Good Landlording

By: Suzanne Smith and Richard Jackson
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  • Summary

  • A weekly podcast co-hosted by Suzanne Smith and Richard Jackson, who discuss practical tips to help you start, grow and succeed as a landlord in England
    © 2024 Good Landlording
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Economics Management Personal Finance
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Episodes
  • #30: What should landlords do about damp and mould?

    #30: What should landlords do about damp and mould?
    Oct 16 2024
    How can landlords intervene to break the cycle of damp and mould in their rental properties? No-one likes living in a property with black mould, and the death of toddler Awaab Ishak in 2020 after developing breathing problems because of the black mould in the flat his parents rented from a housing association show just how important it is for landlords to take damp and mould seriously. There's often more than one cause of black mould, and it's important for landlords to get to the bottom of it. This is another very practical episode for landlords. Suzanne Smith and Richard Jackson discuss the different types of damp, what causes black mould, the practicalities of landlords' responsibilities, what landlords should do if a tenant reports damp and mould, and some practical tips to help landlords and tenants to stop condensation mould coming back. >> Ask a question: Click here for question form What we cover in this episodeWhat are landlords' legal obligations about mould?The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's LawThe different types of damp2. Condensation damp2. Water penetration3. Rising dampWhat is black mould?What causes black mould?What must a landlord do if a tenant reports black mould?Tips to reduce the risk of black mouldThe importance of keeping recordsThe importance of a collaborative problem-solving approach with tenants What are landlords' legal obligations about mould? The law requires all privately rented properties to be fit for tenants to live and free from serious hazards that are harmful for health. If damp and or mould are present in a rental property, it's the landlord's responsibility to identify the underlying causes of the problem so that they can be addressed. In fact, Government Guidance published in 2023 states that landlords must take damp and mould seriously, assess the underlying causes with urgency, take appropriate action and keep tenants informed. Landlords have a legal obligation to maintain the fabric of the building, and remove the source of the moisture to reduce the risk of damp and mould. From a practical perspective, this means that landlords should fix such as misaligned downpipes, blocked guttering, leaking waste pipes, missing roof tiles etc. Tenants on the other hand are responsible for keeping the property in a “tenant like manner”. >> Related blog post: What does “tenant-like manner” mean? >> Related blog post: How should landlords best tackle damp and mould? The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law The Renters' Rights Bill is introducing some new obligations on private landlords, not only to comply with a new decent home standard for the PRS, which will the hazards of damp and mould, but also Awaab's Law. "Awaab Law's" is the name given to Section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 which requires social landlords to fix reported health hazards within specified timeframe, still to be confirmed. The Renters' Rights Bill will extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector. They haven't yet clarified how they will do this, although in the Guidance to the Renters’ Rights Bill says that details will be set out in regulations, after consultation on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to the PRS “in a way that is fair, proportionate and effective for both tenants and landlords”.Second Reading . T >> Related episode: Election special: What the manifestos say about rental reform >> Related blog post: Renters’ Rights Bill and the Decent Homes Standard for the PRS The different types of damp 2. Condensation damp Condensation damp happens when warm moisture vapour that's created inside a property from breathing, cooking, showering, and drying washing, cools and condenses into water when it touches, cold parts of buildings, such as outside walls and windows. You often see condensation on a windows and it's worse on outside walls. Condensation sometimes isn't visible as it starts to grow in hidden places where th...
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    24 mins
  • #29: Renters’ Rights Question Time

