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Here are five hints:

1. Decorate the property in a neutral style
2. Buy property in high demand areas
3. Be less fussy about the type of tenant you are willing to accept
4. Buy a type of property for which there is high demand
5. Advertise the property in plenty of time before the end of the current tenancy

Try these ideas, in this order:

Reduce the rent
If you can’t let it out at the price you want, then try reducing the rent –even as little as £2 per week less can make a difference.

Be less picky
For example, if you’ve asked for non-smokers then consider smokers. A local cleaning company can get rid of the smell quite easily by if need be.

Put furniture in the property
This will be expensive and is no guarantee that the place will attract tenants. Consider this if you are getting calls rejecting the property because it is unfurnished.

Consider selling it
This is a drastic step, because most properties in the UK are lettable – it’s just the rent you are asking for that might put off possible tenants. However, if you are experiencing trouble letting it, think about getting out! You could sell it and buy something else.

You have a number of obligations that you cannot avoid:

Repairing Covenants
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the landlord must look after the
structure and exterior of the property, and the installations for the supply of services (gas, electricity, water, sanitation and heating). You’ll find this in the Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for England and Wales and in the Short Assured Tenancy agreement for Scotland. The landlord should also look after the roof of the property, drains, gutters and the garden, if there is one.

Gas safety
Under the Gas Safety Regulations a landlord must have the gas equipment at a property inspected every year by a Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI)-registered plumber and give the certificate to the tenant. Landlords should check the current regulations with their local health and safety executive, who enforces them.

Furniture, electrical equipment and general product regulations
These regulations require furniture to be fire-resistant, and all electrical equipment and other items in the property to be safe. You can get further information from your local trading standards office.

Covenant of quiet enjoyment
This is part of all tenancies and it means the tenant should be able to live without interference. The landlord can’t enter the property without the tenant’s consent (except in an emergency), should keep the property in a proper condition, and should not do anything or allow anyone else to do anything which would affect the tenant’s rights, e.g. stopping services to ‘persuade’ the tenant to leave.

A landlord who lets a number of separate flats in a property has a duty to his other tenants because of the covenant of quiet enjoyment. For example, if one tenant is a nuisance, the other tenants will look to the landlord to solve the problem, and if necessary evict the disruptive tenant.

Insurance
The landlord has an obligation to insure the property and its contents but the tenants are responsible for insuring their own possessions. The landlord should be certain his insurance policy is suitable for rented property – his normal household insurance generally will not be. Check the terms of the policy carefully, as some policies exclude cover for lettings to some types of tenant. The agreements included in the Residential Letting Kit allow the landlord to give the tenant a copy of the insurance policy. This is so the landlord can hold the tenant responsible if he does anything that voids the insurance or causes the landlord’s premiums to increase.