|
 Landlords
Information
If you
currently own or intend to
purchase residential
property for rental in
Dagenham or Havering or East
London you should consider
employing our property
management service, you'll
find it both professional
and cost effective. As we
are specialists, we know how
to manage properties for
optimum performance, whilst
ensuring smooth running
tenancies, and compliance
with the various Landlord
and Tennant Laws.
Our letting and
management service includes:
-
Visiting you at your
property and providing a
rental valuation and any
other advice which you
may require about
letting your property.
-
Advising you on
compliance with various
safety regulations.
-
Your property will be
advertised in order to
provide suitable
tenants.
-
Accompany tenant
applicants to view the
property.
-
Obtaining and evaluation
references and credit
checks.
-
Preparing a suitable
tenancy agreement and
arranging signature by
the tenant.
-
Collecting and holding
as stakeholders a
deposit (bond) from the
tenant.
-
Preparing an inventory
and schedule condition.
-
Checking the tenant into
the property and
agreeing the inventory.
-
Supervising the transfer
of gas, electricity and
council tax accounts
into the tenant's name.
-
Receiving rental
payments monthly, and
paying you promptly,
together with detail
statement from our
computerised management
systems.
-
If required paying
regular for you from
rental payments.
-
Inspecting the property
periodically and
reporting problems to
you.
-
Arranging any necessary
repairs or maintenance,
first liaising with you,
in the case of larger
works.
-
Keeping in touch with
the tenant on a routine
basis, and arranging
renewals of the
agreement as necessary
-
Checking tenants out as
required, re-letting and
continuing the process
with the minimum of
vacant periods to ensure
that you receive the
optimum rent for your
property.
We maintain a flexible
attitude and are generally
able to adopt our service to
meet our client's individual
circumstances and needs, for
example providing a part
only service, alternatively
by taking on additional
tasks and duties.
OUR FEES
Our initial letting charge
is two weeks rent, and our
ongoing management
commission is 10% of
subsequent rental payments.
We make an administration
charge for each renewal of
an existing agreement. There
are no other standard fees
or charges. No upfront
charges - nothing to pay
until a tenant moves in and
starts paying rent.
Before a property can be
let, there are several
matters which the owner will
need to deal with to ensure
that the tenancy runs
smoothly, and also that
he/she complies with the
law.
Mortgage
If your property is
mortgaged, you should obtain
your mortgagee's written
consent to the letting. They
may require additional
clauses in the tenancy
agreement of which you must
inform us.
Leaseholds
If you are the leaseholder,
you should check the terms
of your lease, and obtain
the necessary written
consent before letting.
INSURANCE
You
should ensure that you are
suitably covered for letting
under both buildings and
contents insurance. Failure
to inform your insurers may
invalidate your policies. We
can advice on landlord's
Legal Protection, and
Landlords Contents Insurance
if required.
As an
appointed introducer for
HOMELET, we are able to
offer a variety of insurance
policies for both landlords
and tenants including
Building Insurance and
Contents Cover.
RENT GUARANTEE
This policy porvides peace
of mind for landlords, cover
includes the rent you are
expecting from your property
until vacant possession is
obtained for up to 12 months
(excluding the first month's
lost rent). Cover includes
50% of the rent for up to 3
months after possession is
obtained whilst a new tenant
is found.
Bills and Regular
Outgoings
We recommend you arrange for
regular outgoings e.g.
mortgage, service charges,
maintenance contracts etc.
to be paid by standing order
or direct debit. However,
where we are managing the
property, by prior written
agreement we may make
payment of certain bills on
your behalf, provided such
bills are received in your
name at our office and that
sufficient funds are are
held to your credit.
Council Tax
Council Tax is the
responsibility of the
occupier. You should inform
your local collection office
that you are leaving the
property. During vacant
periods the charge reverts
to the owner. When
unoccupied but furnished,
the charge is 50% of the
normal rate. When unoccupied
and 'substantially'
unfurnished, there is n
charge for the first six
months, and there after a
charge 50% of the normal
rate.
The Inventory
It is most important that an
inventory of contents and
schedule of the condition be
prepared, in order to avoid
misunderstanding or dispute
at the end of a tenancy.
Without such safeguards, it
will be impossible for the
landlord to prove any loss,
damage, or significance
deterioration of the
property or contents. In
order to provide a complete
service to the landlord we
will if requested arrange
for a member of staff to
prepare an inventory an
schedule of condition, at a
cost to be quoted.
Income Tax
When the landlord is
resident in the UK, it is
entirely his responsibility
to inform the Inland Revenue
of rental income received,
and to pay any tax due.
However, where the landlord
is resident outside the UK
during a tenancy, under new
rule effective from 6 April
1996, unless an exemption
certificate is held, we as
landlord's agents are
obliged to retain and
forward to the Inland
Revenue on a quarterly
basis, and amount equal to
the basic rate of income tax
from rental received, less
certain expenses. An
application for for
exemption from such
deductions is available from
this Agency, and further
information maybe obtained
from the Inland Revenue.
Important Safety
Regulations
The following safety
requirements are the
responsibility of the owner
(the landlord) and where we
are to manager the property,
they are also ours as
agents. Therefore, to
protect all interests we
ensure full compliance with
the appropriate regulations,
at the owner's expense.
Gas Appliances &
Equipment
Under the Gas Safety
(Installation and Use)
regulations 1998 and some
other regulations, all gas
appliances in tenanted
premises must be checked for
safety at intervals of not
more than 12 months, by a
CORGI registered gas
engineer, and a safety
certificate issued. Records
must be kept of the dates of
inspections, of defects
identified, and of any
remedial action taken.
