How The Process Works
We will visit your property at a time and date convenient to you or your current tenant and provide you with an up-to date current market valuation.
We will take high-quality photos of the property to ensure all potential tenants browsing the details will be able to see the property in its best light.
Property portals online benefit from having 6-8 photos of each property. We do not want to overload the details with photos, we want to encourage applicants to come and view the property.
The details of your property will be posted to all the major property portals, Rightmove, Zoopla and On The Market, as well as on our own website.
If possible, with your agreement we will erect a distinctive ‘To Let’ board at your property.
Our agents will escort all viewings to the property to ensure all applicants are fully informed about the property, the terms and conditions of the let and the potential move in time frames.
Once a let has been negotiated and agreed between landlord and tenant:
If you wish for us to do so the tenant will need to undergo a tenant referencing procedure, satisfy a credit check, provide details of their employment and a previous landlord reference if they have one.
Should your tenant fail to meet the income requirements to satisfy the referencing criteria, they may be able to provide a guarantor, who will also be subject to the same referencing procedure.
All tenants will be asked to set up a standing order payment for monthly rental periods. When a tenant pays a term in advance they may prefer to make this payment in one lump sum at a time.
The tenant will be served with the Government How To Rent Guide, Gas Safety Certificate (where appropriate), and Energy Performance Certificate at the time they are issued their ARLA Propertymark approved tenancy agreement.
The keys will only be released to a tenant on the day of move in, once cleared funds have been received and the tenancy agreement has been signed.
A statement will be sent to you once payment has been made, carefully detailing any deductions made.
Safety - Your obligations
As a landlord you have various responsibilities for your tenants. Below is a brief guide to how often various certificates and checks should be carried out:
Gas Safety Inspection – Tested every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A safety inspection is different to a service, however these are also recommended at the same time.
Legionella Risk Assessment – Every 2 years (though more prevalent in properties which have been empty for long periods).
Electrical Safety Report – Every 5 years.
PAT Testing – Any portable electrical appliances left at the property should be PAT tested.
Energy Performance Certificate – Every 10 years.
Smoke Alarms – Since October 2015 it has been a requirement that all properties have fitted smoke alarms on each living level of a property. These must be in working order at the start of the tenancy and checked on the day of move in.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms – Whilst not legally required unless there is a solid burning fuel in a room i.e. a wood/coal fireplace, it is highly recommended to install them near a boiler.
Other stuff you should know -
Consents - The Landlord warrants that any other consents or approvals to let the Property have been properly obtained, in particular from the Landlords’ mortgage lender and from the freeholder/head Lessee of the Property.
Deposits – The maximum deposit we can collect against your property is the equivalent of 5 weeks rent, unless the property has an annual income of over £50,000. If you rent out your home on an AST that started after 6 April 2007, you must place your tenants’ deposit in 1 of 3 tenancy deposit protection schemes:
- Deposit Protection Service
- MyDeposits
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme
We are members of both the custodial DPS scheme, and the insurance based MyDeposits scheme.
Furnishings - If any furniture is left in a property, then you, as Landlord, have a duty to ensure it is maintained and (for electrical/mechanical equipment) repaired should it become faulty, provided of course, that this is not the result of negligence or malicious damage by the tenant. Any soft furnishings (chairs, beds, mattresses, sofas etc.) which are left in the Property must comply with The Fire and Furnishings Regulations as well as a label clearly attesting to that should be attached. If not, then the furnishings must be removed from the Property. The Landlord warrants that any furniture left at the Property complies with these regulations.
Insurance - As Landlord, you remain responsible for the building and thus for insurance of the building(s). The Landlord accordingly confirms that the Property is insured against all usual risks and will continue to insure the structure of the buildings and contents. The Landlord warrants that the insurance company has been informed that the Property is to be let and that any permission required from the insurance company has been obtained.
Inventories - An inventory, or schedule of condition, is a report on the contents and state of your Property. We highly recommend that you instruct one of these reports using a professional inventory clerk as it provides an independent record of the condition of the property at the start of a tenancy. At the end of the tenancy, a checkout report against the original inventory should be completed to guide us as to whether there have been any dilapidations and any discrepancies, save fair wear and tear, will be cost estimated and then deducted from the tenant’s deposit.
Non-Resident Landlords - If you live overseas, we have an obligation in law to deduct tax from your rental income and submit a return to HMRC in respect of same. It may be possible for you to obtain an exemption certificate which would entitle you to receive rent gross of tax. If so, we must be provided with and hold a copy of this certificate.
Property charges - The Landlord will pay all ground rent, service charges, insurance premiums, mortgage payments or any other charges or sums due in relation to the Property, together with any hire purchase or similar payments relating to the contents of the Property.
Tax - Income received from renting any property is subject to tax. Expenses incurred can be set against this liability. We strongly recommend that you take advice from your accountant.
Utilities - Generally, utilities such as gas, water, electric, and council tax are the responsibility of your tenant. We offer a ‘Switch’ service for the transfer of the accounts into the name of your tenant, though ultimately the responsibility for this lies with both yourself and the tenant.
