As a prospective tenant, how can you do a background check on a landlord before signing a lease? Not only to avoid scammers and fraudulent grifters, but also to verify that the landlord is not a pain to deal with.
I would ideally speak to previous tenants and get their perspective on both the landlord and the property, but tips and advice on other methods of doing your due diligence are also welcome.
speaking as a landlord, you certainly need to check the ownership of the property by doing a land registry check, which will also tell you if there is a mortgage. LLs with mortgages on the property behave differently to mortgage-free LLs.
I must be a stereotypical two headed Landlord then, behaving well on the properties I don’t have a mortgage, but being a bad Landlord on the ones I do have a mortgage.
If only we could do the same with tenants before a lease to verify that they are not a pain to deal with
Isn’t this subjective?
Some tenants are good some are bad
Good tenants may have good relationships
Psychopaths not so much ….
The only way to get to those tenants is through the landlord
Do you think a landlord would ask a bad tenant to give them a reference ?
If I had a problematic tenant in situ I wouldn’t even entertain a viewing let alone a reference
What is your definition of
‘ a pain to deal with’
Someone who inspects every three months and expects you to honour the contract ( but the tenant doesn’t honour their contract ) or someone who doesn’t honour their end of the contract ?
How does a landlord with a mortgage behave ?
I sometimes provide reference letters and/or contact information from my previous landlords to back up my claim as being a reliable tenant.
I understand it goes both ways! Both the tenant and the landlord ultimately want the same thing, namely a peaceful coexistence.
By ‘a pain to deal with’ I mean landlords that ignore significant problems, such as non-functioning appliances, severe water leaks, broken doors or locks, etc.
As a concrete example, one of my previous landlords simply refused to fix a large gash in the ceiling of the bedroom where rainwater would pour, as if a tap was turned on up there. I’m talking several liters per minute during heavy rain.
If that’s the case look at the house carefully.
That’s the purpose of a viewing
Look at how it’s presented from the pavement .
If you see issues, ask if they are going to be dealt with ?
Houses that are presented well are likely to have a more compliant landlord
Look at the windows ; what type of glass is it , what energy rating is it ?
What’s the energy rating on the boiler?
What’s the energy rating of the house ?
Can you see damp?
Are the fans in the wet areas activated by humidity
Run the hot water see if the fan clicks in
If it doesn’t it’s broken or you may have more mould issues ?
Is there a ventilation system ?look at the state of the furnishings
Are they clean
They may be old but they should be clean
Look at the oven the fridge for cleanliness
Does the house smell
Ask them how they manage mould
Do they blame the tenant or do they acknowledge that it can arise from structural or lifestyle issues .
Yesterday a landlord told me mould was the tenants fault . Yes it can be .
However we had mould behind the sofa but the plaster was damp as an area was not treated with DPC .
My tenant is moving in a month late so I’m
Dealing with it while she’s gone
I didn’t just paint over it
It works both ways
Both parties should be transparent
I’m decorating it too so it’s in a better condition before they arrive
Does the inventory match the house ?
There are tenants that want nice houses
There are tenants that want bad houses ( so they can play games )
These tenants reject good houses because they can’t find fault !
I sometimes advertise the house as soon as the tenant leaves
Prospective viewers can see that the house is being prepared
Get a second viewing after a week to see if progress is being made
Sometimes I run late so I ask to come in at the beginning to deal with jobs that are outstanding ( which are highlighted in red on inventory )
The house is the biggest clue to your landlords attitude to tenants and his legal responsibility.
When a tenant views a property they are being judged as a possible candidate by the way they behave and answer questions.
It’s the same for a landlord . It’s an interview process .
I agree with the advice about checking the ownership and/or consent to let. Certainly before handing over any money. You might also check if the property is licensable by the Council in that locality and whether the landlord has a licence, (there’s often an online database). Other things to check would include whether they’re an accredited landlord or at least a member of a professional landlord association, whether they’re registered with the ICO, whether they give you a privacy notice at an early point, whether the wording of their advert and any pictures are accurate when compared to the property etc. These things won’t tell you anything about their personality, but it will give a clue to their level of professionalism.
For a start, they need to get consent to let
Maybe have a chat with the neighbours too any previous tenants how long have they stayed (may give an insight) did they say why they are leaving did the ll live there themselves
Did previous tenant have a moan about ll this also serves as a heads up to you too as it gives you an i sight into your prospective neighbours and there expectations of a new neighbour
Also sometimes how a landlord behaves is subject to how the tenant behaves
Be honest be upfront communicate (but dont mither) pay rent as and when agreed and look after the ll property
A LL would not be allowed to give out previous tenants details under data protection!
I never take notice of LL references as they all seem very good , surprisingly,I go through bank statements,direct debits etc
Had one tenant who had a 60k Audi , posh suits and glowing references,until I looked at statements and casinos , horses and let’s say dubious clubs! And loans everywhere.
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