STUDENT LANDLORDS - SO YOU"VE DECIDED TO MANAGE?

As the check-in season for the student landlord approaches, what is going to make your relationship with the tenant that little bit special? How are you going to create a feeling of a more personal approach?

We like to start off on the right foot at the check-in with a small welcoming present such as a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine. Then there's the short welcoming letter, written inside a card:

"We hope you settle down in your new temporary home and trust that you will have a pleasant stay here. If you have any questions or situations please contact us. We are here to help make your tenancy a safe and enjoyable experience.

(signed by the landlord)"

For many students this will be their first time living in the community and we find, once they have checked-in, that they value some simple ideas on what to do next. Our suggestions go something like this:-

"(A header with the full address of the property and your contact number(s) and email)

If you haven't already done them, here are some things to do immediately:

• Check and sign the 'Inventory, Schedule of Condition and Safety Checklist'.
• Set up your standing order(s) for rent payment. Your rent is paid in advance on or before the 28th of the month. Unless your bank is part of the new faster clearance system, transferring money between accounts can take up to five days, particularly over weekends and bank holidays, so your rent should leave your account on the 24th of the month. See your 'House Handbook' for details of our account.
• Contact the Council Tax Department at the (District Council?) and tell them you have moved into this property. Their address is (add address) and their telephone is (add telephone). Full time students are exempt from Council Tax, so do this soon, otherwise they may start to charge you.
• Contact the utility companies below and tell them you have moved into this property. Give them the meter readings of gas, electricity and, if appropriate, water. You will start to pay sewerage and environmental charges for water from the day you move in. You must keep the same water company, however you are free to change gas and electricity companies. If you are going to change companies we strongly recommend you do this now, otherwise they will consider you are on a 'deemed contract' and start to bill you, as if you have agreed to continue with the same utility company.
• We strongly recommend that you get more than one person's name on the bills (preferably everyones' name), so that, if someone is away, at least one other person can talk to the utility companies. They will usually not discuss anything with people who are not named on the bills. These are your existing utility suppliers to the premises:
  
• Gas (Name of utility company) (Contact telephone)
  
• Electricity (Name of utility company) (Contact telephone)
  
• Water (Name of utility company) (Contact Telephone)
• Redirect your mail to this property. See full address above.
• Read the House Handbook. Most of the information is common sense, however it contains some important useful information.
• Read the Check-out Guide. Your check-out seems a long way off, but by reading this guide now it may change the way you clean, use and maintain the property during your tenancy, so as to avoid any situations at the end of your tenancy.
• Go round and check where things are and how they work again, before you forget.
• Re-read your tenancy agreement so that you are familiar with the Landlord and Student responsibilities (e.g. only smoking in the garden or examples of tenantable repairs).
• Security mark your property. Take photos and, if appropriate record serial numbers of all your valuables.
  
• Read the section in the House Handbook on security.
• Keep the House Handbook, the Tenancy Agreement and Inventory, Schedule of Condition and Safety Checklist in a safe place. You will need them during and at the end of the tenancy.
• If the previous tenants have left their forwarding addresses they would be grateful if you could redirect any mail that arrives for them. If you are not sure how to do this you will find instructions in the 'House Handbook'. You will probably appreciate your mail being redirected when you leave the property.
• There will be three inspections during your tenancy to check the cleanliness, tidyness and condition of the property and they are likely to be on (Date A), (Date B) and (Date C) between (11am and 4pm?). Please put these provisional dates and times in you diary and we will confirm nearer the time."
  

These suggestions, on one side of paper, will give your student tenants a feeling of being valued by the personal landlord service you are going to offer. Small details, such as the above, will help to enhance your reputation in the future. Several of our properties were let this year via friends of our existing tenants, before they were advertised.

By managing your own properties you are in control and often your enhanced reputation will enable you charge higher rents in the future. Now that's shrewd property management!