Electrical
Appliances & Equipment
Under the Electrical
Equipment (Safety)
Regulations 1994 the plugs &
sockets etc. (Safety)
Regulations 1994 and some
other regulations,
electrical installations and
equipment in tenanted
premises must be safe.
Although (unlike gas) no
safety certificate is
legally required and
therefore it maybe adequate
to perform a visual check of
electrical equipment,
fittings and leads, it is
recommended that a qualified
electrician be engaged for
this purpose.
Furniture &
Furnishings
The furniture and
furnishings (Fire) (Safety)
Regulations 1988 (amended
1989, 1993 & 1996) provide
that specified items
supplied in the course of
letting property must meet
minimum fire resistant
standards. The regulations
apply to all upholstered
furniture, and beds,
headboards and mattresses,
sofa-beds, futons and other
convertibles, nursery
furniture, garden furniture,
suitable for use in a
dwelling, scatter cushions,
pillows, and non-original
covers for furniture. They
do not apply to antique
furniture or furniture made
before 1950, bed clothes
including duvets, loose
covers for mattresses,
pillowcases, curtains,
carpets or sleeping bags.
Therefore, all relevant
items as above must be
checked for compliance and
non-compliant items removed
from the premises. In
practice, most (but not all)
items which comply must have
a suitable permanent level
attached. Items purchased
since 01/03/1990 from a
reputable supplier are also
likely to comply.
General Product
Safety
The General Product Safety
Regulations 1994 specify
that any product supplied in
the course of a commercial
activity must be safe. In
the case of letting, this
would include both the
structure of the building
and its contents.
Recommended action is to
check for obvious danger
signs - leaning walls,
broken glass, sharp edges
etc., and also to leave
operating manuals or other
written instructions about
high risk items, such as hot
services, electric
lawnmowers, etc, for the
tenant.
Preparing the
Property For Letting
We have found from
experience that a good
relationship with tenants is
the key to a smooth-running
tenancy. As property
managers, the relationship
part is our job, but it is
important that the tenants
should feel comfortable in
their temporary home, and
that they are receiving
value for money. Our policy
for offering a service of
quality and care therefore
extends to our tenant
applications too, and we are
pleased to recommend
properties to rent which
conform to certain minimum
standards. Quality
properties attract quality
tenants.
General Condition
Electrical, gas, plumbing,
waste, central heating and
hot water systems must be
safe, sound and in good
working order. Repairs and
maintenance are at the
landlord's expense unless
misuse can be established.
Appliances
Similarly, appliances such
as washing machine, fridge
freezer, cooker, dishwasher
etc. should be in usable
condition. Repairs and
maintenance are at the
landlord's expense unless
misuse can be established.
Decorations
Interior decorations should
be in good condition, and
preferably plain, light and
neutral.
Furnishings
It is recommended that you
leave only minimum
furnishings, and these
should be of reasonable
quality. It is preferable
that items to be left are in
the property during
viewings. If you are letting
unfurnished, we recommend
that the property contains
carpets, curtians and a
cooker.
Personal Items,
Ornaments etc...
Personal possessions,
ornaments, pictures, books
etc. should be removed from
the premises, especially
those of real or sentimental
value. Some items may be
boxed, sealed and stored in
the loft at the owners risk.
All cupboards and shelf
space should be left clear
for the tenant's own use.
Gardens
Gardens should be left neat,
tidy and rubbish-free, with
any lawns out. Tenants are
required to maintain the
gardens to a reasonable
standard, provided they are
left the necessary tools.
However, few tenants are
experience gardeners, and if
you value your garden, or it
is particularly large, you
may wish us to arrange
maintenance visits by our
regular gardener.
Cleaning
At the commencement of a
tenancy the property must be
in a thoroughly clean
condition, and at the end of
each tenancy it is the
tenant's responsibility to
leave the property in
similar condition. Where
they fail to do so, cleaning
should be arranged at their
expense.
Mail Forwarding
We recommend that you make
use of the Post Office
redirection service.
Application forms are
available at their counters,
and the cost is minimal. It
is not the tenant's
responsibility to forward
mail.
Information for the
Tenant
It is helpful if you leave
information for the tenant
on operating the central
heating and hot water
system, washing machine and
alarm system, and the day
refuse is collected etc.
Keys
You should provide one set
of keys for each tenant,
where we are Managing we
will arrange to have
duplicates cut as required.
THE TENANCY DEPOSIT
SCHEME
From
6 April 2007, all deposits
taken by landlords and
letting agents under Assured
Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs)
in England and Wales must be
protected by a tenancy
deposit scheme. To avoid any
disputes going to court each
scheme will be supported by
an alternative dispute
resolution service (ADR).
Landlords and letting agents
will be able to choose
between two types of scheme,
a single custodial scheme
and two insurance based
schemes. You can learn more
on the government website,
which includes an overview
of the requirements, and
also links to the sites of
the companies running the
various schemes.
www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/index.htm
ENERGY
PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES
(EPCs)
From
1st October 2008 Landlords
in England and Wales
offering property for rent
will be required by law to
provide prospective tenants
with an Energy Performance
Certificate for their
property. In Scotland EPCs
for rental properties will
be required by January 2009.
The certificates must be
povided free either when or
before any written
information about the
property is provided to
prospective tenants or a
viewing is conducted. A new
certificate will not be
required on each let since,
in the case of rental
property, ECPs will be valid
for 10 years. The
requirement is being
introduced to comply with
the EU's Energy Performance
of Buildings Directive
(EPBD) which applies to all
property, including rented
property. We can arrange and
EPC inspection for our
landlord / clients upon
request. The cost is
expected to be up to £100.
|
