tax......Page 119
It’s worth it!......Page 126
4 Décor and renovation......Page 129
To furnish or not?......Page 130
The essentials......Page 132
Furnishings......Page 141
How often should you redecorate/renovate?......Page 144
Letting out your own home......Page 149
Preparing for corporate or company lets......Page 153
Students......Page 155
Some general points on letting......Page 161
Complying with regulations......Page 168
Advertising......Page 173
Deciding on the sort of tenant you want......Page 174
Before they move in......Page 177
Company lets......Page 185
Short lets......Page 186
DSS and Housing Benefit......Page 189
Housing associations......Page 192
Problems with social tenants......Page 195
Holiday lets......Page 196
Letting rooms in your home......Page 198
Bedsits......Page 199
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)......Page 200
Buying a property with existing occupants......Page 202
Your relationship with your tenant(s)......Page 203
6 Rights and obligations......Page 208
Tenancy agreements......Page 214
Common problems......Page 219
7 Becoming a portfolio landlord......Page 238
The multiple landlord......Page 243
Money......Page 246
Working with agencies......Page 250
Other things to bear in mind......Page 252
Two voices of experience......Page 255
Beware!......Page 258
Buying to let......Page 261
Making your choice......Page 267
Fitting out the property......Page 270
Marketing your property......Page 272
Finance......Page 274
9 Mostly for tenants......Page 280
Who are the tenants and what do they want?......Page 281
References......Page 282
The tenancy agreement......Page 283
Moving in......Page 284
Now you’re a tenant......Page 285
Moving on......Page 288
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme......Page 289
Contacts......Page 291
Publications......Page 305
The Property Investor Show......Page 307
Index......Page 309
Index of advertisers......Page 319