Are you thinking of managing your rental property yourself, rather than using a letting agent? With increased costs having squeezed landlords’ margins, managing your own rental property is an easy way of improving your profitability and net cash flow.
However, most letting agents will tell you that managing rental properties is something best left to them. After all, the legislation keeps changing, and if you drop a ball, you could land in hot water.
That may be true. But you can save an average of at least £2,000 every year per property in property management fees if you manage your rental properties yourself. Sure, it will take some of your time, but it’s not actually that difficult. Especially if your property has been recently refurbished.
An added benefit is that research from OSB Group shows that your tenants are likely to be happier if you manage your property yourself.
I go through the practicalities of managing your properties yourself, in this blog post. In doing so, I’ll share some tips from my 7 years of self-management, and show you that it really isn’t difficult to manage rental properties yourself. Provided you get organised. And you’re in the right place to learn how to do that.
>> Related Post: How to terminate the management agreement with your letting agents
Last updated: 29 September 2026
How to self-manage your rental property at a glance
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Can you manage a rental property yourself?
Let’s start by dealing head on with two common questions about property management.
Are landlords allowed to manage their own rental properties in England?
Yes! Some landlords don’t realise that there’s no reason they can’t manage their own rental properties themselves (once an agreement with a letting agent is terminated).
There is no legal reason why landlords without criminal convictions cannot self-manage their own buy to lets. The Renters’ Rights Act hasn’t changed that.
Landlords will need to register on the PRS Database in 2027, but that’s the same whether landlords use a letting agent or manage their properties themselves. It’s also not something that letting agents can entirely take off landlords’ hands. Landlords will also need to join the PRS Ombudsman when it’s launched in 2028, regardless of whether they use agents.
>> Related Post: The PRS Database: how to register your rental property
>> Related Post: PRS Landlord Ombudsman – Renters’ Rights landlord redress scheme
How should landlords prepare to manage a rental property themselves?
There are no legal obligations on landlords of single lets to undergo any particular training, certification or accreditation before managing their own rental properties, unless their property is in a selective licensing area and the local authority requires it. You can find out more on licensing in this post.
I have made it simple for landlords to understand what they need to do to prepare to let a property by creating a comprehensive compliance checklist with links to other resources. You can also read the post below on how to get everything ready for new tenants.
You don’t need to face self-managing alone. I’ve set up a membership called The Independent Landlord Hub to give you the support you need, at a fraction of the cost of an agent. It includes a comprehensive Renters’ Rights Act compliant course called Landlording: How we do it now, templates, twice monthly Q&A livestreams and a wonderful forum with like-minded landlords.
>> Related post: How to get everything ready for new tenant check in
>> Download: Pre-tenancy compliance checklist (post-RRA)
Think customer service
The most important part of running any business is having happy customers.
Happy tenants are more likely to pay the rent on time, look after the property and let you know when things need fixing. Happy tenants stay for longer, which means lower void periods. Happy tenants also make you feel positive about being a landlord. It’s a virtuous circle.
We’re in the service industry and need to have the “customer experience” at the heart of what we do. It doesn’t mean being a pushover, but it means we need to provide high quality rental properties and a high quality service to our customers.
It doesn’t happen by itself, and landlords need to adopt a “customer service mindset” where we prioritise the needs of our tenants.
I explain this approach in more detail in my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook*.
>> Related Post: How to attract good tenants and keep them happy
7 practical tips for landlords to self-manage rental properties
Here are 7 practical tips that help landlords make a success of managing their own rental properties:
1. Prepare the property for letting
Repair everything that needs repairing before tenants move in. This will reduce the likelihood of being contacted to fix something after they’ve moved in. I do a thorough inspection of my buy to lets when they’re empty and make the necessary repairs then. This includes dripping taps, light fittings that have been knocked, plugs that don’t work and any obvious leaks.
I also go around with a paintbrush to touch up the walls, and make sure everything is clean before the check-in inventory.
To save money on carpet cleaning, I decided to invest in this “Amazon’s choice” Vax carpet cleaner, which I use to refresh the carpets myself in between tenants. It’s paid for itself many times over, and is less hassle than having to arrange a professional carpet cleaning company.
Don’t forget to register your property on the “Register your rental property” service, and keep it updated, once it becomes compulsory in your region in 2027. You can read more in this comprehensive blog post: The PRS Database: how to register your rental property.
>> Related post: How to get everything ready for new tenant check in
>> Related Post: How to do a deep clean of a rental property
2. Establish how to communicate with your renters
Set up a way to communicate with the tenants.
I use WhatsApp groups for each of my buy to lets, and the tenants message me when they need a repair. I also use this to contact them when the gas safety certificate needs renewing or if I want to visit the property.
