UK Landlord Forum / Life

I've been a landlord for 15 years and have had good and bad DSS and working tenants. Just because someone has a good job doesn't mean they won't be a nightmare.

Just use this phrase in your property to let ad: "DSS welcome with homeowner guarantor."

My thinking is that if no one in that person's life will stand up and stake their own property on that person's integrity, then why should I take a gamble?

You tell the tenant BEFORE they sign up that if they default on the rent or cause any damage that you will chase their guarantor (likely to be a family member or best friend) through the courts to get paid and will attach the debt to their guarantor's home.

But DO check that the guarantor really does have a property in their own. This is easy-peasy. Go to the Land Registry's website and pay four pounds for an instant search. If it checks out and the home-owner is happy to sign the one-page guarantor's form which, interestingly, needs to be witnessed (an AST doesn't!) then I say go for it.

I have a DSS tenant I have wanted to get rid of for some months. She's not evil, just a nuisance, and she's under Notice to Quit. This is usually a sign for the DSS tenant that they can now keep their HB and spend it on fags and scratchcards until the bailiffs arrive. But with her guarantor on the line, she's never late with the full rent.

My friends and I have come up with another way of sorting the sheep from the goats that's free to use. Have a look at www.letshare.info and tell us what you think!