What do renters really want?

[WilfSell]

We will be renting out a property (until she died, the house of my MIL).

We would like to know, if you were a young couple, or small family (it's a 2 bed in a good newbuild suburb in catchment for the Salford primary that came top of the table), what items you would consider essential and what you would just really like.

For example, furnished or unfurnished? Would a dishwasher make a difference to the rent you might pay? What other things...?

Thanks very much.

i also used to be a housing officer and can talk to you more about it if you want to cat me

laminate flooring

clean bathroom and kitchen, relatively modern
unfurnished

Thanks dummymumm that's very helpful. In Salford/Manchester so bit too far for you!

Yeah I had noticed about the gas and electric checks. Will remember to get those done too...

laminate or wood flooring.

unfurnished

shower definitely.

no, a dishwasher wouldn't make a difference to how much rent i paid.

washing machine a must - they're very heavy to move.

essential repairs done in a timely fashion

everything in good workng order.

not using your rental house a spare storage facility for your junk.

Personally:

Clean all over
Decent condition if not new flooring in kitchen and bathroom
Unfurnished
Neutral paint colours, although the house I live in now was mint green in the living room and I got permission to paint it.

Things like a dishwasher wouldn't bother me, but space for one should I choose would be good. I would rather get my own and be ableto keep it.

I would want a secure garden.

I don't really care what the floor covering is in the kitchen and bathroom as long as they are in decent nick, our current house has lino tiles that we have had to re-stick down and the bathroom floor needs replacing.

Please do not fill up the shed or garage, if you have them, with your old stuff, as tenants do need space to store things.

Ours was supposed to be unfurnished and the landlords left a wardrobe (they moved out and we are the first tenants) they couldn't be bothered to take and a shed full of filing cabinets. Fucking annoying.

No damp, no leaking roof, no wood worm. A landlord that returns phone calls and is actually bothered that the conditons of the house is affecting ds1 asthma. I would settle for that at the mo.

totally agree about not having the attic or shed or whatever locked up and unavailable for tenants.

And tbh I wouldn't want a gardner to come in. I'd much rather have a few basic garden tools provided and permission to plant/grow stuff.

thanks for all the feedback. It sounds like there are lots of shit landlords around.

We hope not to be so it's helpful to hear what pisses tenants off.

Do you mind me asking about the price range you thinking of?

Wilf, the fact that you have asked for opinions means you'll be fine.

My db has been stung so many times when it comes to the LL returning the deposit. I've been luckier tbh.

Wilf, I have a couple of flats that I let (am a kind of accidental landlord, we needed to move in a hurry) and agree with Moonlady's landlady. I actively look for single Mum's now. It started when we were moving out of the house and my neighbour moved in as the flat she was in had no heating.

That was 8 years ago in October, she is fabulous. I've always accepted what Housing Benefit have been prepared to pay in her case, which has been under the market value for the flat as it is a 3 bed and she is only entitled to a 2 bed under the HB rules. It will go up in October when her son is 10.

Then I let the upstairs flat to another lady who was pregnant with her second child when she moved in, she stayed 5.5 years. The new tenant is also a single Mum who has just escaped a domestic violence situation and is pregnant with her fourth child. The council fast tracked her claim so some Housing Benefit came through within two weeks and they have guaranteed her deposit. Hopefully she will stay for a good few years.

The only time I've had a void was by choice when we temporarily moved back into one of the flats and needed to renovate it. It does cost me extra on insurance but it is worth every penny as they have been really good tenants.

I try to make sure that I am quick to respond to any problems so have British Gas cover for the boiler in case anything goes wrong and have over the years collected a variety of tradesmen for the other inevitable disasters that turn up. They are clean and warm, electrics renewed so all up to date as are the plumbing. The kitchens are a bit dated but fine.

Both flats are fairly neutral. The first upstairs lady repainted in various colours which had to be redone when she left but was good at the time for her and her boys. I've always made it clear that it is their homes and I don't expect to be asked if they can put up pictures, shelves etc, they are to do it.

With people I don't know I start with 6 months lease then it tends to continue on a rolling basis. We don't make much if any of a profit but hopefully one day we'll get something out if it, I'm just happy for it to tick along for now.

A lot of people won't consider people on housing benefit or LHA as it is now. Some because they have heard horror stories, some because they can't afford or won't pay more on the insurance and some mortgages won't let you. So I just wanted to put another view point across.

oh well it was worth asking anyway! a few things that have popped into my head -
new legislation means you must protect the tenant's deposit in a recognised government scheme. you should look at charging rent that covers the mortgage, insurances, maintenance plus a profit. this is what the mortgage company will be looking for. the deposit should then be a month's rent plus about £150 to cover damages in the event the tenant uses their deposit to cover the last month's rent. once you have worked this out pose as a potential tenant and view some similar priced properties to see how yours compares. it will be easier for you to spot any issues that may be off-putting to tenants. from october this year you will also have to have an energy efficiency rating. is it insulated/double-glazed etc? if not this will reduce your potential rental income.
i will post again if i think of anymore. hth

unfurnished, clean, fairly modern looking kitchen, neutral colours, washing machine, washing line if there's a garden, lawnmower is there's a garden, a bath and a shower.

Not bothered about dishwasher.

orangehead, similar properties in the area are currently renting for between 550 and 600 a month. The local letting agents are saying that rents are getting higher as mortgages are harder to come by.

I don't know if he's spinning a line to get a commission though!

