Landlord Advice
We will provide advice on all aspects of letting your property. We offer comprehensive advice on the management and maintenance of properties and the preparation of the property prior to marketing.
Our Advice Covers:
1. Rental Levels
A free rental appraisal will be carried out on your property supported by a general market commentary and analysis of recent comparables.
2. Marketing Advice
Specialist marketing advice tailored to suit your individual property needs will be provided with discussions relating to lettings particulars, boards, local and national press advertising, websites and specialist brochures if required, working closely with relocation agencies, available through our branch network covering Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.
3. Types of Tenancy Agreement
Recommendations will be given on the types of assured shorthold tenancies currently available along with the length and suggested term of those tenancies. The renewal and termination process will also be discussed in detail.
4. Tenants Selection Procedure
Careful consideration will be given to the types of tenants required for your property relative to its nature and style. We will discuss in detail
5. Legal Implications
We will provide up to date advice on the legislation required in the process of letting your property such as gas and electric safety checks, tenancy deposit schemes, taxation implications for non-residential landlords and mortgage consent.
General Advice
Below is what we consider to be a useful guide for consideration, for all landlords entering the residential lettings market for the first time.
Here are some key points to remember…
- Notify your building society and obtain permission to let if applicable
- Notify insurance company of your intention to let
- Redirect mail
- Provide all instruction manuals for alarms details etc to the agent
- Check any furnishings for the correct labelling if the property is to be furnished
- Arrange to have your telephone temporarily disconnected
- Notify the Inland Revenue if you are going abroad or otherwise the agent is under obligation to deduct Income Tax at source, an Inland Revenue form may be obtained from our office for overseas exemption.
- Ensure that your property is suitable and up to date for gas safety checks
- Ensure that your property is also safe from an electrical specification and the provision of an EICR now compulsory
- Arrange final meter reading on the gas, the water and the electricity meter
- We would also need to know the location of each of those meters
- We need to be able to locate the fuseboard
- Council tax, we require a council tax reference number and the council tax band, a copy of a bill is useful
- We need details of any alarm companies and security code is there is an alarm fitted
- The landlord must be able to provide smoke detection systems and a C0 alarm
- For best practices for a landlord this is it important that the property is clean and tidy prior to the let, as it prevents awkward situations and disputes arising at a later stage
The items listed above will be checked at the time of the inventory is completed and any problem areas will be referred back to you to deal with where practical and possible, However if you are not able to remedy this situation yourself, we can obtain a cleaning quote for you and the necessary work carried out, the cost to be deducted from the first month’s rent. However, we reserve the right to use our discretion to carry out necessary work in order to secure the tenant.
The items above will be above will be checked at the termination of the tenancy and some standards may be enforced and the cost deducted from the tenant’s deposit.
The intention of the above comment is to ensure that your property is let at its earliest possible time and once let it continues to run on a mutually amicable and caring basis.
Some other items for consideration
If you wish to store personal items at the property it is preferable these are located in a secure area which needs to be designated at the commencement of the letting.
| Windows | Cleaned Inside/outside |
| Carpets | Professionally cleaned |
| Paintwork | Washed down |
| Walls | Marks removed/paper/repaired/cleaned/redecorated where necessary |
| Bathroom | Clean tiles/grouting/bath seals/shower cubicles/shower curtains/WHB/WC |
| Kitchen | Cabinets inside/outside/tops |
| Oven/Hob/Cooker | Inside/outside/behind |
| Washing Machine | Clean soap drawer/inside machine |
| Dishwasher | Internally cleaned |
| Fridge & Freezer | Defrosted/cleaned |
| Extractor Fans | Blades/shutters cleaned |
| Cooker Hood | Cleaned/filters replaced |
| Cupboards | Cleaned of all foodstuffs and extraneous items |
| Garage | Cleared of all items not relevant to the tenancy |
| Cellar (if applicable) | Cleared |
| Gardens | Grass cut/borders tidied |
| Shed | Cleared/remove any rubbish |
If you wish to store personal items at the property it is preferable these are located in a secure area which needs to be designated at the commencement of the letting.
Notice For Possession of Your Property
In the event a Landlord requires possession of their property, they will be able to serve four month’s notice on their tenants for the following reasons.
- Selling the property
- Moving back in
- Family member moving back in
- Rental Arrears (Evidence required)
- Anti-Social Behaviour (Evidence required)
- Property Damage or Misue (Evidence required)