What do renter want?

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

We are thinking out renting out our excouncil maisonette with garden in London, good transport links, schools, parks and garden etc.

It’s a lived in family home at the moment, my instinct is to make like a boutique hotel but i’m told that’s not necessary, if you rent what feature are important?

Are shower curtains a no no? Do you want a ‘hotel’ finish bathroom?
Do people prefer part furnished (white goods) or completely empty?
When you view it, do you want it empty and ready or staged?
Tell me your pet hates or the amazing things you’ve had in rented accommodation! We want to be good landlords and for the tenants to feel like it’s home rather than somewhere they rent.

Answers on the back of a postcard please!

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

We redid the boiler and electrics 10 years ago and would have all the correct certificates and checks and go with an agent. I have a list of trades and will update it to make sure they can do repairs when needed.
The living room needs new carpet since my cats and kids have trashed it so will replace with something neutral and hard wearing. The kitchen is again 10year old, has loads of storage, people often comment of how well it’s laid out. The back garden is decked and has a summer house in so would be used as a bike store or extra room. I’d leave the curtain rails and potentially leave the curtains (good quality and neural)
The bathroom has started to look worn so we’re going to update the basin and cupboard where we are having problems and shower screen - not sure if we should replace with a new one or cheaper curtain? regrout the tiles.
Once we’ve more out fill holes and repaint in white (not magnolia!) we have some feature walls with fancy wallpaper the agent said leave as is but i’m wondering about painting it all white - would it bother you if some of the paper was coming away? If it didn’t look fresh? Will clean any carpets we haven’t replaced so it fresh and clean.

I’d be happy for them to paint (as long as it’s not crazy) and hang picture and generally be happy living there, ideally I want someone who will stay for 10-15 years if not longer.
Do you think it’s worth writing out a list of all the bills costs and catchment areas so potential tenants have a better idea when looking round?
Will have insurance and a buffer, I want to do the right thing, I never planned on being a landlord but if I am going to be one I want to be a good one.

Any other stylistic things I need to think about?

Thanks for all the suggestions so far

[snowspider]

If you want long term, then unfurnished is the way.

I was expecting contractors in the automotive industry who would come from EU and move on once they found their feet, I got them but they liked it so much they stayed!

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

@snowspider I was worried about to keeping up with law changes, the agent said the gov keeps changing tiny little bits and if you don’t update the wording you can fall foul or not do something i’m meant to! I was thinking about doing a landlords course which I saw suggested in another thread, you might have guessed it, but I really want to do it well

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

We want to keep it in case the kids want to move back to London for work when they are adults/if we decide to retire back to London so it’s definitely a long term thing

[snowspider]

I built the house in my yard and expected to retire to it, but life changed and I first let it out with an agent. I wasn't impressed, so furnished it and read up and had some lovely tenants. I have been a landlord for ten years, now I live too fa away and hoping to change to a small old fashioned holiday let.

[snowspider]

First my daughter and her boyfriend now husband lived there before I ever let it out and the last couple of months my other daughter and grandson have lived there so I understand your motivation!

[Sparklykins]

Colour! It is possible to get sick of neutrals if you've been renting for years. Or let the tennants paint/hang pictures.

Definitely white goods, most places provide them so unlikely that the tennants will already have them.

Shower curtain in fine as long as it's clean and the right length.

If you get the chance, put plug sockets everywhere.

Decent insulation/windows. A lot of rentals have mould problems as they are often trying to keep heating costs down.

[MouseholeCat]

Fridge freezer, oven and washing machine were always musts when I rented. Also useful if it's a washer-dryer to prevent mould.

Fresh lick of paint in between moves. Neutral colours, but not marigold.

Treat any damp/mould and make sure preventative measures are in place. Every place I lived we were constantly fretting about moisture and treating mould but not one landlord would put in preventative measures.

Be okay with the tenants hanging pictures and don't have your own generic art up. If you need to, put something in the contract about asking first/using command strips instead of nails.

[purpleme12]

@Sparklykins I agree about colour. I would prefer some colour. I think it's boring otherwise. But it seems like we're in the minority

[Heyahun]

As a renter I much prefer unfurnished tbh - just the white goods provided!
I hate having to put up with what the landlord chose as furniture and having no choice to change it

Plus if it’s your own furniture then you aren’t worried about damaging anything either

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

It’s all double glazed windows and good extractor fans, There are loads of sockets, I made sure of it when we did the electrics - we gutted it when we bought it and did it like our forever home so it’s to a high spec.
I would hate to live somewhere I could put pictures up or paint so as long as they don’t want to paint the celling black or something bonkers I don’t mind. Same with the front garden, I have loads of bulbs and roses but I don’t mind if they want to change it.
Some of the spot lights in the kitchen and bathroom have stopped working so I’ll get those sorted as well.

[tectonicplates]

We redid the boiler and electrics 10 years ago and would have all the correct certificates and checks and go with an agent. I have a list of trades and will update it to make sure they can do repairs when needed.

Agents have their own approved list of tradesmen. I don't think you get to choose, if they're managing the property.

ideally I want someone who will stay for 10-15 years if not longer.

You don't get to choose that. Even if the tenant said they wanted to stay that long, they might have a change of circumstances, or they might lie. The most likely situation is that they won't even know what they'll want to be doing that far into the future.

