Whilst renting out a property is still considered one of the best investments to be made as a landlord, being a tenant allows you to have a lifestyle and flexibility and not the constant worry of expense if things go wrong in the house. Apparently then a ‘win, win’ and certainly can be for the landlord and the tenant if a fully qualified professional agent is involved with the whole process.
A recent article in the Property Professional, the monthly ARLA Propertymark publication, highlighted the dangers of renting property through social media. Social media certainly has its place in the property industry and has become an unrivalled marketing tool. However, as the article states, when it comes to something as highly legislated and serious as finding your next tenant or landlord, then it really needs handing over to a professional. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, in the past 5 years there have been over 150 new regulations affecting landlords and tenants, and there are more in the pipeline, so this really is an industry where a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
The interaction that social media encourages is often fun and informative but can also be misleading and frankly wrong. This combined with many feeling they can simply educate themselves via a Google search can be disastrous if it goes wrong, leading to huge fines, criminal records or even prison sentences. Why then take the risk?
So, to reiterate a point we have often made; landlords, use the services of an accredited, experienced agent, look at their history and reviews and take their advice. Let them take control of the whole transaction; after all, if it goes wrong your professional agent becomes invaluable and you are paying for their advice and expertise to guide you through. Tenants, consider your landlords carefully, are they really likely to have the same knowledge as a professional letting agent, and who will you go to if things go wrong? There is more security if there is a professional involved.
As the article in Property Professional concluded ‘if you think it is expensive to hire a professional then just you wait till you use an amateur’.
The Country House Company – the experts you can trust.