I will have to cover 125% of the mortgage interest payments (or I won't get a remortgage when the current rate expires) and a bit to cover insurances, maintenance etc, so we will be hoping to get something like the local market rate...

I've always gone for shitty places that are chep and I'm allowed to do up - not such a big deal if ds gets paint on things

BUT what's important to me, is this:

Unfurnished
No white goods (Had to buy my own a few years ago, hard to find somewhere I can take them!)
Floors wooden, not laminate it's horrible...maybe carpets in bedrooms but not downstairs.
Electrics etc in good working order and checked.
Bathrooms don't have to be new but do have to be clean - and easy to keep clean, so vinyl on floor or tiles or wood etc.

Shower yes but it can be a hand held one that rests on the taps iyswim - never thought i'd say that but I like ours!

Central heating. ie not having to plan when someone will want a bath.

Secure garden.

Kitchen not important as long as it is functional and easy to clean. Ours is about 23 years old, a bit knackered but I can clean it and it looks acceptable iyswim. Last place had no units or flooring, it was awful - no incentive to tidy up.
Windows warm and cavity wall also helps a lot, plus loft insulation.

That's all I can think of.

Decor - just normal, plain, white/magnolia is fine.

I wouldn't use a dishwasher but then am a luddite

Good luck!

What I really really want is someone who will look after the place, mow the lawn and weed the plants , be a model tenant for about 5 years, and then wish to buy the place off us at the market rate with no estate agents involved.

Not much to ask then, hey?

Oh I'd have loved to do that. If I'd been able to afford it that is.

My friend and her husband bought their run down flat in london very cheaply from their landlord, and sold it a couple of years later for about 4x the amount

Brilliant bit of strategy! She is very clever

Ps my landlord is the best ever, Moonmother

He is international yachtsman

Very exciting

It don't think it works like that. You get a certain amount subsidised (don't know the figures, sorry), ubt can contribute your own on top of that if the rent is more. I believe the council looks at rent prices in the area and sees whether the person on benefits could reasonably live somewhere cheaper.

If it had an outside space, even a yard, I would like a table and chairs, particularly if you are thinking of renting while it's still summer.

Otherwise, somewhere clean and fresh. Would like the option of furnished or unfurnished (would prob go for unfurnished). Oven and washing machine essential. Dishwasher nice, but only if there's space, don't squeeze it in. Not bothered about kitchen being tiled, but need plenty of cupboard space. Great if you can get table and chairs in there too.

Bathroom should have bath and shower (can be as one). Boiler not in a bedroom (or enclosed in a cupboard at least).

With a young family, I'd like the place to be clean and welcoming, but not absolutely brand new and immacualte, as I'd know I could never keep this up and wouldn't want to pay damages!

I'd like to meet the landlord, not an agent.

oops sorry my message came very late. Ignore ifrst one

Personally, pretty neutral decor, worktop space in kitchen, if furnished then simple, solid, functional ikea type stuff, not fussed at all about a dishwasher. Not too much furniture, leave space for tennents who may have a few bits and bobs like bookshelves. Being allowed to put up pictures/having hooks ready for them to go up in the most likely places is a must. Shelves! There are never enough shelves. Consider what the rateable value is for water too and if a water meter may be a good option, for a afamily wanting to move to a better area that can be a harsh bill increase and a meter can offer much better value (also for you when property is empty)

At the end of the day though clean and in good condition is the main thing. I've just moved from neutral, picture hanging, nicely furnished to red carpets, horrible black 70s furniture, lime green in one bedroom, school corridor green living room with fetching brown sofas, not allowed to hang pictures, textured wallpaper because it is on a better road, much quieter, has double glazing, damp proofing and a good secure garden.

If you want long term tennents and really want to attract family etc who will take care of the place consider allowing them to paint at least in the bedrooms etc providing they check colour with you first/are prepared to return it to neutral if you feel it will hinder finding a new tennent when they leave, afterall most of us renters want a home not just a house to unpack our stuff into.

Ok, I live in Europe where expectations are a little different (it is hard to get a short-term let and people expect to treat rented accomodation like it is their own, so hang pictures, paint walls etc)

Here, you are expected to have a good quality bathroom with a shower, a kitchen with fridge-freezer and dishwasher as standard, and room for a washing machine & tumble drier.

House needs to be freshly painted on the inside before renters move in with the proviso that if the renters move out before the end of their official lease the onus is on them to repaint for new tenants. If renters move out at the end of the lease period, the landlord is expected to repaint for new tenants. Nice landlords (like mine) ask about colour choices before you move in, so ds has the blue bedroom that he wanted. Standard leases are for 3 years.

Also, here you are required to give a substantial deposit as a tenant, which is held in an account opened for that purpose. At the end of the lease the landlord can assess whether they feel there has been damage and can access the "deposit fund", but the tenant keeps the accrued interest, even if the whole deposit is required for fixing damage. If the deposit is not required, the tenant keeps it, with the interest.

I have rented property here and in the UK, and I think that the set up here is much better for ensuring that a) a tenant has some rights b) harmony between tenant and landlord is maintained because the obligations of both parties are very clear to everyone.

Also, my landlady replaced the bathroom and put in new windows throughout the house before we moved in (1950's house), as well as painting the inside and the railings outside. But as I said, we will be here for at least 3 years, and the previous tenants were here for 8 years.

Thanks all: I really appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

I will help us get the house ready to rent.