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Every landlord wants good tenants. The ideal tenant pays the rent on time and looks after the property with respect. They fix little problems like lightbulbs and report big problems like plumbing. They stay for several years, saving you the hassle of looking for more tenants, and ensuring your property doesn’t stand empty. But how do you find these good tenants? And once you’ve found them, how do you make sure they stay? During our time working as lettings agents, we’ve seen what works. Read on for some ideas!

If you’re new to renting, you might be surprised to see that your new home will be inspected by one of our property managers every three to six months. But don’t worry – the visit is mainly about keeping communication open, as well as protecting landlords and tenants alike. Let’s take a closer look.

A portion of Cobbles’ Guildford properties are let to students and young professionals. These tenants often prefer to rent furnished properties, as they don’t yet have their own furniture and may not be ready to put down roots. In this blog, we answer some of the common questions landlords ask about letting a furnished property.

At Cobbles, we pride ourselves on the great service we provide to landlords – you can read our testimonials here. In addition to our personal efforts, we also employ some of the latest tools and technology to make life easier for our landlords. As part of this, we use a unique landlord platform called My Property File to keep everything running smoothly, even outside office hours. In this blog, we look at My Property File and how it takes the headache out of renting property.

If you’re looking for a new agent to let your property, it’s a good time to re-evaluate what kind of lettings service you really need. And if you’re brand new to letting property, you might not even know where to start. Fortunately, help is at hand. In this blog, we look at the differences between the different kinds of letting services: let only, rent collection and fully managed. We hope this will help you find the best option for your needs.

When you take on the tenancy at a new property, it’s an exciting time and it can be easy to overlook some of the detail of the tenancy agreement. However, it’s important to remember that the tenancy agreement is a legally-binding document, and there are consequences for breaching it. You might lose your deposit - no joke if you were planning to put it down on your next rental property. Serious or repeated violations could result in eviction. The best way to avoid these horrors is not to breach your tenancy agreement in the first place. In this blog, we highlight some of the most frequent breaches, some of which you might not know you were guilty of.

Your rental property will usually be your home for at least the next twelve months, so it’s important to be clear on the details from the outset. The size of the property and the monthly rent will be clearly shown on any property website, but other matters, like what the rent includes and where you park your car, might not be. To be sure you’re getting the right property for your needs, and to be sure you can afford it, consider asking these questions before you sign the tenancy agreement.

Most people who rent houses are responsible for their own rent. However, some tenants are only able to rent a property if someone else – usually a parent or friend – guarantees that the rent will be paid. This person is called the rent guarantor. In this blog, we look at why some of Guildford’s tenants need a guarantor and how the process works.

Council tax is one of the highest taxes people in the UK have to pay, and failing to pay it when it is your responsibility results in penalties. That’s why it’s very important for tenants to understand whether or not they or the landlord have the responsibility for paying council tax. Paying council tax usually falls to the person or people who live in the property, but there are exceptions. Let’s take a closer look…

Having the correct documentation in place protects landlords and tenants alike, as well as ensuring that the renting process goes smoothly and the tenancy starts when you need it to. Both landlords and tenants must organise their paperwork before the tenancy agreement is signed – we’ve put together a quick guide to help you.