Help and advice for landlords

Once you set up as a landlord, you have certain rights which your tenants must respect.

Your house needs to be up to certain standards before it can be rented out. You may need to ask the council to inspect your property and will have to abide by certain safety requirements.

People who are interested in moving in to your property will probably start to contact you as soon as you've advertised the letting. An agent will usually find tenants for your property for an agreed fee, but there are some things you should consider if you decide to go it alone.

Any deposits taken on or after 1 April 2013 must be registered with an authorised Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme administrator. Deposits taken before that date don't need to be registered with one of these schemes.

There are a number of organisations which provide advice and support to landlord, but you will usually have to become a member to access these services. You should consider joining a professional landlords' body or taking some accredited training if you intent to become a landlord on a long term basis.

All tenants have a legal right to apply for housing benefit to help them with their housing costs. You should get to know how housing benefit is calculated and paid.

As with any business, being a landlord carries risk. Keep records of any letters or messages you send to your tenants when you're trying to sort out problems. These will help if a legal dispute arises and you end up in court.

Tenancies which meet certain criteria are known as protected tenancies. The tenants who live in these tenancies have greater rights and rents for these tenancies are set by the Rent Officer, rather than the individual landlord.