--- title: The pitfalls lying in wait for a buy-to-let investor can be avoided if the agent knows his job description: Ongoing publicity recently given to the slow but steady return of investors to the buy-to-let residential property market is certa... image: https://res.cloudinary.com/rawson/image/upload/v1/remote/blog/staging/posts/720/tQ0qdID0RkBUePBDmOg0xSZKrxgXuF2HzewteNnU.jpeg --- [![Rawson Property Group logo](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/Rawson%20-June2017/image/logo-rawson-property-group-white-112x26.png?width=113&height=26&name=logo-rawson-property-group-white-112x26.png "Rawson Property Group logo")](https://www.rawson.co.za/) [![Rawson Property Group logo](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/Rawson%20-June2017/image/blog-logo.png?width=113&height=26&name=blog-logo.png "Rawson Property Group logo")](https://www.rawson.co.za/) [More Menu ](https://blog.rawson.co.za/the-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job#footer) - [Blog](https://blog.rawson.co.za) - [The pitfalls lying in wait for a buy-to-let investor can be avoided if the agent knows his job](https://blog.rawson.co.za/the-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job) # The pitfalls lying in wait for a buy-to-let investor can be avoided if the agent knows his job [News](https://blog.rawson.co.za/topic/news) [![Share on Facebook](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/251674/hubfs/1px.png?width=24&name=1px.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/251674/hubfs/1px.png?width=24&name=1px.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/251674/hubfs/1px.png?width=24&name=1px.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20pitfalls%20lying%20in%20wait%20for%20a%20buy-to-let%20investor%20can%20be%20avoided%20if%20the%20agent%20knows%20his%20job) [![Share on Pinterest](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/251674/hubfs/1px.png?width=24&name=1px.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn1.hubspot.com%2Fhub%2F158015%2F305390_10100548508246879_837195_59275782_6882128_n.jpg) Ongoing publicity recently given to the slow but steady return of investors to the buy-to-let residential property market is certainly not estate agency hype and can be shown by his and many other estate agency groups to be taking place with growing momentum, says Bill Rawson, Chairman of the Rawson Property Group.     In these circumstances, said Rawson, the estate agent who fares best is the one who can help the investor accurately calculate his potential returns, get a bond at an advantageous interest rate and, most importantly, ensure that not only the rentals are regularly collected but that the rental agent appointed is really competent at managing the unit and preventing the tenants from misbehavior.     “Recently,” said Rawson, “one of our top performing Cape estate agents, John Birkett of Rawson’s Claremont franchise, a man who specializes in the sale of ‘academic belt’ apartments, i.e. those from Mowbray to Wynberg, was called in to advise a buy-to-let investor (not one of his clients).  This investor’s apartment had been so badly misused by three student tenants that it will cost far more than their deposit, now that they are leaving, to rectify matters. This, added Rawson, was yet another case where the investor had placed the tenants himself, probably doing so in order to avoid paying an agent’s commission.     “This is exactly the sort of situation that a good estate agent would have prevented from occurring,” said Rawson.  “Good buy-to-let agents always ensure that the tenant taking over the unit is completely au fait with the Rental Act. Good agents are firm but courteous at all times and by regular liaison with tenants prevent them from lowering the standard of the client’s unit.  They are also, of course, competent at seeing that they pay on time or face the consequences.”     In today’s market, said Rawson, the Rawson Property Group’s rentals are set to rise becausetenant demand now exceeds the supply of available units.  In this situation, he said, the wise owner of a well-managed rental property will set aside a significant proportion of his rents for maintenance and will use this to maintain his property well and to upgrade it regularly, thereby enabling him to raise his rent by anything from 8% to 12% each time a new tenant moves in or the lease is renewed.  