About Suzanne Smith, founder of The Independent Landlord

Suzanne Smith speaking to a packed auditorium on 29 October 2025 at the National Landlord Investment Show — The National Landlord Investment Show in London in October 2025

I’m Suzanne Smith, founder of The Independent Landlord.

As a former General Counsel turned portfolio landlord, I founded The Independent Landlord in August 2022 because, when I started out as a landlord, I couldn’t find the clear, practical guidance I was looking for. So I decided to write it myself.

My blend of legal expertise and hands-on landlord experience has since established The Independent Landlord as a trusted resource for tens of thousands of landlords and property professionals every week.

Everything I publish is grounded in what I call the “good landlord ethos”: the best landlords don’t just follow the rules, they act within the spirit and intent of the law, and provide an excellent service to the people who live in their properties.

My best-selling book, The Good Landlord Handbook, is the guide I wish I’d had when I started out as a landlord. It’s a straightforward, practical handbook for doing it properly, in compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act. It was originally self-published in March 2026, before being published by Penguin Random House’s Century imprint on 6 August 2026.

My membership, The Independent Landlord Hub, enables me to provide extra support at scale to all in the private rented sector with courses, live Q&A sessions, templates and a supportive community.

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My background

Suzanne Smith outside of Number 10 Downing Street after a reception to mark the passing of the Renters' Rights Act. — Downing Street reception to mark the passing of the Renters’ Rights Act, May 2026

My legal career began in 1992 at a City law firm, where I qualified as a solicitor. I then spent 25 years in-house in the life sciences industry, 12 of them at General Counsel level, most recently as Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Abcam PLC.

After leaving the corporate world in 2019, I built my property portfolio in Kent, applying my legal and board-level experience to create a rental business I manage personally. That direct experience of the practical, day-to-day challenges landlords face is what drives my content on The Independent Landlord.

I set up The Independent Landlord blog and newsletter in August 2022, and since then my analysis of the Renters (Reform) Bill and then eventually the Renters’ Rights Act has reached a wide audience across the private rented sector, and both local and central government.

I worked with officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, contributing the practical landlord perspective. In May 2026, I was invited to Downing Street as part of the government’s engagement with the private rented sector and renter groups.

In 2025, The Mortgage Works, the UK’s largest buy-to-let mortgage lender, chose me as their first external content partner. Here is a link to my collaboration with The Mortgage Works.

I also sit on Propertymark’s disciplinary panel as an independent lay member and am a non-executive director of Hello Neighbour Ltd.

You can read an in-depth profile in Property Magazine (Summer 2024).

The Good Landlord Handbook

My book, The Good Landlord Handbook: Succeed as a landlord under the Renters’ Rights Act, brings together what I’ve learned into a practical guide for everyone in the private rented sector in England.

It doesn’t just explain the Renters’ Rights Act. It explains what the new regime means in practice: the “what” and the “how” of providing a good service for tenants at every stage of a tenancy, whether you have single lets, HMOs or high rent tenancies.

The Good Landlord Handbook reached #1 bestseller status in multiple Amazon categories for both the paperback and Kindle, within 24 hours of publication, and without paid promotion.

I originally self-published it on 5 March 2026, and was contacted almost immediately by Penguin Random House to see if I would be interested in publishing with them. I announced the book deal with Penguin’s Cornerstone Division on 30 June 2026, and the Penguin edition is now available under their Century imprint to buy from Amazon, Waterstones and local bookshops now*. My self-published version is no longer available.

I share my “author journey” in this episode of The Creative Penn Podcast (my interview starts at 26:12): From Blog To Community To Book: A Non-Fiction Author’s Journey With Suzanne Smith.

>> Find out more: The Good Landlord Handbook

The Good Landlord Handbook - Amazon Best Seller in Real Estate

What The Independent Landlord offers

Website

I launched The Independent Landlord blog in August 2022 to provide free, reliable guidance on the practical and legal challenges facing landlords and property businesses. I write all the content myself and maintain independence through a strict affiliate policy.

I do not accept sponsored content or advertisements.

>> My First Blog Post: Introducing my new blog for landlords (August 2022)

I send regular insights most Fridays to well over 18,000 subscribers across the property community, including landlords, letting agents, solicitors, central and local government officials and service providers.

With an average open rate above 60%, it is probably the most widely read independent newsletters in the private rented sector.

>> Subscribe to newsletter for free by clicking here.

The Independent Landlord Hub membership

My membership community provides courses, live webinars, templates and a supportive community for landlords and property professionals navigating the changing private rented sector.

Within six months of its quiet launch in July 2025, the Hub had over 1,000 members and ranked in the top 50 communities worldwide in its category on the Circle platform, grown entirely through word of mouth.

>> Find out more about The Independent Landlord Hub here.

YouTube channel

I launched The Independent Landlord YouTube channel in November 2024 to provide practical guidance to all in the private rented sector. I keep it simple, speaking to my webcam, and explain topics from the Renters’ Rights Act to Making Tax Digital.

It is now the primary channel on YouTube for content on the Renters’ Rights Act, and education for landlords more generally.

Speaking and media

Speaking

I speak at selected events on the Renters’ Rights Act and practical landlord issues.

Podcasts and webinars

A sample of appearances:

Media

Here is a selection of articles in which I’m quoted or featured:

The Telegraph, 29 June 2026, ‘The predictability has gone’: How rent reforms are changing student lets – quoted extensively in this article by Charlotte Duck on how the Renters’ Rights Act has affected student lets.
The Times, 16 April 2026, Landlords ‘baffled’ by letting agency renewal fees – quoted in article by David Byers about the practice of letting agents charging renewal fees.
The Times, 16 August 2024, Should landlords sell up or splash the cash to meet Labour’s new eco rules? – extensive quote and link to my blog post on EPCs in a long article by Melissa York.
NRLA Property Magazine, Summer 2024 – cover article with a 5-page in-depth profile on how I became a landlord, tips for newbies, and what I’m aiming to achieve with The Independent Landlord
i newspaper, 24 April 2024, “Tories promised reforms for renters and landlords: Here’s what it actually means” – quoted in an article by Vicky Spratt on the Renters Reform Bill
The Times, 19 April 2024, “Estate agents should not pit tenants against landlords”, quoted in an article by Melissa York, advocating for letting agents to display their terms of business on their websites
i newspaper, 18 April 2024, quoted in article by Vicky Spratt on Renters Reform Bill amendments
PropertyHub, March 2024, “Stronger together” – cover article on women in property
NRLA Property Magazine, Spring 2024, “A landmark moment for leaseholders?”– leasehold reform
PropertyHub, September 2022, “How I made it” – feature article
NRLA Property Magazine – snippets in various issues in “The Big Question” column (2022 – 2024)

Suzanne Smith at propertymark one — Suzanne Smith at Propertymark One in June 2026 chatting to Rachel Hartley and Timothy Douglas

Disclaimer: I make general comments on legal, tax and financial matters on this website, YouTube channel, in my newsletter and membership, but I do not provide legal, tax or financial advice. You need to take your own advice for your specific circumstances, and must not rely on general tips and comments made on blogs. I exclude all liability arising from any losses arising directly or indirectly from actions you take or do not take after reading my blog or watching my YouTube channel. See my Terms of Use for more details.

* I’m an Amazon Associate, and I earn from qualifying purchases