How do you make your rental property stand out from the crowd?

What can landlords do to attract interest in their properties? And once tenants have moved in, how can they ensure things run smoothly?

North east landlords are putting in more effort than ever before to lease their properties, particularly given current competitive market conditions where rentals are available at lower prices than we’ve seen for some time.

First impressions last

Spending a relatively small sum of money at the start to make the best impression can really pay off.

Easy starting points include

  • Dressing the beds

  • Putting in new light fittings, and using pictures and rugs to best effect

  • Landscaping the garden

  • Doing maintenance — such as cleaning the gutters, carrying out roof repairs and replacing pointing

  • Giving the place a facelift — refreshing paintwork and cleaning the windows

It’s also important to publicise all the property has going for it.

This includes anything from a secure back garden and dedicated parking space to favourable school catchment zones. Plus, having professional photographs taken will show your property off in its best light.

Securing a lasting tenancy

As a landlord, you’ve a few things to consider

  • How will you vet tenants?

  • How much deposit will you charge, and how will you protect that money?

  • How often will you schedule property checks?

  • How will you deal with arrears? As ever, the best approach is to tackle issues straight away to prevent the situation worsening.

  • How will you keep up to date with the latest legislative developments?

So where do you start?

You’d expect us to say we can help with all of the above, and of course we can. As a leasing agent, we’re here to make the process as straightforward and easy as possible.

What’s more, we’re increasingly seeing landlords coming to us for support. From assisting with a buy-to-let mortgage, re-mortgaging and drafting the lease to providing advice and a full factoring service, our experts deal with all the aspects of leasing that you’d expect, including

  • EPC

  • Gas safety certification

  • Pat testing

  • Taxation advice

  • HMO guidance

And our popular ‘house doctor’ service gives great advice on things you could do to improve the rentability of your property: helping you secure a lease with minimum expenditure.

What's more, while there's no getting away from the fact that difficulties do arise from time to time. We're a full-service firm, which means other specialists, such as those from our litigation team, are on hand to step in if needed.

Ultimately, spending a little to present your property in its best light, while calling on expert advice to make sure everything’s covered, means leasing can still be an attractive investment option, no matter how competitive the market.