Do you think it’s worth writing out a list of all the bills costs and catchment areas so potential tenants have a better idea when looking round?

I've never seen anyone do this before.

We want to keep it in case the kids want to move back to London for work when they are adults/if we decide to retire back to London so it’s definitely a long term thing

Right, so you want someone who'll stay for 15 years or longer, you want that level of commitment from them, but you also want to be able to chuck them out at a moment's notice if you want your children to live there. You are trying to have your cake and eat it - you're legally entitled to not renew a tenancy if you want to move back, but it's the attitude that's putting me off.

You know what would absolutely put me off renting any property? A first time landlord who clearly didn't have a clue what they were doing. If you register with agent, they will tell you all this stuff.

[Catsup]

The damaged wallpaper would bother me incase the landlord tried to then push that damage on to me, and deduct it from the deposit. Flooring I'd prefer something darker vs lighter as I'd have the fear of stains. I'd rather deal with a letting agents vs a direct landlord as its far easier to speak with a neutral 3rd party about repairs (I'd be all is okay to ring/email the landlord at 8am about X, what if they're away or at work?). White goods I think a cooker/washer/fridge freezer is a big plus as they're bigger items you'll not necessarily need at the next rental. I'd not expect or particularly want to reuse a kettle/toaster/microwave as not everyone's cleaning standards are great. An extra tin of paint or a colour match is brilliant for any touch ups. Shower curtain is fine if it's brand new, and curtain poles are a must, also curtains left that are neutral. No crap left hanging about! Nobody wants a bog ugly rocking chair/dresser randomly left cluttering up space as its not useful. If you decide to kit it out then a bed frame/mattress/sofa/table & chairs is fine, but be prepared for people to want it out to bring their own stuff (so be prepared to store it). Mattress will probs need replacing between let's so that's extra expense. Whose your target market? Student let will bring in more money, but you'll need all the furniture in place. However, it'd open up your options more if you decide to take the property back later on. As you have cats yourself would you be willing to let to pet owners? You can specify an additional pet charge for a cat/small dog (v. hard for renters to find).

[Notashandyta]

Nice, newish kitchen and bathroom

Clean, new carpets

Friendly landlord who we hardly see!

[Notashandyta]

I think you sound like a lovely landlord btw

[emilyfrost]

i’m wondering about painting it all white - would it bother you if some of the paper was coming away? If it didn’t look fresh?

You can’t let a property out with damaged wallpaper that’s coming away. That’s just not okay and shows a lack of care.

[EmbarrassedUser]

When I rented not a single landlord ever fixed things either in a timely fashion or to a high quality. One such example was the letting agent coming round to look at the thermostat. It came off in his hand and yet he still insisted it wasn’t broken I was accused of causing damp so many times yet, now I own my own home, I treat it in exactly the same way as I treated my 4 previous rentals and guess what No Damp!! Just treat people as you would like to be treated basically.

[purpleme12]

Exactly.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

If a landlord said they wanted me to stay ten years, I'd think they were bonkers! Why would anyone want to pay your mortgage for ten years?

Definitely fix the wallpaper - you don't need to paint everything white but the paper needs to be patched. That's a fairly easy job.

I'd get a shower curtain that you replace after every tenant - when glass screens get grimy it's impossible to get the dirt out of the hinges and seams.

With kindness, I think you're still a bit attached to your house - that just doesn't work as a landlord. I second going with an agent for at least your first time round until you get a bit of distance - you're not going to be all hearts and flowers and I just want people to be happy when they're calling you at midnight demanding you replace a lightbulb (true story).

[Pyjamaface]

@Notashandyta

Nice, newish kitchen and bathroom

Clean, new carpets

Friendly landlord who we hardly see!

Yep.

I have an amazing landlady. She said when we moved in that it was our home and she would treat it that way. We can decorate & garden as we please, no inspections and any repairs have been done quickly and with no fuss, even over lockdown when a couple of roof tiles broke.

[mrshonda]

I rent and have done for years. The things I look for in a house: neutral decor with no 'unfinished; bits of DIY or bodging, clean wellplanned and modern kitchen and bathroom, garden, decent area, close to local shops for essentials, easy place for commuting.

[Salamander91]

Our house coming with a dishwasher was a huge plus for me

I prefer unfurnished. Its handy when white goods are provided but for a landlord it's probably preferable not to provide them so you don't have to replace if they break. White goods weren't provided in our current home and it didn't put me off

[Smallsteps88]

would it bother you if some of the paper was coming away? If it didn’t look fresh?

Absolutely. It shows you couldn’t be bothered to fix it/repaper. Which means you won’t be bothered to do other repairs.

[purpleme12]

@Smallsteps88

would it bother you if some of the paper was coming away? If it didn’t look fresh?

Absolutely. It shows you couldn’t be bothered to fix it/repaper. Which means you won’t be bothered to do other repairs.

Yes. It's interesting that OP had to even ask this to be honest

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Right

• yes to white goods (that’s not part furnished that’s just basic) but in good condition and fixed quickly if they break.
  
• no other furniture it’s a pain
  
• let me decorate, if you want me to treat it like my home you need to let me treat it like my home.
  
• let me have my cats, sounds like you had cats before yourself so would be great to allow them.
  
• fix things when they break! Because they will over time, that’s life.
  
• you can’t make someone stay ten years, circumstances change, but letting someone feel really at home in their home will help.