Prepare Well Before Plunging Into Buy-to-let or Becoming a Landlord

Recent research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents shows that 40 per cent of existing landlords are planning on making more acquisitions during 2008. But, potential landlords should consider many different factors before committing to letting a property. Performing a full risk assessment and being realistic about the finances required to pay for and maintain the property is essential.

Unless you own a property outright, then you need to consider the best way of financing its purchase. Until recently there were thousands of different buy-to-let mortgage products available throughout the UK, but since the credit crunch, many have subsequently been withdrawn. Those that remain have tighter lending criteria and therefore come with quite stringent conditions. Ensure that you shop around before committing to any lender, and don’t settle for the first offer before checking out others. It may also be wise to opt for a fixed rate buy-to-let mortgage as you can plan your expenses for a fixed period with a degree of certainty.

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Effective Landlord Background Check Methods That You Must Know

A landlord background check is crucial when it comes to finding reliable and cooperative tenants for your rental property. Find out how to run an effective background check on your new tenants today.

Before you hand over the keys of your precious rental property to a new tenant, it’s crucial that you find out as much as you can about him. So what are the cheap and easy ways of running a background check on your potential tenants?

Method 1: Ask All Your Potential Tenants to Fill in Application Forms

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