How to be a successful landlord #2 Rights

Beware – landlords need to know exactly what rights they have, otherwise they run the risk of paying out big damages, or even being faced with imprisonment, for treating tenants unlawfully.

In an ideal world, things should run smoothly if you’ve ticked all the boxes to becoming a good landlord - you’ve bought your property to rent, done it up, found some tenants and even replaced the dodgy curtains for your new renters.

But, if your tenant becomes troublesome, remember that the law protects you too. Read up on what you can - and can't - do.

Your rights as a landlord:

• You are entitled to be paid rent on time if you have completed your responsibilities as a landlord
• You can charge tenants for damage to household interiors and possessions; you can’t charge for fair wear and tear to items
• You can visit your property as long as you give tenants at least 24 hours’ notice
• You have a right to ‘reasonable access’ to your property to complete repairs; you can’t enter without giving notice
• You can enter your property without notice in the event of an emergency
• You can regain possession of your property if your tenant has damaged it, is a nuisance to the neighbours or has been convicted of using the property for illegal purposes; you can’t do this without a court order
• You can regain possession of your property if your tenant is behind in rent payments by two months; you can’t do this without a court order
• You can’t forcibly remove tenants, change the locks or prevent access to the property

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