11 Mistakes New Landlords Make and How to Avoid Them

Any landlord wants to maximise the return on investment while still providing safe, high-quality housing that appeals to tenants. Research shows around 35% of UK households rent in the social or private sectors, which in turn creates a strong demand for good rental properties. But managing one is not without challenges.

Whether it’s your first letting property or expanding your portfolio, it’s important to avoid the common pitfalls earlier to save time, money and stress over time.

In this blog, we will address the 11 most common mistakes made by new landlords and most importantly how to avoid them.

Inadequate Tenant Screening

One of the largest mistakes a new landlord can make is not screening potential tenants. If there isn’t any check in place, there is a risk of renting to a tenant that may not make rent payments, damage the rental property or even require a formal eviction notice. By completing background, credit checks, and even meeting potential tenants in-person as well as requests for references, you can reduce the risk of having this type of tenant in-situ.

Our team at Abode have a thorough and professional screening process which includes reviewing prospective tenants’ financial documents, references, completing credit checks and meeting them in person. This vetting process helps to attract the right tenants for your property.

Not Understanding Legal and Tax Responsibilities

If you as a landlord fail to keep up with your responsibilities, it can lead to fines, legal disputes or in some cases criminal charges. As a new landlord it can often be overlooked how much there is to manage.

These responsibilities can be keeping up with legislations such as the Renters Reform Bill to the Making Tax Digital rollout in April 2026. Most recently, from the 14th May 2025 new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and financial sanction rules came into effect in the UK, significantly impacting landlords and letting agents.

It can be easy to fall behind on these, so partnering with an experienced letting agent ensures full compliance and the avoidance of surprises.

Not Using a Solid Tenancy Agreement

If you rely on verbal agreements or vague templates this can leave you open to legal risks. Any tenancy agreement should clearly define the expectations, responsibilities, rent terms and notice periods. If there is no comprehensive and legally standing document, it makes it harder to resolve any disputes that may occur. Always make sure that any agreements are tailored and up to date with any current regulations.

Failing to Protect the Tenant’s Deposit

All tenancy deposits must be registered in a government approved deposit account scheme within 30 days of the initial date you received it; the tenant must be provided with the deposit account details. Failure to do so can result in you, as the landlord, being ordered to repay up to three times the amount of the initial deposit to your tenant. It will also affect the legal ability to issue any notices if needed. It is a simple but essential complacency step that should never be overlooked.

Ensuring You Don’t Over or Under Charge on Rent

Putting in upgrades to the property is great in theory but it’s important to keep an eye on the budget and the return that any investment will yield. New landlords can often misjudge the perfect rental price, either aiming too high and struggling to let it (leading to a void period when the property is unoccupied) or marketing it too low and missing out on any significant potential returns.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to have a chat with your letting agent as they will know and understand the demands of your target tenant and the rental rate that you can realistically achieve.

Failing to Document a Detailed Property Inventory

At the start of a tenancy, a document should be completed creating an inventory that records the condition of a property and its contents. The more detailed and comprehensive this is the better, but even a basic document will mean that landlords and tenants can avoid disputes over damage and cleaning standards when the tenancy ends.

If you neglect to complete an inventory, then you will not be able to hold back any deposit from a tenant as there is no proof of the condition of the property at the start of tenancy.

Underestimating Maintenance and Repair Costs

If a property is clean and well maintained it is more appealing to potential tenants, allowing you to charge a better rental rate.

New landlords often overlook how much maintenance costs can add up to, especially if unexpected repair bills arise. A good idea is to set aside 10-15% of the rental income each month for on-going repairs. By scheduling regular inspections and dealing with any issues promptly can help you retain good tenants and protect your investment into the property. Abode’s property management service for landlords can help to handle this for you.

Neglecting Presentation and Property Condition

If your rental property’s interior is tired, scuffed or mismatches it can be a dealbreaker especially in a competitive market. The first impression always counts. Easy changes such as a fresh coat of paint for clean woodwork can instantly lift a property and attract a tenant more quickly, which will help you avoid costly periods of void. Also, by keeping the garden tidy, repainting a front door, cleaning the gutters and ensuring the exterior looks loved, sets the tone for what tenants can expect from the inside.

Neglecting Energy Efficiency

New landlords can often underestimate how much their property’s energy performance matters. With legal requirements for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) - as well as a rise in energy bills - has encouraged tenants to look out for well-insulated homes.

Adding loft insulation, draft-proofing the property and fitting an efficient heating system can help to attract more cost-conscious tenants whilst improving the long-term value of your rental property.

Not Preparing for Void Periods

An unrealistic expectation is that your property will always have a tenant in. If you don’t budget for gaps between tenancies, it can be difficult to cover some payments or bills.

By allowing 2-4 weeks of vacancies per year in your financial planning, it can act as a buffer and make all the difference to your cash flow and reduce any potential stress during any transition periods.

Not Providing Appliances When They May be Needed

The avoidance of supplying appliances to cut costs or avoid any liability can backfire. For most tenants, especially young professionals or students, included white goods ae are a major factor in deciding where to rent.

Also, if you are providing any furniture even if it’s just partly furnished, you must be clear in what you are providing and ensure everything is safe, clean and in good working order.

Planning in Advance and Hiring the Right Trades

Maintenance such as redecorating and replacing flooring can all take time to organise and must be carried out in between tenants. This means that it is important that landlords be well organised and plan and bookwork by any contractors in advance to ensure any tenancy voids to a minimum.

Sometimes you can’t always carry the work out yourself, so hiring in an experienced contractor/tradesperson becomes an essential.

Trades people should be fully accredited, and any work completed by them in line with current regulations can help give you, as the landlord, peace of mind.

Planning repair work and hiring contractors enables landlords to know when he the specific finish date will be and enabling the property to be back on the rental market in the shortest time possible.

You can read more about hiring contractors and how to choose them in our blog:?Landlords, how to find good contractors.

Maximise Your Investment with Abode

At Abode, our team is here to support landlords as they refurbish their properties and make changes.

We want to help you get the highest rent achievable. Whether you are interested in a bit some initial advice or want to take advantage of our refurbishment service, we’re here to help you make the best investment, get the maximum return and secure the best tenants for you.

To discuss any of the above for one of your properties, or if you are looking for a management agency, feel free to contact us on 0117 973 8866 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you.