Insights · R2R · 29 July 2026 · 5 min
Rent to rent: what's actually in it for the landlord?
Guaranteed rent sounds too good until you understand who's carrying which risk. A straight explanation of the arrangement — including when to say no to it.
Rent to rent is a simple trade. An operator — us — takes your property on a company let, pays you an agreed rent every month whether or not the property earns, and runs it as the business: tenants or guests, turnovers, maintenance calls, void periods. You trade some upside for certainty and your evenings back.
What you give up, honestly
The operator has to make a margin, so the guaranteed rent is below the theoretical maximum you might squeeze out managing it yourself on a perfect year. If you enjoy the work, never have voids, and like 11pm phone calls about boilers, self-managing may genuinely pay you more.
What most landlords discover is that the theoretical maximum isn't real. Voids, re-lets, arrears, agent fees and their own unpaid hours close most of the gap — and the certainty closes the rest.
The questions to ask any operator
Who exactly is my contract with, and what happens if their business fails? What condition does the property come back in, and who pays for wear? How is the rent guaranteed in a bad month — reserves, other income, or hope? Can I speak to a landlord they already work with?
Any operator worth dealing with answers these in writing without flinching. We do — and our first landlord's review is on our Google page, unedited, where we can't touch it.
When it fits
Rent to rent suits landlords who value certainty, live far from the property, or simply want out of the day-to-day without selling an asset that's doing its job. Everything — rent, term, responsibilities, return condition — goes on paper before a key changes hands. If it's not written down, it isn't agreed.