Best practice advice for landlords

Becoming a landlord in Torbay is rewarding, but you need to be ready.

Here are some tips to help you start.

If you rent out homes or manage them, you must follow the law. This is true whether you have one property or many.

In Torbay, we hope landlords and agents do more than the minimum. We want them to follow the best practices in the industry.

The Landlord's Code of Practice is a set of rules for landlords. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) made these rules. The government supports them. Access the full document on the NRLA website.

A summary of your responsibilities

Legal responsibilities:

• Get special insurance for property damage, lost rent, and legal costs.
• Write a detailed agreement for you and your tenants.
• Check the property often. Give tenants at least 24 hours' written notice.
• Provide an Energy Performance Certificate with at least an E rating.Get a Gas Safety Certificate every year. Check electrical systems every five years.

Financial considerations

• Setting rent: Look at local rental prices to set a fair rate.
• Deposit protection: If you rent out your home on an assured shorthold tenancy, you must put your tenants' deposit in a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme. The available schemes are:
  • Deposit Protection Service
  • My Deposits
  • Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Property management

• Keep the property in good condition and fix problems quickly
• Make sure tenants have the right to rent and do background checks
• Lettings agents and property managers in England must join one of these government-approved redress schemes.
  • The Property Ombudsman Limited
  • Property Redress Scheme

Tenant relations

• Always talk openly and respectfully with your tenants. Let them know about any changes or problems quickly.
• Give proper notice before entering the property and respect the tenant's right to privacy.

Model tenancy agreement

There are several sources of usual information:

• The Government has produced a model tenancy agreement for landlords.
• You can find more information in the housing section of this website.
• The Government “How to Let” guide.

Ending tenancies

• Give the right amount of notice as stated in the tenancy agreement and follow the legal steps to end a tenancy.
• Do fair and careful inspections at the end of the tenancy and return the deposit quickly, minus any proper deductions.

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