As a landlord, you want to minimise void or empty periods in your rental property. When you don’t have a tenant, you don’t generate rental income. Sometimes, a landlord can use this period to good effect. This period may allow you to make changes or home improvements which add value to the rental accommodation.

However, in general, when a landlord doesn’t have a tenant in place, they suffer. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for landlords to begin the letting process to find a new tenant with an existing tenant in place.

There will be issues with this, and landlords need to remember their current tenant has rights. The nature of the end of the rental agreement will influence how easy this. Before a landlord begins the process of finding a tenant, they should ensure they have provided sufficient notice to remove the current tenant from the rental property.

Review the conditions of your AST agreement

The majority of rental agreements these days are classed as an “assured shorthold tenancy” or an AST agreement. Landlords looking to evict a tenant with a Section 21 notice needs to provide a minimum of two months’ notice to end the tenancy. However, the landlord should check their contract as sometimes, the AST offers six months of protection for the tenant.

With a Section 21 notice, landlords don’t have to provide a reason for the tenant as to why they ask them to leave. However, if you’re looking for the changeover to run as smoothly as possible, it may be best, to be honest with the tenant. In many cases, an existing tenant will understand if the landlord is sincere about their intentions.

Your tenant may not be helpful during the process

Of course, this isn’t always the case. You may find the tenant is unhelpful during the letting process. You should always provide as much notice as you can about any visits. If you intend to let the property, you’ll want to spend time in the rental property staging the home for prospective new tenants.

Be mindful of the tenants’ rights and emotions

The viewing process also poses problems if the tenant is in place. Ideally, you should be aware of the tenants’ rights, and be sensitive to the emotions of the current tenant. If you can arrange a time to conduct viewings when the tenant expects to be out, say at work, you can make the process run more smoothly.

If the tenant refuses to leave by an agreed date, the landlord can commence proceedings and apply to the court. However, this is costly and can take months to resolve. In many cases, the tenant eventually leaves the property before or on the day of the court case is due to start.

If you’re a landlord or tenant in Bridgwater or Sedgmoor, and you need help, please get in touch. We provide a wide range of services, including providing a free valuation. If this is of interest, contact Andrew Lees today, and we’ll be happy to help.