    #29: Renters’ Rights Question Time
    Oct 9 2024
    Following the publication of the Renters' Rights Bill a little under a month ago, and in honour of the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons today, Suzanne Smith and Richard Jackson answer some of the many questions they've received from listeners of Good Landlording about different aspects of the Bill. The episode is full of practical advice, and explains the areas where things aren't yet clear. On that note, it's of course course subject to the usual disclaimer that the Bill still isn’t finalised, and some of the wording is ambiguous. The questions about the Renters' Rights Bill cover topics as diverse as rent, what happens when Section 21 is abolished, the transition arrangements, the treatment of antisocial behaviour, pets, students, and the possible impact on leaseholders. There is a worked example of the transition arrangements in the show notes below. >> Ask a question: Click here for question form Questions we answer in this episodeDetail on the new rules on rentWhat happens when Section 21 goes?What happens to Section 21 notices pending on Commencement Date?What are the current time limits for Section 21 notices?General rule for Section 21 notices served before the Commencement DateExample timeline assuming Commencement Date is 1 July 2025Transition arrangements - worked examplePetsStudentsImpact on landlords who are leaseholders Detail on the new rules on rent Here are the questions from listeners about how the Renters' Rights Bill changes rent: It seems that it is possible to increase a rent to market rent and not to a fixed percentage increase? Isn't this a good thing for Landlords? I'm struggling to find the clauses dealing with "no advance rent payments". Is that a thing? It’s been mentioned quite a bit by various people, but in your recent podcast, Suzanne said it’s not clear. Can she explain more about that? >> Related episode: #27: What the Renters’ Rights Bill changes about rent >> Blog post: The new rules about rent in the Renters’ Rights Bill What happens when Section 21 goes? Here are the questions from listeners that relate to the abolition of Section 21 in the Renters' Rights Bill: Can a tenant under the new legislation avoid eviction by staying 2 months in rent arrears, so they avoid reaching the three month threshold for eviction? Can you expand on how Anti-Social Behaviour is treated in the RRB, please? If you want to sell your HMO, (not to family), it mentions tenancies of not less than 12 months which is not possible in an HMO? Okay if you are selling it on as an HMO but if not? I entered into a 12 month AST with tenants on 1 August 2024, and I don’t want to renew with them next year. Can I serve a s21 notice now? What happens if I serve a s12 notice just before the s21 is abolished? >> Related episode: #26: What happens when Section 21 is abolished? >> Blog post: How and when will Labour abolish Section 21 no fault evictions? What happens to Section 21 notices pending on Commencement Date? When the Renters' Rights Act comes into force, the general rule is that all Section 21 notices that have been served before the Commencement Date (when the new tenancy system comes into force) will still be valid. However, there are some rules regarding how long a landlord will have to apply for an order for possession after the the notice expires before it becomes time-barred. What are the current time limits for Section 21 notices? The current rules are that the Section 21 notice can't be served in the first 4 months of a tenancy. However, if the tenants ignore the notice and don't move out when it expires, the landlord must apply for an order for possession within 6 months of the date the notice was served. This rule will be modified for Section 21 notices that expire after the Commencement Date. General rule for Section 21 notices served before the Commencement Date
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    30 mins
  • #28: How to manage tenants and keep them happy

    #28: How to manage tenants and keep them happy
    Oct 2 2024
    Good tenants are precious, and landlords should do all they can (within reason!) to keep them happy and encourage them to stay. In this episode of Good Landlording, Suzanne Smith and Richard Jackson talk about how to keep tenants happy. Starting off on the right foot even at the viewing stage, so it creates a positive impression for new tenants, and keeping them happy once they've moved in. They borrow some ideas from the management of employees, and apply them to the management of tenants. This starts with an "onboarding" process to create a positive relationship - or the "psychological contract" in management speak. It's not all management theory. The episode is full of lots of practical tips to help landlords look after their tenants and keep the tenants happy. >> Related episode: #1: What makes a good tenant? >> Ask a question for the show: Click here for question form What we cover in this episodeWhat is "onboarding"?Why the "psychological contract" is important?What is a tenant onboarding or induction?Tenant reviews of landlords - Marks Out of TenancyProvide a welcome pack or house manual to tenantsWhat quiet enjoyment meansManaging repairsBe professional and business-like What is "onboarding"? Richard and Suzanne have both worked for American companies, and are used to the concept of "onboarding programs" for new employees. Onboarding is similar to what we call an an induction in the UK, but is more than that. It involves, welcoming a new employee into a company, showing them the ropes, and explaining what support there is, and also what the expectations are for the working relationship. Why the "psychological contract" is important? This onboarding idea is an important part of what's called the "psychological contract" between a company and an employee. It's how both parties understand their relationship outside of their formal contract of employment. It's all about how the employee feels about their boss and the company. It can be positive, or negative, and it starts at the interview stage. A similar psychological contract arises between tenants and landlords. Instead of a contract of employment, there's a tenancy agreement. This psychological contract is how the tenant feels about their rental property and their landlord, and is key to having happy tenants. We need to think about the psychological contract as starting from the very first moment that we meet the tenant when we're choosing them through agents or whether we're doing it ourselves. It continues when they move in and throughout the rest of the tenancy, until they eventually leave. What is a tenant onboarding or induction? Suzanne sees the relationship starting once she receives a message from an applicant through the online letting platform. Before they even view the property, she will have sent them suitability questions and may have called them (to avoid time-wasters). She also sends them a a link to the website for her property business, which has FAQs and a pet policy. At the viewing itself, she explains she's an Accredited Member of the NRLA, and that she's a good landlord who takes her obligations seriously and keeps the property in good repair. She sets expectations by saying she is looking for good long term tenants who look after the property, pay the rent on time, and are good neighbours. If they have a pet, she'll talk about her pet policy, and she tells them she increases the rent each year. This all ensures they know what they're getting before they make an offer to rent the property and send the holding deposit. Both Richard and Suzanne show the tenants around the property when they move in, and leave a house manual / welcome pack. Here are a few tips of things to cover when tenants checkin: Communication: explain the means of communicating with tenants, such as a WhatsApp group with the tenants to make it easy to contact each other.
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    24 mins

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