Some tenant management software provides portals for tenants to log maintenance and communicate with landlords. If you don’t like the idea of having a WhatsApp group with tenants, yet still want to self-manage, it’s a good idea to use tenant management software to act as an intermediary.
3. Diarise when checks are due
Make a note in your calendar for when the safety certificates are due to expire. I do this for 2 months before the expiry, which gives me time to contact the trades person and arrange for them to visit the property to do the test. Usually the trades person will contact the tenant and arrange a time direct.
Sometimes my tenant may ask me to let myself in and be there for the person to do the gas safety certificate.
Landlords also need to update the register after getting a new gas safety certificate, EICR or EPC, once the PRS Database becomes compulsory in their region in 2027.
Don’t forget to do a Legionella assessment and check any portable appliances once a year. The risk is likely to be low if the property has a combi boiler and doesn’t have a water storage tank. For more information, read the related post.
Also, if your tenant has a time limited right to rent, make a note to do a follow up check two months before the time limit expires. For example, if someone has a visa for 3 years, the landlord should perform a follow-up check two months before it expires.
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to Legionella Assessments
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to portable appliance testing
4. Carry out six-monthly maintenance visits
Carry out maintenance visits every six months yourself, in person. Make clear to new renters that you carry out maintenance visits every six months.
I really value doing the six monthly inspections myself. I call these ‘maintenance visits’, as it sounds more collaborative. Not only are they a great opportunity to see how the property is being looked after, they’re also time to check what should go on the maintenance to do list. I’m always on the look out for signs of damp and mould.
I always ask the renters if there is anything they’ve noticed that they think I should know about. And they invariably do mention something. I can also give them tips about the house. For instance, in a recent inspection, I explained why they should leave open the trickle vents in the cellar window.
I like to see the condition of the property myself, and not have it filtered through the eyes of a letting agent. If something needs repairing or replacing, I want to be the person who makes the decisions.
I usually arrange to visit at least 2 months before the gas safety certificate is due to expire, to see if any plumbing jobs need doing (eg dripping tap). It’s easy to add jobs to a gas safety inspection, and saves a separate call out charge.
>> Related Post: Mid-tenancy property inspections: how often and what to check
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide: How to deal with damp and mould
5. Schedule planned maintenance and don’t penny-pinch
If you keep on top of repairs and maintenance, not only will your renters be happier, you’ll also be looking after your valuable asset for the future. Don’t penny-pinch: do a proper job and don’t delay repairs. It won’t get any cheaper and won’t go away by itself.
Part of this is planning routine maintenance, for instance external painting, clearing of gutters, replacing windows. I have a running list of improvements that I plan for each property over the next 3 years. You can talk about your plans with your renters during the maintenance visits.
>> Related post: Which repairs and maintenance can landlords do themselves?
6. Review the rent each year and manage rent arrears
It’s important to review the rent each year to see if it’s tracking the market rent for a similar property in the area.
Since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, the only way to increase rent is to use the Section 13 process and serve Form 4A on the tenants. You can find out how to do this in the related posts below.
It’s also important to manage cash flow by managing rent arrears – more information in the related post below.
Don’t forget that once the “Register your rental property” service comes into force in your region in 2027, you’ll need to update the register within 28 days of the rent changing.
>> Related Post: How to complete Form 4A to increase rent (Section 13 notice)
>> Related Post: How to deal with rent arrears effectively
7. Get ready for emergencies
Emergencies do sometimes happen, like a water leak or a broken boiler. Letting agents stress the hassle of dealing with emergencies, and use it as a reason for landlords not to self-manage
I don’t get this. Sure, emergencies happen, but it’s hardly difficult for a landlord to call a plumber, gas engineer or locksmith. The letting agent would do the same thing, and as landlords are usually owner-occupiers, it’s what they would do for their own homes.
If something goes wrong, I first call the regular trades people I use. If they aren’t available, I try the Checkatrade website, as they provide landlords with guaranteed trades people who will be happy to help.
Checklist of regular landlord safety checks
In terms of safety, the graphic above shows the key regular safety checks that must be done for rental properties. Some need to be done once a year (eg gas safety certificate, carbon monoxide alarm testing, smoke alarm testing, PAT testing), and others every 5 or 10 years (EICR and EPC respectively).
To ensure all the safety checks are done on time, I put a reminder in my calendar for a month before each one is due. I then contact the tenant to arrange for the trades person to carry out the check by the due date, all from my mobile phone. I also have a list in an Excel spreadsheet. It’s a question of getting organised.
As mentioned, once the “Register your rental property” service comes into force in your region in 2027, you’ll need to update the register within 28 days of receiving a new gas safety certificate, EICR or EPC.
