Resources, support and community for landlords

The Independent Landlord offers clear, comprehensive and actionable guidance for the private rented sector in England.
It’s run by me, Suzanne Smith, a portfolio landlord and former corporate solicitor.
My #1 bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook, published by Century from Penguin Random House, explains how to operate successfully under the Renters’ Rights Act at every stage of the tenancy cycle.
You can buy it from Amazon, Waterstones or your local bookstore.*
To ask me questions, and have access to templates and courses in a supportive community, join my membership, The Independent Landlord Hub.
Resources for landlords and property businesses
Latest on The Blog
Are houses or flats better buy to let investments?
Is it better to choose a flat or a house for a buy to let investment? I have experience of…
10 problems to look for when viewing investment properties
Buying a rental property is a big investment for the long-term, but buy to lets can so easily turn into…
The 10 Key Provisions in the Conservatives’ Renters Reform Bill
This blog post sets out the 10 key provisions that were in the final version of the Renters Reform Bill…
The latest on the Renters (Reform) Bill
The Renters Reform Bill was abandoned in the run up to the prorogation of parliament on 24 May 2024, and…
What landlords can expect from the new Labour government
With Labour’s landslide victory in the 2024 General Election, what can landlords in England expect in terms of both the…
Is it still worth being a Buy to Let landlord?
“Should I stay or should I go?” With the sharp increase in interest rates and landlords’ costs, it can be…
General Election: What are Labour’s manifesto commitments for the Private Rented Sector?
After much speculation, the Labour Party finally published their 2024 election manifesto on 13 June 2024. It includes five significant…
General Election: Where the political parties stand on leasehold reform
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 was one of the last pieces of legislation that made it onto the…
Election: Analysis of the political parties’ policies for landlords
Now that all of the political parties have published their manifestos for the 2024 General Election, what are they actually…
General Election: What happens to rental and leasehold reform now?
Labour’s Matthew Pennycook on the election trail (Photo from his X feed) This blog post is a guide to the…
How to manage Tenant Anti-Social Behaviour
Tenant anti-social behaviour (or ASB) can be one of the most stressful aspects of being a landlord. According the the…
Let’s celebrate women who are excellent landlords
In this blog post, I’d like to celebrate three women who I consider to be excellent landlords. They focus on…
7 ways for landlords to improve the bottom line
The Bank of England raised the base rate to 5.25% in August 2023, where it has remained ever since. Thi…
Can the average buy to let make money in 2024?
Now were are well into 2024, many landlords are looking at their numbers to figure out whether their buy to…
How to manage a growing rental portfolio efficiently
As with any business growing beyond the start-up phase, once a rental property portfolio gets to a certain size, it…
About Suzanne Smith
As a portfolio landlord in Kent and a former General Counsel and Company Secretary of a PLC, I bring a unique perspective to the private rented sector.
My legal career began as a solicitor in a City law firm, before moving in-house for 25 years in the life sciences industry, with 12 years at the General Counsel level.
I became a landlord in 2019 and have a direct understanding of the strategic and day-to-day challenges that landlords face.
When I was a new landlord, I’d been unable to find the content I was looking for. To fill this unmet need, I founded The Independent Landlord in August 2022.
My best-selling book, ‘The Good Landlord Handbook’, was published by Penguin Random House in 2026. It helps landlords understand how to operate successfully at every stage of the tenancy cycle under the Renters’ Rights Act.
The Independent Landlord has a distinctive voice, making complex issues clear, balanced and actionable for everyone in the private rented sector.


* As an Amazon Associate and a Waterstones affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases
