What a good landlord looks like in Malta
People spend weeks choosing a flat and about ten minutes thinking about who owns it. Then they spend a year dealing with that person every time something breaks.
We deal with landlords all day. Some of them are a pleasure and some of them are the reason a tenancy goes wrong, and the difference is usually visible at the viewing if you know what to look at.
The good signs
They have the paperwork ready. A landlord who produces the lease registration number without being chased is a landlord who does things properly, and that habit extends to everything else.
They have fixed things before you asked. A flat handed over clean, with working bulbs and a serviced air conditioner, tells you what the next twelve months look like. It costs them very little and it is the clearest signal there is.
They answer questions directly. Ask what the neighbours are like, or whether there has been damp. A good landlord tells you, including when the answer is imperfect, because they would rather you knew now than be unhappy in three months.
They are specific about the deposit. The amount, the conditions, and what counts as fair wear — in the lease, in writing, without you having to raise it.
The warning signs
Vagueness about registration. Since the leases act, registration is not optional. Somebody who is evasive about it is telling you how they handle their other obligations.
Pressure. "Somebody else is coming this afternoon" is sometimes true and is more often a technique. A good property does move quickly here — that part is real — but a landlord who will not let you see it twice is worth being careful with.
Cash, and nothing written down. An arrangement that suits them at your expense, always.
Anything already broken with a promise attached. "We will sort that out before you move in" is the single most reliable predictor of a difficult tenancy we know. If it is not fixed before the keys change hands, assume it will not be. Get it in writing or get it fixed first.
What to ask, straight out
- Is the lease registered, and what is the number?
- Who do I call when something breaks, and how quickly do they come?
- Has this property had damp?
- What is the deposit, and under what conditions do I get it back?
- What is happening on either side — anything permitted?
None of these are rude. A good landlord answers all five in two minutes and thinks better of you for asking.
It runs both ways
The landlords we work with longest are the ones who are looked after by their tenants: rent on time, problems reported early rather than after they become expensive, the place handed back in the state it was taken.
A tenancy that works is two people behaving reasonably for a year. Most do. The ones that do not usually showed you at the viewing, and the point of this is that you can learn to see it.
If you are looking at a property and something feels off about how it is being handled, ask us. We will tell you what we think.
Looking for somewhere in Malta? See what we have available, or read the guide to your area before you decide where to look.