• Preface
• Learning The Ropes When Buying P
• Mock Advertising
• Yields
• Selecting Agents
• Assured Shorthold Leases
• Advertising
• Inventories, Schedules Of Condit
• Viewings
• Selecting Tenants And Tying Up T
• Deposits
• Ending Tenancies
• The Serious Responsibilities
• Houses In Multiple Occupation
• Property Maintenance
• The Tax Man’s Take

The Landlords Survival Guide

• Preface
  • What A Difference A Decade Can Make!
  • How The Guide Works
• Learning The Ropes When Buying Property
  • Knowing What To Buy
  • Why Is Buying The ‘right’ Property So Important?
  • What Skills Will I Need To Be A Successful Landlord?
  • How Much Will I Be Able To Borrow?
  • What Market Opportunities Genuinely Exist?
  • How Do I Begin My Research?
  • So, What Are Landlords Hoping To Find?
  • Checking Out A Chosen Area
  • Finally, Time To Crunch Numbers One Last Time
  • Do I Know Enough To Invest Wisely Yet?
  • Housing Benefit And Head Lease Schemes
  • Beware Of ‘too Good To Be True’ Prices In Distantplaces
  • A Few Final Tips
  • Time To Choose
  • Distance Management
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Mock Advertising
  • Step 1
  • Step 2
  • Step 3
  • Step 4
  • Step 5
• Yields
  • The Difference Between Yield And Return
  • Yield Is An Incomplete Measurement
  • How To Do A Simple Yield Calculation
  • Further Information
  • Checklist/Summary
• Selecting Agents
  • Who Uses Managing Agents?
  • Should Landlords Use Agents Or Not?
  • So What Do I Need To Know About Letting Agents Toprotect My And My Tenant’s Interests?
  • The Downside To Using Agencies
  • What Types Of Agency Services Are Out There Andwhere Are They?
  • If You Sign Up – Let Them Earn Their Fees
  • Your Appetite For Costs
  • Agency Contracts – Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware!)
  • What Kinds Of Agencies Are There, What Kind Of Moneyare They Charging And What Do They Actually Do?
  • Deducting Your Tax At Source
  • What’s The Best Way To Choose An Agent?
  • Be Realistic About What Agents Can Achieve
  • What You Can Really Buy
  • On Deposits And Agents
  • If Your Managed Unit Has Repeated Tenant Or Rentpayment Problems
  • The Landlord’s Clause
  • A Final Caution
  • In Conclusion
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Assured Shorthold Leases
  • Exceptions
  • Background On Assured Shorthold Tenancies
  • Two Broad Types Of Leases (For Independent Landlords)
  • How Difficult Are Leases To Fill In?
  • One Important Exception
  • Confusion Relating To Fixed Terms
  • What Is A Statutory Periodic Tenancy?
  • When Is A Lease An Assured Shorthold Lease And How Easy Is It To Set Up?
  • Leases – Options And Considerations
  • Break Clauses
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Further Information
  • How Long Did This Take?
  • Checklist/Summary
• Advertising
  • First Task
  • Be Available On The First Day The Advertisement Appears
  • Holding Deposits
  • Mutual Respect Makes Tenancies Run More Smoothly
  • Think Safety First
  • Once I’ve Asked These Questions, What Next?
  • Supply Side Gluts
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Inventories, Schedules Of Condition and Property Profiles
  • Taking Stock
  • What Paperwork Are You Suggesting Landlords Use To Complement Their Leases?
  • The Inventory
  • Schedules Of Condition
  • Property Profile
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Viewings
  • After Your Advertising
  • The Benefits Of Flexibility
  • Presentation For Viewings
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Selecting Tenants And Tying Up The Deal
  • Experienced Tenants Know The Drill
  • Talk To Tenants
  • One Final Consideration
  • A Word Of Warning About References
  • Rental Virgins
  • Credit Checks
  • Decision Time
  • Tenant Application Forms And Parental Guarantor Forms
  • Holding Deposit
  • Anything Else?
  • Then What?
  • Some Ideas For All Those Forms You’ll Need To Use
  • Tying Up The Deal Before Moving Tenants Into A Unit
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Deposits
  • What’s All The Fuss About?
  • Part 1: How To Manage Any Rental Deposit
  • Checklist/Summary For Part 1
  • Part 2: The New Tenancy Deposit Scheme Requirements
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary Part 2
• Ending Tenancies
  • What Usually Happens At The End Of Tenancies?
  • Notice Only Grounds For Possession Under Section 21
  • Once The Landlord Receives A Notice Letter From Theirtenant
  • If Your Tenant Wants To Move Out Before Their Initialfixed Term Expires
  • Finding A New Tenant
  • Landlords Letting Out Their Own Home On A Short-Termbasis
  • Landlords With Mortgages
  • When Tenancies Start To Go Wrong, What Should I Do?
  • When Things Go Wrong At An Early Stage
  • What Are My Realistic Options?
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• The Serious Responsibilities
  • The Letting Rules
  • The Principles Of Safety
  • Whys And Wherefores
• Houses In Multiple Occupation
  • The Old Rules
  • What Is A House In Multiple Occupation (Hmo)under The Old Rules?
  • Why The Law Was Changed Recently
  • The Role Of Environmental Health Officers
  • New Rules From April 2006
  • What Do These New Laws Mean I Need To Do?
  • A Breakdown Of The Main Changes
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary
• Property Maintenance
  • Obtaining Consents
  • The Building
  • Freehold Buildings
  • Leasehold Buildings
  • Whys And Wherefores
• The Tax Man’s Take
  • Tax On Income
  • Tax On Asset Appreciation
  • Whys And Wherefores
  • Checklist/Summary