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

  • Shameem Bhyat

    Paul at Samuel Estates has been exceptional. His no-nonsense attitude helped enormously with the sale of my house. At a time when good conveyancers are hard to come by, Paul made great recommendations and facilitated communications with all parties with speed and efficiency, always keeping me in the loop at every stage of the process. It can certainly be challenging when it comes to selling your home but Paul really made the process easy. Thank you so much.

  • Kayley Donnelly

    This was the smoothest experience I've had moving to a new flat. Daniel was really helpful and very accommodating when we tried to arrange a second viewing. He was very responsive to emails which I really appreciated, and unlike other agencies I was not harassed with lots of phone calls! Very happy with the flat and the service received.

  • Bel Vita

    The worst agency I've ever rented in, they don't care about the tenant's welfare, no repairs are done, they want to hold the tenant responsible for everything, I do not recommend it!

  • David Evans

    We had a great experience with Samuel Estates. Bilal was our estate agent and he was a great asset to us getting the property we loved. Thanks so much and we would definitely use these guys again!

  • raj kumar

    special thanks to Daniel. he has been very kind and helpful. he made that whole thing very easy. very professional and friendly agent.
    Lina Svegzdaite is an AMAZING property manager. very professional and very friendly. Highly experienced. i am very happy and thank her for giving the wonderful experience when it comes maintenance issues.

    thanks SAMUEL ESTATES management team for having Daniel and Lina.

  • Bilge Gündüz

    Top real estate agency. Special thanks to Daniel for finding us a perfect flat that meets all our needs! Highly recommended!

  • Charlie

    I’m not someone to usually write a review, but I was highly impressed with the service I received from Samuel Estates. I would highly recommend Jessica to anyone looking for a new home. I have had to move a few times over the last few years and she was the best estate agent I have ever dealt with. She was helpful, professional and answered any questions we had promptly and efficiently. She made the process stress-free and took care to make sure we was happy every step of the way. I highly recommend.

  • Conor MacLeay

    Jessica was very helpful throughout the process. Would recommend Samuel Estates.

  • Lucy Robinson

    Highly recommend Samuel Estates.Sold & bought properties with them & experienced expertise & efficiency from start to finish.Competitive pricing, highly knowledgeable & know the properties inside & out, providing confidence to both seller & purchaser.

  • David

    Good service no pressure from agent professional and helpful.

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