Housekeeping advice
Here we cover guidance on what to include within your welcome pack to help tenants look after your property
Every property is different and many homes, especially those that aren’t new-builds, have certain quirks that it’s helpful to know in order to prevent issues like condensation or damp. Housekeeping advice is particularly useful if you’re renting to younger tenants.
Your property may be one of the first that they are having to look after single-handed. Certain things that are common sense to landlords may not be to their tenants.
Every landlord wants their property to be looked after and the more support that you can give your tenants the more likely they are to take care of your property.
To help you look after your property we have designed a series of useful advice sheets for your tenants that contain tips and practical information. Here is a list of topics you might want to consider.
Damp is a common issue, especially over the winter months.Tips such as leaving on the background heating, keeping the property ventilated, managing condensation created by showers and drying clothes can make all the difference. We’ve put together a tenant checklist for you to share with your tenants to help them recognise what type of damp or mould you might have, what you can and should do about it, and how it can be prevented. You may also want to leave them a dehumidifier, with instructions on how to use it.
If your property comes with a garden or any outside space, you need to make it clear if you expect your tenant to maintain it. You will need to have a separate clause in your tenancy agreement stipulating this.
This might be as simple as keeping it neat or preventing grass and shrubs from becoming overgrown. If your garden requires more specific upkeep, you might want to include general gardening tips and advice for your tenants to help them look after your garden.
As with all aspects of your tenancy agreement, detail and clarity are key. Do your tenants know where gardening tools or equipment are stored? Have you given detailed information about specific plants or trees and how they should look after them? Even if you think the way to care for your garden is obvious, it may not be to your tenant, so give as much detail as possible.
Providing tenants with modern and secure doors and windows is a must. Landlords who are particularly safety conscious may want to provide a burglar alarm as well. But it’s also important to make sure that your tenants understand how to use the security measures you’ve installed.
Every rental property has to comply with certain fire safety regulations, these include providing a fire risk assessment and installing carbon monoxide and fire alarms. There are additional regulations for HMOs, such as providing fire escapes and fire extinguishers.
Documenting all of these fire safety precautions and procedures in your welcome pack is another way of helping your tenants protect their wellbeing and your property.
You should provide meter readings at the start of the tenancy as part of your inventory, but you may also wish to record the location of electricity and gas meters in your welcome pack for future reference. The location of the stop tap for the plumbing and the numbers to call in the event of a utilities fault or emergency (such as a water or gas leak) should also be included.
If you’re providing any appliances or white goods, such as fridges or washing machines, it’s a good idea to include the manuals for these. This not only makes it easier for tenants to use the goods provided, but reduces the chances of them calling you up for quick questions that they could answer themselves if they had the manuals.
Whether or not your tenants are new to the area, including some handy tips and information on local amenities will always be appreciated.
Advice on where to find parks, gyms, the best places to eat out, takeaway menus, pubs, and information on parking and transport, will help your new tenants to orient themselves and save them time.
You could also include some information on their immediate neighbours so that they have a sense of who they’re living next to.
Anything you can do to help familiarise them with their new setting will help to ease that feeling of discombobulation we all feel when we move home.
Just the knowledge that you’ve taken the time to make things easier for them will have an impact on your relationship – and it may even encourage them to stay longer.
A welcome pack serves a practical purpose but it can also help people feel positive about their new home and welcomed to a new neighbourhood. If you want to go the extra mile and get extra landlord brownie points, you might want to include a bottle of fizz or a bunch of flowers for move in day. For more content on being a good landlord, read our guide, 'Nine steps to becoming a good and successful landlord.'
To take the hassle out of creating a welcome pack, we’ve designed an easy-to-use template. Download it here.
Preventing damp and mould: Tips on ventilation, managing condensation, and using dehumidifiers.
Gardening and outdoor maintenance: Guidelines on keeping gardens neat, preventing overgrowth, and caring for plants.
