Common Mistakes New PG Owners Make (And How to Avoid Them)

From not having a proper agreement to ignoring maintenance complaints — avoid these pitfalls from day one.

Every experienced PG owner has a list of things they wish someone had told them on day one. Here are the mistakes that cost new owners the most — and how to sidestep them.

1. Running on trust instead of agreements

A handshake feels friendly until there's a dispute over the deposit. A simple written agreement with rent, deposit, and notice terms prevents 90% of arguments before they start.

2. Letting maintenance complaints pile up

A dripping tap ignored for a week becomes a bad review and a lost tenant. Log every complaint, assign it, and close the loop — visibly.

3. Mixing personal and PG money

If rent, deposits, and expenses all flow through one account, you'll never know if the PG is actually profitable. Separate the books from the start.

• Keep a dedicated account for the PG.
• Record every expense, however small.
• Reconcile rent collected against rent due each month.

You can't improve what you don't measure — and most new owners measure nothing for the first year.

The common thread is visibility. When agreements, complaints, and money all live in one place, these mistakes simply stop happening.