The law imposes lots of repairing obligations on landlords. It’s not rocket science though. In a nutshell, landlords should ensure their rental properties are well maintained, fit for human habitation, and don’t contain serious hazards that may harm the people living there. And when a tenant reports an issue, it’s important to respond promptly.
Landlords have a legal duty to assess the risk from exposure to Legionella to ensure the safety of their tenants. However, if the rental property has a combi boiler, there are no hot water tanks and cold water is directly from the mains with no storage tanks, the risk of legionella is low.
Many agents tell landlords that they need to pay for a third party legionella assessment. If the property is low risk, as described above, there are some simple things a landlord can do to assess and reduce the risk of legionella. For more detail read: Landlord Guide to Legionella Assessments.
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to repairing obligations
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to electrical safety
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to fire safety
Does the Renters’ Rights Act make it too difficult for landlords to self-manage?
No. The Renters’ Rights Act does not make things too difficult for landlords to manage their properties themselves, whatever letting agents may claim.
However, it is important to get organised and to take a professional approach, as every stage of the tenancy is now regulated.
That’s why I wrote The Good Landlord Handbook, published by Penguin. It takes away the smoke and mirrors by going through the practicalities of each stage of the tenancy in compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act.
If you’d like more support, you can join The Independent Landlord Hub, which has lots of training on the Renters’ Rights Act, templates and checklists, and you can ask me questions at twice-monthly livestreams.
>> Related Post: Renters’ Rights Act Guide: The 12 key provisions
Should you self-manage or use a letting agent?
Being a successful self-managing DIY landlord requires organisation and a willingness to engage with tenants during six-monthly checks, and by phone/text. While this is not for everyone, I for one do not see that letting agents add value to the process for my small portfolio. Simple repairs are easy to organise, and anything more complex would require my approval anyway.
I would rather spend the £2k+ I save on the average fully managed fee on the repair and maintenance of the property, and spend a bit of my time organising the odd repair.
Some people don’t want to deal with tenants directly, and value a buffer. However, many have busy jobs and don’t want the hassle.
My decision to self-manage is made easier as I have the inclination (being a former lawyer!). I also have the necessary time on my hands. Having the properties near my home also helps considerably.
Finally, if you’re wavering, ask yourself whether your letting agents provide value for money and an excellent service for you and your tenants. If the answer is no, hopefully this blog post and the resources linked in it will help you on your journey towards managing your own rental property yourself.
>> Related Post: How to terminate the management agreement with your letting agents
>> Related Post: How to resolve problems with letting agents
* As an Amazon Associate and a Waterstones affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Thank you Suzanne, this is really helpful. We have been thinking about self-managing our buy-to-let property for a while, as the letting agents seriously charge a hefty amount of commission for the most of work that can be done on our own. Your article simply gives me lots of confidence and the software you recommended is really what I have been looking for.
Thank you! Good luck with self-managing and I’m glad you feel more confident after reading about my experience.
Good morning Suzanne
Lovely read on a breezy, wet Friday morning in Wrexham. I couldn’t agree more with your self manage breakdown. I have 4 properties and do all management & maintenance myself. If you get the property mint to start then it’s like you say regular inspections checking everything. I’m a believer the property has to breathe and educate my tenants that way. It’s a great business if your passionate about it so why would you ever give comminlsion to an estate agent !! Proactive is key 👍
Thank you! I wish I had the skills to do more maintenance myself like you. I can do basic painting, but I have to shell out for the rest! Being proactive is so important, as is educating your tenants, in a nice way. I think a landlord who cares about the property can do that so much more effectively than letting agents.
Hello, thank you this is an excellent post and it helped me a lot.
I have a question that I can’t find the answer to, I hope it reaches you.
My father, who is not a UK resident, purchased a flat in London. We set up a company in his name in the UK. There is only 1 flat. To deduct our expenses and pay our taxes.
My father does not live here, can I rent the flat in his name?
I do not want to make money from this. I want to support him and love doing this because I have experience in my own country and learn new things.
The rent payments will not be handed over to me. I will only be the person responsible who managing the flat. Is this possible?
I am lucky because I live next door to the new flat.
Many thanks
Thank you for the excellent post.
Can someone like me who doesn’t have any formal training and not from a legal background could manage the rental property myself. I have a friend who is acting as a letting agent for my property managing all the stuff, but sometime I feel like I should step up and take some rein and self-manage my rental property but afraid if I might mess things up.
That’s precisely why I wrote ‘The Good Landlord Handbook’, to help landlords do it themselves (and also to help those who use letting agents understand what their agents should be doing).