Becoming a First Time Landlord

Buy-to-Let investing can be exciting. From building your investments and saving for retirement to creating another income stream, becoming a landlord can open up lots of opportunities.  

Perhaps you have become what we term an ‘Accidental Landlord’ if you were unable to sell your home to move to another and so kept the former as an investment.  

You may have inherited property for the first time and want to keep it to let out. Whichever way you become a landlord, Samuel Estates can assist. 

Why Samuel Estates?   

Backed up with 16 years of experience in the London property market alongside in-house and external industry training, our staff can offer expert advice on both the letting process and your legal obligations as a landlord. Many of our team have been with us for a long time, so you are in safe hands. 

With several awards and an excellent reputation in the local community, we’ve already developed a proud reputation as one of South West London’s friendliest estate agents. Our local knowledge and competitiveness are second to none!  

We are proud to be an independent estate agency, free to make our own decisions. 

Our full membership of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), ensures that our landlords receive a leading service backed by expert knowledge of current legislation and that your tenancy contract is fair and clear. 
 

FAQs

How do I make money as a landlord?

The money you make can come from two potential income streams 

  1. Rent 
  2. Capital growth of the property value going up 

The property market has ups and downs, so it is possible to lose money if the property value goes down, your outgoings exceed rental yield, or if the property is vacant for some time.  

What fees will I need to consider when buying to let?

There is much to consider in terms of the expense and everyday running costs of a property.  

Fees associated with property purchase:  

  • Stamp duty  
  • Valuation / Property survey  
  • Legal costs  
  • Mortgage arrangement fees (If you already have a property with a standard mortgage you will need to seek your Lender’s permission to rent it out)  
  • Income tax is payable on your rental income, minus day to day running costs. There are specific rules for non-resident landlords. We have a dedicated section on this.   

It can be a good idea to chat with an accountant, if you have one, about the financial viability of becoming a landlord.  

What regular running costs will I need to consider as a new landlord?

It is essential to factor in the day to day running costs of a property into your calculations for rental yield.  

Here are some of the main costs:  

  • Letting agent’s fees  
  • Mortgage interest  
  • Redecorating  
  • Landlord’s insurance  
  • Annual safety checks 
  • Rent insurance 
  • General building maintenance  

What services do Samuel Estates offer?

We offer landlords a comprehensive range of lettings and property management services, tailored to suit every landlord. This includes:  

  • Landlord property acquisition   
  • Property letting  
  • Rental collection  
  • Property Management   
  • Bespoke Insurance Products 

Service Selector

Letting Service

A hassle-free, professional Let Only service

We offer two different letting service options to our landlords.

Learn more

A Fully Managed Service

Relax, with everything taken care of

Our experienced property management team looks after hundreds of properties for clients based both nationally and internationally.  

Learn more

Property Management

Pro-active Property Management

Our experienced property management team looks after hundreds of properties for clients based both nationally and internationally.  

Learn more

Our latest properties

What our customers think

  • Nisha Patel

    I had a great experience with Samuel Estates. Daniel was very helpful in getting me a viewing of the property I was interested in and very quick to respond to any questions I had!

  • Daniel Neves

    I wanted to extend my thanks to the team of Samuel estate. I have dealt with them in many occasion in the past 10 years and they have been mostly consistent with their personal approach. Thx to Nick , Lars, Paul and yohana.

  • Valentin Mocho Rodriguez

    Fantastic experience, Bilal was super helpful, responsive & very patient with me constantly pestering him for updates. Smoothest experience I’ve had with a letting agent for sure!

  • Adrian Agho

    Excellent service, very helpful staff.

  • ELENA ZO

    5 stars for Stefano Basciu​, letting consultant. He made the process of securing the flat we liked quick and straightforward. He was there to answer questions : )

  • jeffin paul

    Stefano was very helpful and efficient in dealing with all enquiries from start to finish of my rental property hunt.

  • Paul V

    I'm leaving one amazing property managed by Samuel Estates not only because their staff believe they can trespass the property in my absence as they give the keys away to third parties / service providers without any supervision. I did my best to fix this issue but they just lied to me (in written). The maintenance is also poor: for one year they failed to fix an issue with the boiler / water pressure so it's impossible to have a shower at constant temperature.

  • Maheen Nasir

    Very straightforward process to rent out a property with Samuel Estates. Stefano was great to deal with and responded to any queries we had promptly

  • Ayanna Griffith

    Stefano was my estate agent and he was great. Whenever I had a question he would take the time to find an answer, and was always available to speak to. I recommend Samuel Estates agency!

  • Zoha Desmukh

    Great experience so far! Stefano gave me loads of help and support! I recommend this agency

Our office locations

Balham

45 Bedford Hill
London
SW12 9EY

Contact Office

Colliers Wood

30 Watermill Way
London
SW19 2RT

Contact Office

Streatham Common

432-434 Streatham High Rd
London
SW16 3PX

Contact Office