Part I: So You Want to Be a Landlord?  7

Chapter 1: Do You Have What It Takes to Manage a Buy-to-Let Property? 9

Chapter 2: Deciding Whether to Manage Your Property Yourself or to Hire an Agent 15

Chapter 3: Becoming an Accidental Landlord 27

Part II: Renting Your Property 35

Chapter 4: Finding the Perfect Rental Property 37

Chapter 5: Preparing Your Rental Property for Prospective Tenants 45

Chapter 6: Rent, Deposits and Tenancy Agreements: The Big Three of Property Management 61

Chapter 7: Generating Interest in Your Rental Property 73

Chapter 8: Handling Prospective Tenants and Showing the Property 95

Chapter 9: Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo: Selecting Your Tenants 127

Part III: The Brass Tacks of Managing Rentals 147

Chapter 10: Moving in the Tenant 149

Chapter 11: Collecting and Increasing Rent 167

Chapter 12: Keeping Good Tenants – and Your Sanity 181

Chapter 13: Dealing with Problem Tenants 187

Chapter 14: Moving Out Tenants 199

Part IV: Techniques and Tools for Managing 209

Chapter 15: Maintenance 211

Chapter 16: Safety, Security and Insurance 221

Part V: Money, Money, Money! 237

Chapter 17: Raising the Cash to Buy Your Rental Property 239

Chapter 18: Avoiding Property Taxes 251

Chapter 19: Using a Company To Hold Your Property 261

Chapter 20: Financial Management and Recordkeeping 267

Part VI: Only for the Daring 275

Chapter 21: Government Programmes 277

Chapter 22: Working in Niche Markets: Students, Pets, HMOs and Smokers 283

Part VII: The Part of Tens 291

Chapter 23: Ten Reasons to Become a Rental Property Owner 293

Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Get and Keep Full Occupancy in Your Property 297

Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Increase Cash Flow 303

Part VIII: Appendices 309

Appendix A: Resources 311

Appendix B: Forms, Templates and Standard Letters 315

Index 361