GOOD TENANTS DON'T HAVE TO MOVE AS OFTEN

5 TIPS FOR RENTERS WHO WANT TO STAY

One of the drawbacks of renting is that the landlords may want you to move out at some stage. This could be for reasons that you can’t help such as their needing to sell the property or wanting a family member to live in it, but sometimes even the decision to sell could have been influenced by the tenants themselves. What can you do to minimise the risk of this happening?

1. Many tenants make the mistake of thinking that landlords are ‘wealthy’. But many of them are young people - themselves living in shared houses to be able to afford to pay off a loan, or young couples with children making economies on holidays in order to prepare for their retirement. For such landlords, the fact that the rent is paid on time is very important to their cash flow, and tenants who think it ‘doesn’t matter’ if they get a bit behind in the rent may be setting themselves up for trouble in the long run.
    
2. Some tenants complain all the time and require even the smallest maintenance jobs to be done by the landlord. On the other hand, there are those who don’t bother making the call even for something serious that may cost the owner more money the longer the repair remains undone.
    
3. Think of the impact you have on neighbours. If neighbours complain about noise or rubbish left lying around to the agent landlord or worse police, it goes without saying that you won’t get to stay once the lease expires.
    
4. You may not be too fussy about dust or soap scum yourself but if you know it’s inspection time - get cleaning. If the place looks well cared for, agents and landlords won’t be looking for other things.
    
5. Ask before making any changes to the property - even putting nails in the walls to hang pictures.

Source: Local Property News