The Process
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to a rental valuation. If you were to get a number of opinions, there is likely to be a variation; from the realistic to the optimistic and all points in-between. We aim to give you realistic price, the right strategy for you and in turn looking to avoid any void periods.
First impressions count
Showing your property at its best
It is said that tenants make their minds up about a property within seconds of their visit and it pays to present your property at it’s best. The more effort you put in, the better the rent you are likely to achieve. We will give you tips about what is worth spending time and money and what jobs or tasks really need to be finished off. In our experience if a property is in better order tenants are generally more respectful.
Creating excitement
Our job is to actively promote property, create a “buzz” and excitement, then from that momentum get a number of offers and in turn the most suitable tenant ad rent for you. This doesn’t happen just by advertising and sitting back waiting for tenants to get in touch.
We often let property without advertising, as we are in touch with most tenants already and so if a discreet approach appeals to you then sometimes this is effective, as tenants like the idea of being the first to know about somewhere. Open days can be useful way of getting people looking at a property in a condensed time, this also creates excitement since tenants know that others are interested.
We aim to attract the right tenant, not necessarily the first tenant and that takes planning, regular communication and hard work.
Very low rent arrears
Selecting the right tenant from those that show interest is a key part of our job. We pride ourselves in never letting to anyone that we wouldn’t let our own homes to and so there are high standards to reach. We have a referencing and vetting process we have only a very small amount tenants in arrears.
Tenants & Landlords
Tenants like to deal through agents and they rate our property management service highly.
Landlords can expect a steady stream of regulation as the Government is focused on this sector of the property market. Amazingly, there are over 140 laws that affect landlords and to help you through the maze. We routinely deal with these as a part of our service and also keep our platinum and fully managed up to date with any changes in legislation.
Tenancy advice & legislation
Agreeing a let
Any offers that are received are put to our landlords giving a brief description about the tenants allowing you to make an informed decision. Once you have accepted the offer and agreed the terms, we will arrange the contracts and supporting legal documents for both parties. Also, we will arrange when your new tenants get the keys.
If you are managing the property yourself then we will make sure that the tenants have all your contact and bank details should any issues arise.
Towards the end of the fixed term tenancy we will get in touch with you and see if you want to renew or if the rent can be increased a little or how you wish to proceed.
Referencing
The majority of applicants seem nice and trustworthy when you meet them in person but you’ve got to do your background checks for your own peace of mind and to avoid problems further down the line.
We reference all applicants to make sure they have the ability to pay the rent.
We check with the previous landlord to see if they have paid the rent on time and also if they’ve looked after the property. Would they rent to them again?
Call employer to check they earn what they say they do. Also check if their position is permanent and not temporary or on a trial period.
Information for Landlords
Landlords can expect a steady stream of regulation as the Government is focused on this sector of the property market. Amazingly, there are over 140 laws that affect landlords and to help you through the maze, here’s a handy guide to some of the latest ones.
Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
Landlords are responsible for ensuring that their property has safe electrical circuits and fittings. This is effective on all new tenancies commencing on 1st July 2020 and existing tenancies on 1st April 2021
Homes for Habitation Act
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, was introduced to help tenants and make sure irresponsible landlords improve their properties. If rented houses and flats are not ‘fit for human habitation’, tenants can take their landlords to court
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
New safety legislation came into effect in October 2015. It is now mandatory for all rented properties to be fitted with smoke alarms on each floor and carbon monoxide alarms in any room where solid fuel is being burnt. This applies to all current tenancies and we worked hard last year to make sure that all our properties are compliant.
Legionella risk assessments
Landlords have a legal duty to ensure that the risk of exposure of tenants to legionella is properly assessed and controlled. Risks are higher in certain types of properties and mainly occur when they are vacant for a period of time.
Right to rent
Under the Immigration Act 2014, all landlords have a responsibility to check that their tenant has a legal right to reside and work in the UK. As part of our detailed vetting of tenants, we carry out this check at the start of every tenancy to make sure that our landlords do not fall foul of this law.
Energy efficiency
Any tenanted property must soon have a minimum Energy Performance Rating of E as measured on their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Regulations came into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies 1 April 2018 and for all existing tenancies from 1 April 2020.
Wear and tear allowances
The Government has introduced legislation to remove the 10% wear and tear tax break from landlords. The Government feels that landlords’ rights to claim this allowance without having to prove they have incurred the costs is not encouraging the maintenance and repair of rented property. Landlords can still deduct actual costs from their rental income and this makes ongoing investment in maintaining and refurbishing property tax efficient.
Notice to end a tenancy
A change in legislation means that landlords are restricted in ending tenancies in some circumstances where they either fail to protect the deposit properly or to supply information to the tenant at the start of a tenancy. This includes the Energy Performance Certificate, Gas Safety Certificate, Electrical Instillation Condition Report, Deposit Protection certificate and prescribed information, a signed Tenancy Agreement and, finally, the Government’s How to Rent checklist.
Ending tenancies by serving Section 21 Notices is an important part of a landlord’s toolkit in estate management, so we make sure that they do everything correctly at the start of every tenancy.
After sales service
We work hard with landlords to get their property ready for tenants and we have a have a thorough check in process for the tenant where we provide them with help and advice. We aim to encourage the tenant to stay as long as possible and to keep the property well.
We know only too well how void periods do not help rental yields, and we are proud that our average tenancy length is over twice the national average!
With the majority of our business stemming from recommendations and repeat business, it’s really important to us that we provide you the professional service you deserve.