How to let Archives • The Independent Landlord

The rental discrimination rules in the Renters’ Rights Act

7 September 2026

Children jumping on a bed in a rental property

The Renters’ Rights Act has banned “rental discrimination”. This is a new legal concept which prevents landlords and letting agents from discriminating against prospective tenants or tenants because they have children or because they receive benefits. Although there is high awareness of the new rules banning rental discrimination, the rules are not well understood. Landlords […]

The rental discrimination rules in the Renters’ Rights Act View Post »

Review of the Hello Neighbour online lettings platform

31 August 2026

Hello Neighbour "Let Agreed" board outside of a terraced house

I stopped using high street letting agents to find tenants in 2021, after having received bad service from the local branch of a national firm. One of my tenants suggested I use OpenRent another time, which I did in 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, when I looked for tenants in June 2026, I decided to

Review of the Hello Neighbour online lettings platform View Post »

How to carry out viewings safely at your rental property

4 August 2026

landlord in pink cardigan opening door for a viewing

It’s important for landlords to think of personal safety when carrying out viewings to prospective tenants at their rental properties. Personal safety has been an important issue for estate agents and letting agents ever since the disappearance of 25-year-old estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986. She went missing in broad daylight in the middle of

How to carry out viewings safely at your rental property View Post »

What should landlords provide in unfurnished rental properties?

3 August 2026

unfurnished rented property with curtain rail and new carpet

When you’re setting out as a landlord, or even when you’ve been a landlord for a while, it can be difficult to know what you should put in unfurnished rental properties. Some of it is a grey area, depending on personal preference and target market. Others are legal obligations. Undoubtedly, the more a landlord provides,

What should landlords provide in unfurnished rental properties? View Post »

The end of tenancy check-out: inspection, inventory and checklist

28 July 2026

inventory being carried out in a kitchen of a Victorian house

The end of a tenancy is often fraught for landlords and tenants alike, even when it’s the tenants who’ve served a notice to quit. The tenants want their deposit back promptly and a good reference. The landlord is wondering what state the property will be in, and how long it will sit empty before new

The end of tenancy check-out: inspection, inventory and checklist View Post »

How subletting works in England

23 July 2026

woman packing a suitcase to go travelling and will sublet her room

Subletting is a very complex area for tenants and landlords to navigate. Whilst it can help a tenant who needs to move out for legitimate reasons, it also exposes landlords to a lot of risk. This risk has increased since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, as it gives the First-tier Tribunal the power

How subletting works in England View Post »

How to find and choose good tenants

23 July 2026

Choosing good tenants is probably the most important thing for a buy to let or HMO landlord to do. Whether landlords outsource the tenant-find to letting agents, or find tenants themselves using online agents, the principles remain the same. It’s not always easy finding good tenants. Many applicants appear charming and convincing when they view

How to find and choose good tenants View Post »

How to reduce void period costs and risks during refurbishment

20 July 2026

Skip in front of a landlord's buy to let house during a refurb and a void period

Ever notice how costs seem to appear from nowhere when a property is unoccupied due to voids and refurbs? It’s bad enough not having any rent coming in, when all of a sudden you start receiving bills for things you hadn’t factored into your cashflow projections. All landlords and other property investors will have an

How to reduce void period costs and risks during refurbishment View Post »

Checklist for new tenants: getting ready for check in

19 July 2026

Checking in tenants is a key milestone in the relationship between landlords and the people who will be living in the homes they provide. After all, we landlords want happy tenants. Happy tenants stay longer, are more likely to look after the property, and are more likely to be cooperative about giving access for maintenance

Checklist for new tenants: getting ready for check in View Post »

How to find tenants yourself using OpenRent

15 July 2026

OpenRent sign in winter in front of a terraced house

This blog post is a practical step-by-step guide and review of OpenRent, based on my personal experiences as a landlord using OpenRent’s RentNow service on three separate occasions, most recently in November 2024. Before we get into the detail, I should flag that if landlords do wish to use OpenRent or other online platforms, they

How to find tenants yourself using OpenRent View Post »