Finders Keepers publishes the definitive guide to being a landlord

One recent report estimates that there are nearly 2 million buy-to-let landlords.  With an increasing population and far too few homes being built to meet demand, property price growth will continue on its upward trajectory.  Likewise, rental demand is growing as people stay in education longer, get married later and have more transient careers.  As an investment, rental properties offer amazing returns provided landlords choose the right property to begin with and manage the investment accordingly.  To help them do that, Oxfordshire letting agents Finders Keepers has published a definitive guide.

Stepping foot into a show flat at a flagship development, it would be easy to believe that making money from property is a doddle.  Simply buy one of the flats and watch the cash roll in.  Unfortunately, it's not that simple.  Property is an active investment and to make the best returns on that investment, it is important to choose a good property, find a reputable tenant and then to manage the property well.  Not only that, new rules and regulations now make landlords responsible for everything from ensuring the tenant has the correct immigration status to making sure there are inspection hatches in boiler flues.  Never before have landlords been so heavily regulated but Landlord Intelligence: The FK Guide to being a Successful Landlord explains landlords' duties of care.

The book also goes into detail about tenant responsibilities, negotiating rent increases, insurance and taxes.  It is intended as a guide for new landlords as well as seasoned ones who need to know the latest on issues affecting them.  The book is written in a matter-of-fact way and available to landlords regardless of whether they are Finders Keepers clients.  The publication is intended as a reliable reference guide and a trustworthy alternative to much of the misinformation currently found on the internet.

“While there are many landlord guides on the internet, many of them are dated or biased,” comments Dan Channer, MD of Finders Keepers, “We wanted to offer a handbook for landlords that offered the latest information that is reliable and truthful.  To our knowledge, there isn't a comprehensive guide out there for landlords so we've used our 40 years of experience to provide advice that will be of use to landlords, no matter whether they are investing in buy-to-let for the first time or are seasoned pros.”

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Contact details:

Finders Keepers, Tel: 01865 311 011, www.finders.co.uk

For further information, please contact (not for publication):

Lana Wrightman, Tel: 020 8533 2277, Mob: 077 2595 1310, pr@lanawrightman.com

Notes for editors:

Founded in 1972, Finders Keepers is one of Oxfordshire's leading lettings agents.  With eight offices and over 100 members of staff, the company offers a multitude of services to both landlords and tenants.  It is dedicated to matching tenants with the perfect property while helping landlords make the most of their investments.  The company offers a full property management service in addition to its own interior design and building teams.  Finders Keepers lets and manages over 2,400 properties each year and boasts a 98.25% occupancy rate.  FKStudent Lettings, its specialist student division, has a portfolio of over 200 properties, 95% of which are already let for the 2014-15 academic year with an average rent of £400-450 per person per calendar month.