What Makes a Good Landlord – 5 Top Tips

As a former renter now homeowner and landlord, I asked my self recently – what makes a good landlord and I went back to my 10 years of renting experience. Since I left home for university and until I bought my recent property, I have been renting for 10 years. It’s quite a long time to rent and I have had my search of wonderful and weird landlords and now that I am one, I have reflected on this – what makes a good landlord and thought I share my top 5 tips.

Over the last decade or more, the number of private renters has increased exponentially compared to those who are in social housing or own their own home. The figures are staggering 20% private renters compared to 28% who have a mortgage and this is due to the increased house prices and lower-income. As more people are finding renting to be more financially freeing that getting on a property ladder, it’s even more important to find a good landlord.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post (* link) all opinions shared are 100% my own.

What Makes a Good Landlord

Renting is one of the best ways to gain freedom from friends and family and having your own space you can do whatever in is great. Obviously for renters, there are certain limitations that come coupled together with renting and that’s ‘you don’t own the place’. This spending on your landlord can either be a good thing or a bad thing and this is where my question comes in – what makes a good landlord?

In the last 10 years of renting, I have been fortunate enough to have mostly come across really good landlords but I have also met some questionable sorts. I know one of the biggest fears most landlords have is finding themselves with a renter who doesn’t pay or ruins your property but it doesn’t mean you have to micro-manage your tenants. Below I have listed down 5 tops tips that I think is what makes a good landlord.

Easily Reachable

In almost all the properties I have rented, I have found the landlords to be easily reachable especially when it (1) concerns their money and (2) involves hiring a fixer or they do it themselves. In my last apartment that I rented my kitchen flooded thanks to my washing machine. The pipe connected to the washing machine that is meant to deposit water in the drainable was unhooked and sprayed all over my kitchen and starting moving towards my living room (I had an open plan) when I found it.

I was able to quickly reach my landlord, he checked the pipes and found the issue and with industrial tape, he sealed it off (leaked ago by-the-way) but he was still quick and responding and fixing what he could or hiring a professional to do it. I have found the landlords like him always have good relationships with their tenants and mine even provided a back-up contact number that I could ring in case I couldn’t get a hold of my landlord.

Has Insurance

Before I signed any rental contracts I always checked if my landlord had his/her own building insurance so I only needed to worry about my contents insurance. As a new landlord myself, I have found it pays to *compare landlord insurance before settling on one that covers your needs. Until I started my research into landlord insurance, I honestly did not think much about what I would need to ensure I was covered for and know what I wasn’t going to be covered for.

With the current covid situation, some landlords have found themselves with deals that fell through and now have no tenants. It is good to know there are insurance polices out there for landlords that covers you for unoccupied properties and also loss of rent cover. I am glad that I did my research and continue to do so moving forward to ensure I am protected regardless of what might happen with/to the property.

Is Flexible

I personally have rented from some of the most strict landlords ever and also the most flexible. A few years back when I moved into the current town, I rented a room with three other people and the landlord was a live-in landlord. Not only was he not flexible – we all hard curfews, if it wasn’t for affordable rent and work, I would moved out within a month or two. I did eventually move out after 6-months, I saved up and found an incredible place.

In more recent years I chose to move out of an apartment after my ever so lovely landlady informed me she doesn’t allow pets when I enquired about it since I wanted to adopt an old dog. It was heartbreaking to leave as she was super lovely and I rented her property for 3+ years but she wasn’t willing to allow animals so I had no choice but to move.

Part of a Deposit Scheme

In England and Wales, landlords are required to put your deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme and thankfully for me, I have always checked that the landlord or estate agent has this in place and is included in the contract. I have heard horror stories about landlord refusing to return your deposit or someone run away with your deposit. This is why I think it’s important to ask your landlord if they are part of such a scheme and ensure its included in the contract where your money will be and when you can receive it.

I know people in shared accommodation who have chosen to just taken each other’s word that after you move out I will give you back your deposit. Between friends it might seem like a good idea but I think its best to take the temptation away and have is secured somewhere else. Provided you have not caused any damage to the property or left rubbish everywhere, you should get your deposit back in full – but please read the fine print of any extra costs.

Respects your Privacy

This is a big one for me and in the past, I would have only put this against live-in landlords but it’s applicable to ALL landlords. I have had landlords who would go through my stuff when I wasn’t home, unlock my room when I was away for the weekend for no other reason than to check ‘if I was there’. I have had non-live-in landlords turn up unannounced at my rented property to check if their key still works in your door.

As a landlord it is so important to respect your tenants privacy, of course there might be cause for concern with some tenants but I would still request permission before I just turned up or entered their room for no rhyme or reason. I had in the past resorted to installing a nanny camera just to see what it is about my room or apartment was so fascinating that they entered without permission or informing me first of this act.

So, now that I have shared my experience being a renter – what in your opinion makes a good landlord? Are you a landlord, what are some of the tips for being a good landlord to other landlords?