If you’re new to the world of being a landlord and you want to make sure you're doing everything by the book, then one of the best resources available is the government’s official ‘How To Rent’ guide. This documentation covers everything from the basics of rent security to what to do if things go wrong.
That being said, it’s a lengthy and somewhat dense piece of documentation and it may seem a little daunting upfront. That’s why today, we’re here to break down the basics of what this guide can teach you and how you can use it as a valuable resource to help you become a successful landlord.
Who Is It For?
The first thing you should know about this document is that it is purposely written for renters. That means it won’t cover everything you’ll need to know as a landlord, but it will help to give a renter’s perspective on things.
It’s written chronologically as a step-by-step guide for everything a renter would need to know at each part of the process. While it’s not explicitly written for landlords, it’s nonetheless well worth your reading as it contains a great deal of useful information.
Should You Read It Cover To Cover?
This is entirely optional as there are plenty of other places you can acquire this information. Alternatively, it probably is worth skimming through the whole document before you start the process just so you can be confident you understand everything that is to come.
For example, when it comes to rent security, you’ll want to know exactly what is and isn’t expected of you far in advance of that part of the process. Rent security comes with both obligations and rights for the tenant and landlord and you should absolutely be confident in these as early as possible. Problems with rent security can lead to unpleasant legal complications all-round.
Is It All Encompassing?
With all that in mind, this is certainly NOT an all-encompassing document. Keeping on the theme of rent security for a moment, there are plenty of other resources available to help you look into how you can protect your tenant’s security deposit and ensure that things are being handled responsibly on all ends.
All in all, the government’s how-to-rent guide is an excellent resource to give you the basics, and you can absolutely use it as a blueprint for renting out your properties. On the other hand, it’s far from the only resource out there and if you want to go further into any one part of the process you can absolutely do so.
At the end of the day, every tenant and every property has some unique circumstances and no one document can cover them all. That being said, this is an excellent place to start your research.
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