Sometimes life throws us a curveball, and we can end up scratching our heads wondering what to do next. It may be that you have a large bill crop up, or things change dramatically in your career. Relatives overseas may fall ill, or you may find you need to get away from the city. There are lots of reasons you may need to rethink your accommodation. How you manage the change may depend on more than one factor.
If you are facing a big move, whether temporary or permanent, you may be saddened to think of leaving your home. The thought of never waking up in the room you decorated and furnished yourself can be quite upsetting. However, if you rent out your home, you can come back to it whenever you want to. Your home could earn you enough to cover any mortgage and pay for accommodation elsewhere if you rent it out.
Becoming a landlord is not a decision to take lightly. Letting someone else live in your home while you are away can also be a difficult choice to make. But the house remains your property and renting it out provides you an income. As a landlord, you have some legal obligations and responsibilities. What might worry you more is how your tenants will look after your beloved home in your absence.
You can choose to use a rental inspection company to take care of moving in and out checks for any tenants. They can check the inventory and do a thorough check into the condition of the property on your behalf. This will give you the assurance that tenants have looked after the property well, and leave you to enjoy the extra income. Any disagreements or discrepancies no longer need to involve you, making your role as a landlord much easier. It could save you money to use an agent to manage the tenants or the letting, especially if you are living far away from the property.
If you need to rent your property quickly, you could let your local government authority know it is available. Some of them have long waiting lists of people desperately seeking accommodation. You may even receive a financial incentive for allowing the council to manage the let. Check if schemes like this are available in your area.
Most landlords take on a deposit or a bond. Some areas require you by law to invest this money so it can never be lost. The idea is that any loss of rental income or damage to the property caused by the tenants can be covered with the bond. You can demand as much as you like in some areas while others have restrictions. Generally speaking, landlords like to take one month’s rent as a deposit, and all rental payments are paid in advance on the same date each month. You can also choose whether to let your home out furnished or unfurnished. Unfurnished is preferred because of tight regulations in some areas. You can store your furniture with a local storage firm.