This in practice, said Rawson, can often take place every year. ##### For more information, email [marketing@rawsonproperties.com](mailto:marketing@rawsonproperties.com) or visit [www.rawson.co.za](https://www.rawson.co.za/) for the latest market tips and industry news. ## Rawson ### Leave a comment ### More Posts Jul 02, 2026 #### [Stock shortage puts Western Cape sellers in the driving seat](https://blog.rawson.co.za/stock-shortage-puts-western-cape-sellers-in-the-driving-seat) advice [![Share on Facebook](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Facebook%20Icons.png?width=24&name=Facebook%20Icons.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Linkedin%20Icon.png?width=24&name=Linkedin%20Icon.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Twitter.png?width=24&name=Twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20pitfalls%20lying%20in%20wait%20for%20a%20buy-to-let%20investor%20can%20be%20avoided%20if%20the%20agent%20knows%20his%20job) May 28, 2026 #### [Rates increase by 25 basis points: What May’s MPC decision means for SA property](https://blog.rawson.co.za/rates-increase-by-25-basis-points-what-mays-mpc-decision-means-for-sa-property) [![Share on Facebook](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Facebook%20Icons.png?width=24&name=Facebook%20Icons.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Linkedin%20Icon.png?width=24&name=Linkedin%20Icon.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Twitter.png?width=24&name=Twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20pitfalls%20lying%20in%20wait%20for%20a%20buy-to-let%20investor%20can%20be%20avoided%20if%20the%20agent%20knows%20his%20job) May 19, 2026 #### [Who’s fixing what? Rental property maintenance for landlords and tenants](https://blog.rawson.co.za/whos-fixing-what-rental-property-maintenance-for-landlords-and-tenants) rental-advice [![Share on Facebook](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Facebook%20Icons.png?width=24&name=Facebook%20Icons.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Linkedin%20Icon.png?width=24&name=Linkedin%20Icon.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/social-uploaded-images/Twitter.png?width=24&name=Twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rawson.co.za%2Fthe-pitfalls-lying-in-wait-for-a-buy-to-let-investor-can-be-avoided-if-the-agent-knows-his-job%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20pitfalls%20lying%20in%20wait%20for%20a%20buy-to-let%20investor%20can%20be%20avoided%20if%20the%20agent%20knows%20his%20job) [![Rawson Property Group logo](https://blog.rawson.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/Rawson%20-June2017/image/logo-rawson-property-group-white-112x26.png?width=113&height=26&name=logo-rawson-property-group-white-112x26.png "Rawson Property Group logo")](https://www.rawson.co.za/) Property - [Residential](https://www.rawson.co.za/property/for-sale) - [Commercial](https://www.rawson.co.za/commercial-property/for-sale) - [Bank Mandated](https://www.rawson.co.za/property/for-sale?bank-mandated=1) - [Auctions](https://www.rawson.co.za/property/for-auction) - [New Developments](https://www.rawson.co.za/property/for-sale?new-development=1) Services - [Sell](https://www.rawson.co.za/sell) - [Rent](https://www.rawson.co.za/rentals) - [Commercial](https://www.rawson.co.za/commercial) - [Landlords](https://www.rawson.co.za/landlords) - [Auctions](https://www.rawson.co.za/auctions) Rawson - [Finance](https://www.rawson.co.za/finance) - [Join us](https://www.rawson.co.za/join-us/become-a-rawson-sales-partner) - [Blog](https://blog.rawson.co.za) - [About us](https://www.rawson.co.za/about) Partners - [Private Property](https://www.privateproperty.co.za/rawson) Contact Rawson Property Group Head Office 222 Main Road Rondebosch, WC 7700 South Africa [+27 (0)21 658 7100](tel:+27-21-658-7100) © Copyright Rawson Properties 2017. All rights reserved. - [Terms of Use](https://www.rawson.co.za/terms) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.rawson.co.za/privacy) - [PAIA Documents](https://www.rawson.co.za/paia) 1. [Follow us on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/RawsonProperties/) 2. [Follow us on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/rawsongroup)