If you have become an accidental landlord – i.e. you are a landlord by circumstance rather than choice – then you may not have given much thought to which tenant type is the most appropriate one for your property.
There are several different types of tenants, such as corporate lets, student lets, recipients of housing benefit and so on. Here are some pros and cons of the main tenant types to give you an idea of what you need to consider ….
Students
If your property is near to a local university or college, then, depending on your property type, you may want a student let.
Pros
If you are near a campus, you literally have your target market on your doorstep, making it easy to find tenants.
With more universities attracting overseas students, in many cases they could pay for their accommodation all upfront, too.
As long as you have the basics, a bed, wardrobe and a desk, as well as furnished communal areas, then you don’t have to worry about extras such as fancy lampshades or expensive curtains.
Cons
If you have 3 or more people sharing, then your property is classed as a HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) meaning you may typically have different standards to meet (as opposed to a normal let).
Let’s face it, students sharing a property is a recipe for mess – so make sure you go through a thorough inventory with your tenant/s and ensure they understand that what they damage, they must pay for.
Families
If you have a large (ish) property with a garden and good transport links nearby, then you may wish to attract a family as a tenant.
Pros
Families tend to ‘settle’ in a property – if their children are at local schools, most parents won’t want the upheaval of moving from one rented home to another. So, you get a long term tenant.
They will also want to make their mark on the home – so by allowing them to do so, hopefully means they will stay longer.
If your home is near a major business park or centre, you may attract corporate lets from companies relocating overseas families for a few years – so you get a guaranteed rental.
Cons
If there are youngsters in the house, there may be the usual mess and stickiness associated with young hands. But unless you get the family from hell, your property shouldn’t suffer too badly.
Young professionals
There are two types of young professionals – single sharing professionals and couples. If you have a flat or apartment near to transport links and local bars and restaurants, then you may wish to attract young professionals.
Pros
With more and more people unable to afford to save for a deposit on a home, you potentially have a wide target market.
Couples tend to be fairly tidy as most of their waking hours are spent at work.
Cons
Sharing singles tend to be messy and those who are far from home may regularly have friends staying over – meaning you will have a lot more people in your let. More people = more chance of damage to your property or a claim for liability.
Don’t forget your insurance
Remember that some buy to let insurance providers may have restrictions on the tenant type covered. For example, some won’t insure properties that have students or asylum seekers as tenants.
At UKinsuranceNET, we place no such restrictions on the type of tenants you can let your property to, so, with us, you can be confident that your insurance is valid.
And if you want to protect your rental income should a tenant default on their payments, then our rent guarantee insurance may be just what you need. The policy includes Legal Expenses cover which helps towards costs incurred in issuing proceedings against a tenant or guarantor as well as guaranteed rent for up to 6 months or £24,000.
To find out more about any of our products, please browse our website or gives us a call – we will be happy to hear from you.
