You may wonder how to go about getting a suitable tenant for your property.  The first step is to decide how much rent you are going to ask for and how long, and on what terms, you are going to offer the property for letting. Are you going to offer an assured shorthold or a full assured tenancy? Who is going to be responsible for those repairs which the law does not automatically make your responsibility? Do you want to make any special rules for the property, for instance about taking in lodgers?

Local shop windows may contain advertisements from people seeking rented housing in the area. Or your local authority may be able to tell you of people in need of a home. Some local authorities have lists of local landlords and are prepared to refer potential tenants on to them. If there is a university or similar large institution near you  they may keep lists of landlords in this way too. Alternatively you could advertise in a local or national newspaper.

The question which you will want to ask yourself when a potential tenant presents themselves is: is this person going to be able to pay the rent? You may like to ask for references from the tenant's bank or employer, or perhaps a previous landlord. You may also like to consider taking a deposit.

Once you have chosen your tenant, it is well worth having a proper written agreement about the terms of the tenancy. This will help prevent any difficulties which might arise later on if there is a dispute about who is responsible for what.
Make sure the agreement contains a clause permitting the landlord possession where the tenant does not pay the rent or is in any other way in breach of the tenancy agreement.

If your tenant is going to pay rent on a weekly basis, you must provide a rent book with details of the tenancy and prescribed information about assured and assured shorthold tenancies. You can buy a rent book at legal stationers'. Your tenant can use the book to keep records of rent payments and other details such as the amount of deposit taken.

If you do not fancy finding your own tenants, you can employ agents to do the job for you, although they will charge a fee.

Common Questions

What if the tenant is on housing benefit?

Housing benefit is money paid by the state to help tenants with their rent. Tenants may receive assistance towards all or part of his rent. Your tenant must pay you whatever rent he owes you, whether or not he receives benefit. In some circumstances housing benefit can be paid direct to a recipient's landlord. If your tenant falls behind with his rent and is on benefit you may like to approach your local authority housing benefit department to see whether direct payment would be possible in your case.

Can the rent officer fix the rent of an assured tenant who is on housing benefit?

No. The rent officer can determine what is a proper market rent for Exchequer subsidy purposes (the Exchequer pays grants to local authorities to enable them to pay housing benefit to eligible tenants). This may in turn mean that the amount of benefit your tenant receives is limited. But if this happens it does not mean that you have to reduce the rent.

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This site is maintained by the Letting Centre Ltd. The Letting Centre cannot provide legal or technical advice to landlords or tenants. If you require legal or technical assistance please contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau, Housing Advice Centre or a solicitor

The Letting Centre,
Old Vicarage,
Withycombe Village Road,
Exmouth, EX8 3AG.
Tel: (01395) 271122