After picking up the keys the first thing I did was start knocking down walls, taking down paper and generally gutting the whole house. The hard work paid off and I had a house I loved. After getting married I moved into my husband's house, a 4 bed detached. It made sense as there was more space, but the house never felt like home. The housing market crashed and so my little two bed terrace was in negative equity. I couldn’t sell it if I wanted to, so I decided to rent it out.

After seeking permission from the mortgage company I rented out my house to a young couple. They seemed nice, they looked after the property and paid their rent on time all was going well, until they decided to move out as they wanted a bigger property to start a family in. 

I have had many tenants since then. Some were great and paid their rent on time; others have been nightmares. One tenant moved out and left bottles of urine under the bed. That was not a pleasant clean up job. My current tenant is an absolute dream tenant and I could not ask for a nicer person to be in the house.

Renting out a property has its highs and its lows. I have had some really amazing tenants, and have had some horrendous ones too. I have had dealings with the police where tenants have done illegal things and run-ins with bailiffs where tenants have owed lots of money. Over the years of renting out houses I have picked up a few tips:

1. Put a little away each month, just in case. The rent I charge is set by the mortgage company and so any extra I put to one side to cover random emergencies. This helps to keep a little pot together ready for the unexpected

2.  Make sure you have buildings insurance, some mortgage companies require this as a condition but I personally would not be without it. Insurance gives you that extra piece of mind. It is always worthwhile taking the time to compare landlord insurance so you can not only see the level of cover but also the cost too.

3. Connect with local tradespeople. I have a good list of reliable, and hard working professionals who do a great job. I know where to turn for most emergencies that would crop up.

4. Don’t be afraid to say no, trust your gut instinct.

Even looking back on all the hard work, the tears that have been shed and the stress from unpaid rent I don’t think I would have done things differently. Renting out a property has taught me a lot about myself and along the way I have met some amazing people.