Are you considering renting your home to a relative who lives in the UK? Finding exceptional tenants can be one of the most difficult aspects of being a property manager. Renting your house to family members ideally can be a great solution for both parties. While it could seem like a good alternative, it’s crucial to consider the potential pros and cons before deciding.
Renting to family members has its own advantages including familiarity and trust, steady rental revenue, and reduced eviction rates. However, it can also lead to difficulties including legal difficulties, damaged relationships, and professional troubles. Leaders, one of the leading estate agents in Worthing with more than 100 branches across the country offers a host of properties for a convenient real estate experience.
To assist you in making the right decision, let’s weigh the benefits and drawbacks of renting a home to relatives. Grab a cup of tea, and let’s get started!
The Pros:
Familiarity And Trust:
There’s only so much you can discover about an individual based on their financial qualifications and credit history. It can be convenient to rent to someone you’ve known for a long time if you’re convinced that they are dependable and will make payments on time.
When renting to family members, there is already an established relationship of trust and familiarity. Given that both parties are likely to have a clear grasp of one another’s requirements and expectations, this can make the rental process simpler and easier.
Rental Revenue That Is Consistent:
Renting out a home to family members can be a dependable source of rental income. With family members, payment plans may be more flexible, and late payments may be easily excused.
No Additional Expenses:
Renting to a person who is close to you has some clear advantages. It can help you save the hassle of hiring and paying a broker to advertise the property or other marketing expenses. The broker’s fee tends to be the responsibility of the property owner, which doesn’t necessarily make sense if you have a huge network of personal connections you might use to rent your flat.
Reduced Wear And Tear:
Family members are generally dependable for maintaining and being cautious with things. This may result in less damage to the property over time and lower maintenance costs for the landlord.
The Cons:
Strained Relationships:
Renting to family members may cause relationship stress if there are problems with rent payments or property upkeep. To avoid any possible conflict, it is crucial to establish clear expectations and boundaries early on.
Legal Problems:
Renting to family members might lead to legal issues, especially with regard to eviction processes. The terms and conditions of the tenancy should be stated in a signed tenancy agreement.
Professionalism:
It might be challenging to maintain a connection that is entirely business-like when renting to family members since it can be difficult to distinguish between personal and professional interactions. It’s crucial to approach the tenancy professionally to prevent your emotions or personal sentiments from influencing your decision-making.
Market Rent Rates:
Renting to family members may result in the landlord charging below-market rental rates, which might be harmful to their financial stability. Make sure the rental pricing is reasonable and competitive by researching market prices.
You must establish clear expectations from the start if you’re intending to rent to a friend or member of your family. While you don’t have to be rude about it, you should let them know that regardless of your close friendship, they shouldn’t expect favours. Otherwise, you run the danger of rupturing a family relationship or harming a friendship over a little dispute.
Avoid placing yourself in a position where you must choose between evicting a loved one and losing revenue on your investment. That’s a significant lose-lose predicament that can make you give up on real estate entirely.
People experience difficult times, of course, and things happen. It’s okay to occasionally give your resident some leeway if you can afford it, even if they are truly struggling but otherwise responsible. Just because you are a property owner doesn’t mean you have to be callous.
However, if you want to keep your personal relationship with them intact, you must be honest and let them know that they will receive the same treatment as other residents. You shouldn’t encounter too many issues as long as that is recognised and acknowledged.
