General education for business planning. Apply the current rules to your actual property and arrangement; professional checks and legal procedures remain your responsibility.
Use a consistent onboarding process
Explain the property, rent, permitted occupancy and application process accurately. Verify the information you need for the actual letting without collecting unnecessary identity material. Keep checks consistent and apply lawful, fair criteria rather than stereotypes about nationality or family circumstances.
In England, establish and carry out the applicable Right to Rent checks for adult occupiers. Where an agent is responsible, record the written allocation. Identify the checking route, actual outcome, retained evidence and any required follow-up.
Keep deposit money distinct
For a covered tenancy deposit, protect it and give the required information within 30 days of receipt. Check the current scheme rules and who is legally responsible. A security payment under the owner’s company arrangement is a different contractual payment; do not assume the same treatment.
The Tenant Fees Act generally caps a tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is below £50,000, or six weeks where it is £50,000 or more; a holding deposit is generally capped at one week. Check applicability and permitted payments before asking for money.
Prepare the move-in evidence
Create an accurate inventory with condition, tenant comments, keys, photos and meter readings. Retain the agreement, actual signatures and evidence that required information was supplied. Give residents clear repair and payment contacts.
The CRM stores records and generated reports. Deposit protection, prescribed checks and actual document service still need to be completed through the appropriate process; clicking a status does not carry them out.
Reconcile receipts instead of assuming rent arrived
Allocate a payment to the correct tenant and period. Record cash when received, keep a receipt and distinguish arrears from overpayments. Reconcile your records to bank activity and check refunds separately.
The rent you owe the owner and the rent a resident owes you are different obligations. A missed resident payment does not automatically suspend the owner payment. Deal with arrears promptly and use lawful procedures; a ledger is not authority to evict.