Category Archives: Insurance Guides

Being a landlord requires a lot of work

Posted on 25th November 2010

Landlord rights are not be the most exciting thing in the world but there is no disguising the fact that they are certainly one of the most important. The increasing number of people who are deciding to rent their house because it is very hard to sell a property in the current climate means they will be entering the world of landlords without knowing a great deal about their rights as a landlord.
Once a lease has been signed with the tenant, it is the right […]

A background check needs to be done on all prospective tenants

Posted on 23rd November 2010

As a landlord, choosing the right tenant will eliminate a lot of headaches in the future.  Landlords can now obtain search reports that enable them to screen all potential tenants by providing them with a background check on their potential client. In fact checks are just as important as having landlord insurance. No landlord wants a bad tenant and it is vital that they are found out before any contract is signed. A landlord wants a tenant who will pay the rent on time, look […]

Create a room to relax and enjoy

Posted on 16th November 2010

For landlords providing rooms in properties of multiple occupations a games room will provide a relaxed environment to either an individual or a whole family using the room. Since this type of room is essentially meant to be used to unwind, the choice of colours and design used should not be too formal.
A games room needs be convenient for everyone to use so it is important that the room has a spacious feel. A congested room will only make the room look cluttered and take […]

Housing industry at the crossroads

Posted on 27th October 2010

The cut in housing benefit, the housing shortage, the difficulty in getting a mortgage and the declaration by the government to enable social landlords to achieve up to 80% of the market value rents are just a few of the highlights of the average landlords year.
Never can the industries that are linked to the housing sector have been overwhelmed with so many seismic changes that are happening at the moment. Never can so many experts from one industry have such varying views.
The cuts to Local […]

Damaged drywall can be easily fixed

Posted on 19th October 2010

Everyone will know how easy it is to accidentally put a hole in drywall; it could be from a door handle, maybe something falling over, or even from children playing. Happily drywall is fairly easy to fix, especially if it is a small hole, It is something that even a novice DIY person can tackle and save paying for a tradesman. If the hole is quite big i.e. anything bigger than 12 inches, it is probably better to replace the whole sheet of drywall rather […]

Don’t allow water damage in your property to escalate

Posted on 12th October 2010

Mould growth, surface bubbling & plaster damage
Having water damage to the plaster in the home can look very unsightly. Not to mention that once the plaster gets wet there will be an increased potential for mould problems in the future. Repairing the plaster that has been damaged can be easy if the correct materials are used. The cost of this depends on the size of the damaged area but normally the job will not be too expensive.
When the plaster gets wet the water will activate […]

Check your tenant

Posted on 12th August 2010

Any good landlord or landlady realises the value of a good tenant. It makes life so much easier when the property that represents the means of employment, and possibly the pension at the end of one’s working life, is inhabited by someone who values the place as a home.
A landlord can get some sort of financial security by requesting a deposit from the tenant at the outset of the let, but this is often a bone of contention throughout a tenancy, and most good landlords […]

Minister urged to consider landlords

Posted on 3rd August 2010

Landlords look set to endure more months of uncertainty in the law regarding “Homes of Multiple Occupation” (HMO) as new Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, seems to be complicating the issue further in his attempts to reshape the regulations surrounding multiple occupations.
The Minister has decided to scrap the present rule, introduced earlier this year which, to most landlords consternation, required local planning permission to change the rental status of the property if the tenants were renting as a group as opposed to a family. This was […]

Fibre is not just good for the body

Posted on 29th July 2010

Fibre optic lines have, over the last decade or so, taken over and completely transformed the long distance phone industry. Optical fibres are also a massive part of making broadband available, not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world. When fibre optic lines replace copper for long distance calls and Internet traffic, it can dramatically lower the cost. Many people with fibre optic broadband will have used it to buy cheap landlord insurance without the need to speak to anyone, and in a […]

Stay within the law

Posted on 7th July 2010

Once again this week, landlords hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A landlord from Staffordshire found himself in court and handed down a jail sentence for threatening a tenant who was in arrears with his rent. The rogue landlord was carrying a knife and so left the judge with little option but to jail him. It is all so unnecessary!
Any prospective residential landlord would be well advised to get at least a basic understanding of any laws that have some bearing on landlord/tenant […]