Renting HMOs Sussed – BOOK REVIEW

Property118 Columnists HMO Landlady and Ben Reeve-Lewis have had their book “Renting HMOs Sussed” published and it is now available to purchase via Amazon.

If you are a regular reader of Property118 you will know that both Serena (HMO Landlady) and Ben are known for “saying it as they see it“. Neither of them pull any punches and they could certainly never be accused of always painting just the glossy picture of being a landlord. Their own styles of humour mixed with wealth of practical experience are just the same in the paperback as you will have found in their musings here at Property118.

“Renting HMOs Sussed” contains 100 pages of personal experience and is a practical guide to managing an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation). Serena has given me permission select and share a random section of the book to showcase what’s on offer. I’ve chosen this one:-

RULES OF THE HOUSE

“As with any household, it’s wise to establish a set of Rules. Here’s an example of mine.

1) Please have your rent ready for collection by 9:30 am every saturday unless you have made an alternative agreement with me (e.g. paying monthly). If you cannot pay you must call or text me BEFORE Saturday with a good reason and a date you can pay.

2) No smoking anywhere in the house – it’s the law!

3) Clean up after yourself in the bathroom AND the kitchen.

4) If I call or text you and you don’t answer, I would appreciate you contacting me within 24 hours via text, phone, email or carrier pidgeon if necessary.

5) I will collect your rent from a pre-agreed location (bed, bedside table. etc.) Please don’t ask me to hunt for it in dirty sheets or your pant drawer – I am not your mother!

6) If you decide to ignore me or fail to pay your rent, I will not beat you with a base ball bat or send in the heavy mob, but I WILL nag you, sit outside your room until you appear, call your next of kin and report you missing and follow all legal eviction channels (Section * and Section 21 Notices – Housing Act 1987).

7) Please put some clothes on before you answer your door to me.

See what I mean know about “say it as you see it”?

Another of my favourite extracts is “putting 5 strangers into one house and expecting them to share a bathroom and kitchen nicely is like asking a group of toddlers to take turns banging a drum”

I remember meeting Serena (HMO Landlady) in Norwich about a year ago and asking her about her goals. She was passionate about her goal of getting a book published and co-authored by Ben Reeve-Lewis. Well done Serena – another one to cross off your bucket list!

I’m not into letting properties by the room but I am always interested enough to want to understand other landlords strategies. “Renting HMO’s Sussed” is highly enternating as well as being an incredibly informative little book crammed with insight into the world of being a landlord specialising in Houses in Multiple Occupation.

I totally commend this book, it’s well worth investing £10.89 with Amazon to get hold of a copy. Enjoy and feel free to review by leaving a comment below.

To link to the Amazon page to order your copy simply click on the image of the book cover.

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