Landlords that choose to manage their rental properties themselves will be responsible for keeping track of every maintenance issue raised every legal safety certificate, and be at the end of the phone for the tenants to call whenever they need to.

Over time, it can feel like a full-time job on its own, trying to keep up with repairs and legislation changes and keeping the tenants happy; it makes sense that things will inevitably begin to slip.

Self-managing landlords will often have an air of despair about their time as a landlord and the state of their property investments. In contrast, landlords with a managing agent can often forget about their investments completely, only reminded when the bank account shows the monthly rent income.

Of course, it's never always plain sailing. There will undoubtedly be occasions when the agents have to call you, but this is often just to give your approval or to inform you of a situation. Once your approval is given, you are free to get on with your day while your agent arranges contractors and deals with the repair.

But, if a fully managing option is not the right course for you and you would prefer to go it alone, follow these tips to make sure your tenancy is handled correctly and in a way that reduces the stress for both you and your tenant.

Act quickly: if your tenants report an issue, act quickly. One of the biggest complaints from tenants is that their landlord doesn't respond to their reports quickly enough, leaving them with outstanding repairs.

Know when it's an emergency: Some repairs are urgent, and it's vital that you know which ones can wait and which ones are emergencies. You don't want to be paying call-out charges unnecessarily. If a tenant reports that the hot water is not working, you must act quickly, whereas if a blind is not opening correctly or there is a dripping tap, these are not considered an emergency. Many landlords are quite happy to act quickly when there is an emergency, particularly if there is a legal requirement for them to deal with it. However, when a repair is not an emergency, it often gets overlooked or even forgotten. There is no safety issue with a dripping tap or a broken blind, but it can be frustrating for the tenant. It can begin to sour the relationship if a tenant feels as if their reports are not being taken seriously. If further repairs are ignored, it won't be long before the tenants are looking for somewhere else to live. This will leave you trying to find a new tenant, dealing with an empty property, no rent incoming and the cost of re-letting the property. In the long run, it would have been cheaper to just fix the blind!

Pre-empt issues: When your CP12 is carried out, there are advisory notes from the engineer, much like when you have your car MOT'd. Take note of these things and deal with them before they become a problem to save yourself the stress and expense of emergency call-outs. It would also be prudent to deal with them during the warmer months, if you can, rather than waiting until the boiler stops working. This will inevitably happen as the temperature drops in autumn when the heating is turned on after a long summer off. It is also a hectic time for heating engineers, so it could be tricky to find a contractor.

Communication: As always, communication is the key. If the tenant reports a problem and hears nothing back from you, they will assume you don't care. If the tenant reports multiple things and only the urgent things are dealt with, they will feel as if you're only dealing with the things you are legally required to fix. This can develop into a complicated relationship between you and your tenants, as they will not feel heard. Of course, you are not forced to be friends with your tenants. You're not an agony aunt who has to listen to all of their problems and counsel them through these issues, but you want an open, communicative relationship so that you can keep each other aware of any potential changes or issues that may need to be dealt with.

Of course, this is not a failsafe list that guarantees a perfect tenancy, but it will help. Playing an active role in managing your properties and clear communication with your tenants will lead to a positive experience for all.

But, if this sounds like a second job and you are not prepared to dedicate that much time to the management of the tenancies, consider employing the professionals. Professional property managers can be worth their weight in gold. Regular contact and communication with the tenants, regular property inspections so that you know the property's condition, quick repairs and maintenance to keep your tenants happy and your property in good order, all while you live your life uninterrupted.

Property management is not for everyone, but many tenants prefer to live in a property managed by a letting agent rather than the landlord directly, and it may be possible to achieve a higher rent if the whole process is professionalised.

If you are sick of being hounded to repair things in your property and are out of touch with the legal responsibilities, consider putting the tenancy under professional management. Get in touch with our team of property lettings experts to find out how we can help you.