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

  • Adam

    We have been clients of Samuel Estaes for over 10 years now, they have always provided excellent advice followed up by good results.
    I highly recommend.

  • the Villager hair salon

    I have been letting my property through Samuel Estates for many years now. The team are professional, friendly and always make you feel like you are being properly looked after. Highly recommended!

  • Harriet Freer-Smith

    As a private Landlord I have instructed Samuel Estates over many years
    to let my flats in Clapham and Balham. I have always found them to be highly professional, fast to react and extremely helpful.
    I would have no hesitation in recommending Samuel Estates to other landlords.
    I would add that their virtual tour of the properties has been fantastic through covid and resulted in top rents being achieved.
    regards Chris Freer-Smith

  • Steve Humphrey

    I feel compelled to write a review for my lettings agent, Samuel Estates.
    I have been using Samuel Estates for over 16 years now, on a fully managed/ tenant find basis for my buy to let flats in London and I can honestly say they have never let me down.
    They are always friendly, honest, helpful, polite and highly professional in their lettings management business.
    They treat both myself and my tenants with respect and empathy and are very responsive whenever there is an issue to be dealt with.
    This approach leads to happy tenants, many of whom have been in my flats for years at a time.
    Samuel Estates vetting process in sourcing me new tenants whenever necessary is also excellent and in 16 or so years I've never been let down by any of my tenants.
    I cannot fault Samuel Estates for their honesty and professionalism and they always go the extra mile to help me.
    As a customer I feel valued and supported. Both of these things are so important in this day and age.
    Thank you Paul, Chi, Ryan, Stefano and the rest of the team for your care, concern, support and efficiency.

  • Siri1175 JAM

    I have been using Samuel Estates for the last 11 years both as a renter and a landlord. In all that time they have been utterly professional in their approach. They are straight-forward in their approach, prompt with their responses and efficient and effective when managing issues relating to the properties. They have a clear focus on maintaining high standards when managing properties, and take as much care with small matters as well as large.
    I would not hesitate in recommending their services.

  • Kit Tandon

    Samuel Estates have acted as my agents for over 15 years. They have always acted professionally and with integrity. They always give great value and put their customers first. Samuels have always managed to get tenants for me without my property ever being empty. I can't recommend them highly enough. The fact that I have remained with them for this long says everything about them

  • Jacy

    Would highly recommend Samuel estates - Paul and Nick were extremely helpful and went out of their way to help in our home search. Like many agents who I found persistent and didn't listen, Samuel estates were professional and made our experience much easier & tailored to our requirements. I would highly recommend them when considering buying or selling your property.

  • Lulu White

    The best estate agents I have dealt with! The process of renting a new flat has been incredibly smooth thanks to Stefano who has been fantastic. He went out of his way to answer all of our questions and always got back to us quickly. The referencing and signing of agreements etc was very simple and I would recommend Samuel Estates to anyone.

  • Amy Lea

    Thank you so much to Chi for the highly professional and reliable service he has provided for our first move. Whenever we have had an issue, Chi has dealt with this quickly and solved any problems with ease. I would highly recommend his services to anybody. A fantastic service that ensured the smooth transition into our first new home.

  • Jacob Westerman

    Really pleased with the service provided, Stefano did a great job helping me to negotiate the rent, the whole process of moving in was made easy and greatly expedited; with thanks to Stefano, I was able to move in to my new apartment, in less than one week of making my initial offer. I would happily recommend their services to both landlords and prospective tenants.

Our office locations

Balham

45 Bedford Hill
London
SW12 9EY

Colliers Wood

30 Watermill Way
London
SW19 2RT

Streatham Common

432-434 Streatham High Rd
London
SW16 3PX