Tips for maintaining your buy-to-let property

Posted under Advice by Michael

Maintaining a property that you have bought for letting is one of your main responsibilities as a landlord. A property that is not well-maintained will eventually lose its value. It will be more difficult to rent or it may fetch a lower rent. Small repairs done at appropriate time will save them from becoming a major repair hassle in the future. For example, a small job of replacing a roof tile might save a major leakage problem when there is a rainstorm. Preventative maintenance helps save a lot of money

A natural disaster like a storm may damage your property. You can claim the cost of repair from your insurance company. Take photographs of the damage and the get a report from an expert view from an objective builder on how the property was damaged.
Spend the time between two letting arrangements to improve the property. Repaint it; redecorate it. A tenant looks for a clean and well-maintained property. Nothing should be broken or damaged. The kitchen and the bathrooms should not look old or out-dated.

If you do not take immediate steps to repair and maintain, your tenants will get the message that you do not care about your property. The tenants will treat your property the same way. They may use the excuse to delay payment of rent pr not pay it at all. Encourage the tenants to report problems promptly. A well-maintained property will never lose its glory and market value.