Renting a home comes with important rights, but it also works best when everyone understands their responsibilities.

When you find a property you want to buy, it is easy to assume that one thing matters above everything else: the price you offer. Price is important. But sellers are usually considering something else too: how likely is this buyer to actually complete the purchase?

For many landlords, using a managing agent sounds straightforward: the agent collects the rent, deals with the tenant and arranges repairs when something goes wrong. Those things are part of it. But good property management involves considerably more.

Moving out of a rented property can become surprisingly busy. There are boxes to pack, utilities to organise, addresses to change and usually a new home demanding your attention too. But before handing the property back, it is worth giving yourself enough time to deal with the end of the tenancy properly.