Preparing a property for rental is, as readers will know, a fairly complex process. Even with the help of an estate agency, as a landlord, you will need to organise and oversee a large proportion of the work necessary to make your property safe and compliant with renting regulations. To minimise the expense and headaches, it’s tempting to only go for the bare minimum of renovation work required in terms of health and safety compliance; however, if you put some thought into how to make your property as appealing as possible to potential tenants, you stand a much better chance of letting it quickly, as well as of having a smooth and hassle-free tenancy.

1. Treat any damp or mould

If there is any damp or mould in the property, it is your legal responsibility as a landlord to treat it if it’s caused by a repair problems and/or if it’s affecting your tenants’ health and safety. However, even if neither of these conditions applies – for instance, if you don’t have tenants yet and the damp was caused by the previous tenants’ lack of care – it’s in your best interest to get the problem fixed before putting the property onto the rental market. Prospective tenants will be put off by damp or mould, and even if you managed to let the property, you might be faced with a bigger problem down the line as the damp spreads.

2. Tidy up the garden

Many tenants are put off by properties that have an ill-maintained garden – for example, if weeds have been left to grow to the point where they have cracked the paving slabs. Understandably, few people are willing to spend time, money and energy fixing up a garden that was ruined by somebody else.

A good way to make the garden in your rental property as low-maintenance as possible is to install decking. You will need to weed the area first; otherwise, particularly strong roots might eventually compromise the decking, but once you’ve done that, you will be able to lay the decking boards directly onto the paving slabs or soil. A deck requires far less maintenance than a lawn and looks much more elegant than a paved yard, and it’s sure to attract many prospective tenants to your property.

3. Keep an eye on the boiler

Tenants are, understandably, concerned about their safety while living on your property. One of the most important aspects of domestic health and safety is making sure that gas boilers are in good condition. When the annual gas safety check is due, make sure that you are present at the property so you can discuss with the gas engineer any issues that might arise from their inspection. Make sure you and all your tenants know the signs to watch out for to see if the boiler needs replacing, and don’t wait until the next annual inspection is due – if you or the tenants notice that something might be wrong with the boiler, switch it off and call an engineer immediately.

The same goes for electrical appliances and cookers – never compromise on safety.