If you are a property owner who lets residential accommodation, your top priority is to protect your investment and also your rental income. When problems arise with tenants, you will need expert legal advice to minimise your costs and loss of income.

Becoming a Landlord

You may become a landlord for any number of reasons:

• If you inherit property and decide not to sell
• If you marry/move with your partner you may retain your second property and use it as an investment
• If you decide to buy a holiday home which you wish to rent during winter
• If you are a professional landlord you may seek to develop and/or retain the portfolio of properties

Landlord’s responsibilities

Whatever your reasons for becoming a landlord, managing and letting property can be complicated and you may experience the following types of problems:

• You may wish to give notice to an occupant and obtain possession
• You may have a tenant who is failing to pay rent or breaking other terms of their tenancy
• You will need to know if you need to register the rental deposit with a tenancy deposit scheme
• Your property may require repairs and you may be concerned as to how these will be carried out with a tenant in occupation
• Your tenant may be complaining about defects at the property and you are unsure as to who is responsible for remedying those defects
• Your tenant may be complaining about a neighbouring tenant and you are unsure how to deal with the conflict
• Your tenant may have contacted the Local Authority about the property and you may be unsure as to how to deal with Local Authority Regulations or whether your property should be licensed/registered

Whatever your concerns, our Housing Law solicitors can assist and represent you in finding a solution to your problems.

Important things to consider

At Fisher Meredith we have a dedicated team of landlord and tenant specialists with a wide knowledge of the property sector and prevailing market conditions. Once you have decided to rent your property you should stick to the following rules:

• Always use a reputable agent (preferably one registered with the Association of Residential Lettings Agents
• Ensure that you check tenant details carefully including references
• Ensure you have your lender’s permission to let the property
• Make sure that the gas and electrical supplies at the property are checked before you let the property
• Always retain copies of all documents in connection with the tenancy and keep in chronological date order

If in any doubt as to what a landlord’s responsibilities are, you should seek prompt legal advice.

Why use Fisher Meredith?

Fisher Meredith is an award winning London law firm with offices in Richmond, Surrey and Kennington, London. Our Housing Law solicitors have an outstanding reputation for acting on behalf of individuals with highly successful results.

For 35 years, Fisher Meredith has developed a reputation for being approachable and “going the extra mile” for its clients whilst maintaining ethical and socially responsible standards.

Fisher Meredith’s Housing Law Department is ranked as Band 2 in Chambers and Partners UK and Tier 5 in the Legal 500 directory. The team receives self referrals and referrals from community based organisations and agencies across the UK.

Our lawyers provide specialist advice and representation to landlords with difficult property disputes and have extensive experience in dealing with complex issues arising from the landlord and tenant relationship.

What should I do now?

If you are a landlord and have a dispute with a tenant, or need assistance or representation in court proceedings, our Housing lawyers are committed to protecting your investment.

For initial advice or to arrange a meeting with one of our Housing Law solicitors, please contact our helpline on 0800 014 7445.