Full Management

The complete service includes:

• Rental valuation plus advice on how this rental figure might be increased or let quicker, such as better furnishings and attending to maintenance issues.
• Advertising & marketing on the UK’s leading property portals Rightmove and Zoopla as well as our own website and Facebook page.  Matched to our registered applicants looking for properties.
• Accompanied viewings with prospective qualified tenants and provide you with viewings feedback plus negotiate and qualify offers received.
• Extensive referencing of potential tenants including credit checks, employment and landlords references, affordability assessment and background checks.  Additional security can be requested by means of a guarantor.  Completion of Right to Rent checks as required by law.
• Detailed inventory of the contents and condition of the property including photos.
• Production of all the tenancy documents.  Producing the tenancy agreement necessary for the Landlord to gain protection of the relevant Rent and Housing Acts. Issuing the tenants with all relevant documents to comply with current legislation.
• Collection of the first months rent and deposit.  Less any fees or expenses due and we can hold the deposit or you can hold the deposit.
• Check the tenants into the property.  Organising a check-in appointment to include: signing of the tenancy agreement, guarantor agreement, inventory, handover of keys, issuing a standing order from for future rent payments plus retaining signed copies of the documents.
• Advising the utility companies.  Electricity, gas, water and council tax of the change in tenancies.  Obtaining meter readings where able.
• Arranging maintenance with fully qualified maintenance staff and quality work guaranteed.   Our quick response protects the property and keeps the tenant happy. Should any items be under guarantee we will contact the appropriate supplier.  Should tenants be the cause by an either an accident or through carelessness our maintenance staff will advise us to reclaim this against the tenant.
• Dealing with day to day tenant problems that may arise.
• Renewals. Contact both the landlord and tenants to arrange extension of tenancy agreement.
• Transfer of utility accounts, electric, gas, council tax and water.  Advising the companies of the change in tenancies and to process bills for any void periods. Obtaining meter readings.
• End of tenancy inspection & deposit.  At the end of the tenancy arrange the return of all keys and entry fobs, carry out a full property inspection against the original inventory and prepare, if appropriate taking into account normal wear and tear, a schedule of dilapidations for agreement between the Landlord and the Tenants.and check out at end of tenancy.  Negotiate deduction of damages from tenant deposits where appropriate.
• Detailed statements of account sufficient for the Inland Revenue.  We send you fully monthly itemised statements showing each
  receipt and payment and will can send duplicates to your accountants or joint owners should you wish.
• Pay landlord rental payments as well as any regular outgoings such as service charge and ground rent.
• Rent reviews once tenants have been in the property for a year along with any instructions from the landlord.
• Pursue any arrears of rent and help with recovering vacant possession of the property.
• Process notices to quit.
• Organise legally required safety checks.
• Carry out routine inspections.  We recommend visits on a bi-annual basis, because these are supplemented by inspections whenever a tenant vacates the property.  We will carry out inspections on behalf of our landlords upon instruction, or we will make the arrangements for a landlord who wishes to inspect in person.
• Section 21: Notices are used when a landlord wants to possession of their property. They are so called because they refer to Sections 8 & 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

Even if you’re letting your property with another agency, we can switch this for you.  We will contact your current agent and obtain all the tenancy documents and information plus collect keys.

Inventory

We strongly advise our landlords to allow us to carry out a full inventory including photos for each tenancy as this is a document which details what is in the property such as furniture, fixtures and fittings stating its current condition.  The purpose of an inventory is to establish damages which can only be done if descriptions and conditioning remarks are sufficiently detailed at the commencement of the tenancy and then at the end of the term.

Under the terms of the tenancy agreement, the tenant is required to return the property and contents at the end of the tenancy in the same condition as they were at the commencement, fair wear and tear accepted. It is almost impossible to ascertain whether damage was caused during a tenancy without a proper inventory signed by all relevant parties.

Consent to Let

If the landlord has a residential mortgage, it is normal for mortgagees to require notification of any proposed lettings and the landlord should seek their initial consent.  In the case of leasehold premises the consent of the Head Lessee of Freeholder will be required.

The landlord should also advise his insurance company of the proposal to let the property as this could either invalidate the insurance altogether or increase the premiums. You should obtain written documentation of these consents prior to letting.

Tax & Non-Resident Landlords

Under the Taxation of income from Land (non residents) Regulations 1995, the rent receiving agent (or where there is no agent, the tenant) will be required to deduct an amount equivalent to Basic Rate Tax from the rent (after taking deductible expenses paid by the agent into account) and pay the balance to the Inland Revenue each quarter.

However, the overseas landlord can apply to the Inland Revenue for exemption from this requirement. Provided the landlords tax history is good and tax affairs are up to date, the overseas landlord will be issued with a certificate that will be sent to his rent receiving agent. This will authorise the agent to pay the rent to you with no tax deducted.

We can provide you with an NRL1 form which you must complete and send to the Inland Revenue. Neither your rent receiving agent nor your tax advisor can file this application for you – it must be done by you.
Failure to return this form in time may result in the exemption certificate not being issued before the payments become due. We would have no alternative but to make the required tax deduction before paying the rents to you.
Our company are not tax advisers so if you are unsure as to how the above will affect you, you would be advised to speak to an accountant or professional tax advisor.

Any Non resident Landlord Tax payments deducted by us, in the first quarter can be refunded, if the exemption certificate is in our possession before the first quarter has ended. Any deductions after the first quarter can only be reclaimed after the first year has ended. Any refunds due after the first quarter are made by the Inland Revenue.

Legal Responsibilities

Our staff have been trained and receive ongoing training on the various legal aspects of lettings, including safety regulations, tenancy agreements and clauses, possession and have vast practical experience.  They will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding more detailed legal matters.  Landlords have to comply with the below legislation.

• Right to Rent: Landlords must check if their tenants have the right to live in the UK before a tenancy agreement can be created. When you rent out your property with us, we will take care of this requirement for you.
• Deposit Scheme Registration: It’s a legal requirement to register deposits with a government approved deposit scheme. We can take the stress out of this process by registering your tenants deposits.
• Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s): The EPC will give the property an energy rating between A-G (A being the most efficient), depending on a number of factors such as build date, size, efficiency of the heating system and glazing etc. It will also make recommendations on how to improve the efficiency giving scores for where the property is now and where it could be if improvements were carried out. EPCs allow potential tenants to compare properties in relation to their likely electricity and gas bills. Once obtained, a certificate remains valid for 10 years.
• Gas Safety: Annual gas safety inspections are compulsory and must be completed by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register.   Certificates need to be retained as evidence of these checks.
• Fire Safety Labels: A furnished property must have fire-safe furniture and must carry the appropriate labels as per the The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
• Landlord Licensing Schemes: Councils have the power to introduce ‘selective licensing schemes’ in designated areas. In these areas, private landlords or their managing agents would need to have a licence for each house that they rent out.