Top 10 tips for landlords in Richmond

With such a variety of people looking to rent in Richmond, it is important to ensure that your property is presented to a high standard in order to stand out from the rest. Here are a few tips and tricks from our Richmond lettings team to help establish a fantastic and long lasting relationship with your prospective tenants and ways in which to increase your property's letting potential.
For more information read our step-by-step guide to letting and find out more about our landlord services.
1. It is important that your property is painted in a neutral colour, and that the bathroom is tiled and not carpeted (most tenants prefer tiles/ laminate to carpets in bathrooms). Farrow and Ball in Richmond have a fantastic range of paint available, and will be happy to assist you when choosing colours for your property. 
2. If you have a garden, ensure that it is kept in seasonal order so that prospective tenants can see its full potential. Squires Garden Centre in Twickenham is full of tools and equipment that can help you keep your garden in tip-top condition.
3. Leave all manuals for appliances/white goods/under-floor heating in a place that will be easily accessible to the tenants should they need to use them; perhaps compile them into a folder and leave them on the work surface in the kitchen.
4. If you have had a good experience with a landscaping company or cleaning firm, why not suggest them to your prospective tenants? Word of mouth is the best way to keep local businesses going, so why not make up a welcome pack for your new tenant and pass on your suggestions?
5. As Richmond is a very family-orientated area, prospective tenants may want to know where the local crиches and playgroups are situated. If you know that the tenant has children, it would be a good idea to pass on any information you have about the  local businesses so that it can save them time when they move to the area.
6. When moving to an unfamiliar area, finding good places to eat and drink can be time-consuming and sometimes disappointing; let your tenants know where they can find a fantastic steak or a perfect cup of coffee, and at the same time begin to develop a good relationship with them.
7. Recycling and household waste collections often cause confusion when moving into a new property; make sure to leave out clear instructions about how often the council come to pick up the rubbish. You can find all the information on waste disposal along with timetables on the Richmond Council website.
8. Richmond has fantastic bus, tube and train links that we will inform prospective tenants about, but if you are close to a local school such as The German School and know of any school bus/coach timetables, please get in touch so that we can add it to our records and help tenants in the future!
9. If your property has been vacant for some time, it is a good idea to leave the heating on a timer. Not only will this make the tenant's move-in more comfortable, but it will ensure that your pipes will not freeze and cause problems during the winter months.
10. Have you recently moved out of the property that you are going to rent? Make sure that you have contacted the appropriate people/companies and redirected any mail.

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