Securing the right tenant is about so much more than their job title

Eagle-eyed readers of the news may have seen a story recently that suggested the UK’s largest private landlord was refusing to let properties to victims of domestic violence or plumbers – plumbers themselves, that is, not their victims.

Of course, such headlines are intended to shock and cause controversy, but here at Andrews, we like to look at things differently and use them as an opportunity provide reassurance and clear guidance.

So, whether you’re a millionaire, a plumber, someone looking to move on after the breakdown of a relationship or even a snake-charmer, we believe that by engaging with a reputable lettings agent, you’ll find your ideal next home – after all, if we’ve found you the ideal home, that will mean we’ve found our landlords the ideal tenant.

And that’s really at the heart of it.

If you’re a landlord with a top spec, quality home to let and it’s priced appropriately, then we’ll find you a tenant who appreciates the quality on offer; will respect and look after your investment; and importantly be able to afford the rent.

A landlord with a more basic or rundown property to let, on the other hand, will attract a tenant will lower expectations and a smaller available budget – that doesn’t mean they’re a bad tenant though, just a different one.

It’s all about knowing the market you’re operating in.

We advise landlords that they need to have a clear vision in place for what their long-term plan with a rental property is and to remember that when negotiating a new rental agreement.

It’s often advisable to wait an extra week and get the right tenant than to make a rushed decision and chose the wrong one.

But what makes a ‘right’ tenant versus the ‘wrong’ tenant boils down to a lot more than their job title or personal circumstances – if, indeed, these factors have any part to play.

A lot does, of course, boil down to the expertise of the lettings agent to read and judge the needs of the prospective tenant and match these against the properties on offer by their landlords.

We do, after all, spend all day every day doing exactly this.

However, considering issues of affordability (can the tenant truly afford the rent?

Do they have a history of rent arrears?); eligibility (do they pass the Right to Rent checks?); and personal reputation (have they looked after previous rental properties) are all areas that need to examined.

If these all stack up, then does it really matter what their job description or marital status is?

So, whether you’re a landlord wanting to secure the ‘right’ tenants for your property, or a tenant looking for your new ‘ideal’ home, pop in to your local Andrews’ branch on King Street in Stroud or visit andrewsonline.co.uk