Whether you are letting a property for the first time or already work with an existing property portfolio, we provide a cost effective, professional service. We take away the burden of managing daily issues associated with the properties and tenants.
As landlords ourselves we know you want your property looked after and your rent paid on time so we check potential tenants as thoroughly as possible, going above and beyond the basic checks that many agents simply offload to a national credit reference company so they can earn their fees quickly.
FOR FULL DETAILS OF OUR FEES TO LANDLORDS - PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
PLEASE NOTE: We will generally only manage properties within 7 or 8 miles of Market Deeping.
The tenant introduction service will provide you with the following benefits:
The 80 % Fee does not include a professional inventory at the start of the tenancy. This can, however, be arranged for an additional fee.
With this service, we do not manage the property on a daily basis. Once the tenancy commences the tenant will be advised to contact the landlord direct if any issues arise.
In addition to the tenant introduction service we offer a flexible approach to property management. You can choose the options that are appropriate for you and your properties individual requirements, thus saving the cost of those services that you are happy to undertake yourself. These options include:
We will initially view the property to assess its rental value. At this point we will answer any questions you may have and determine the most suitable service to meet your requirements. We will also be able to make recommendations where necessary that could potentially increase the rental value of your property. Our advice at this point is completely free and aimed at making sure you have a firm understanding of all your obligations before proceeding to let your property.
Once you have decided to appoint us as your agent, one of our representatives will visit the property in order to take some internal and external photographs. We will use the photographs and the information we have collected to create an attractive advert which we will display whilst marketing your property.
In order to maximise property exposure, our website is updated daily and our properties are listed on Right Move. We subscribe to Google Ads so from May 13 this should ensure our website features high on any searches in the relevant geographical area.
We will use our experience and local knowledge to market you property in a way that is most likely to attract good tenants that match your preferred profile.
As the lettings market becomes more and more competitive, it is important that the property is presented in the best way possible. Without this, the property could remain empty for longer as well as affecting its rental value.
To help a rental property appeal to a wider market, we would suggest the following:
Arguably the most important factor when letting the property is the prospective tenant. The whole success of letting depends on finding the right tenant. If an applicant wishes to proceed with a tenancy, we will assess their suitability. This is a task where we will go the extra mile and do our very best to minimise the risk of problem tenants. NO TENANT IS FAR BETTER THAN A BAD TENANT. So don't be swayed by agents who say they will get some one in your property very quickly. The loss of a few days rental may be nothing to what a nightmare tenant could cost you.
The first step is to undertake the legally required Right to Rent check.
Once the potential tenants right has been established reference checks will be undertaken:
The referencing process aims to check that each tenant is creditworthy by for example checking for CCJ’s and arrears and obtaining employer, landlord and character references, previous addresses, aliases, bank accounts and utility bills. We don't offload all of this work like many agents do. Yes we will use some specialist reference checking resources but we will also carry out checks and interviews ourselves as well as requiring extensive documentation from applying tenants.
All necessary legal paperwork will be prepared and explained ready for signatures by yourself and the tenant/s.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 say landlords must ensure that gas appliances, fittings and flues are safe for tenant’s use and that installation, maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a technician registered with the Gas Safety Register (which superseded CORGI on 1st April 2009).
The landlord must keep a record of the safety check for two years and issue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and issue a copy to any new tenants before they move in.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 came into effect on the 1st June 2020.
For the fixed electrical installation in a property (consumer unit, wiring, sockets, switches, light fittings, etc.):
Once completed the reports are valid for 5 years.
The fine for not having an EICR by 1st April 2021 is a maximum of £30,000.
Additionally landlords need to have professional checks carried out on any portable electrical appliances that are part of the inventory (e.g. Freestanding white goods, lawn mowers). This is known as Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
All electrical certification should be carried out by an electrician whom is registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installers and Contractors (NICEIC). There are two types of electrical certificate:
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended in 1989 and 1993) sets minimum fire resistance standards for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and other products containing upholstery that remain in a dwelling during the course of a tenancy.
These include any of the following which contain upholstery:
The Regulations do not apply to:
For items that do apply, a suitable label must be attached to the furniture in a prominent position so that the label will be clearly visible to a potential purchaser of the furniture and the wording on both sides can be read with reasonable ease. Examples of these labels can be seen above.
All properties built since June 1992 must have interlinked mains-connected smoke detectors / alarms on each floor of the property.
SMOKE ALARMS - Also The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations introduced on 1st October 2015 give Landlords specific duties with regards smoke alarms.
CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS – Section 4.1.a.ii of The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations introduced on 1st October 2015 specifies that “a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room of the premises which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance;”
We would, however, recommend that Carbon Monoxide Alarms are fitted to all properties as best practice. We can arrange to have these fitted if required.
Both alarms must be checked regularly to ensure that they are in full working order.
Energy Performance Certificate
With effect from 1st October 2008, all new tenancies require an Energy Performance Certificate. Their purpose is to determine how energy efficient homes are on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The certificate uses the same scale to define the impact a home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in theUK is in bands D-E for both ratings.
The certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save money and help the environment.
We can help to arrange for an EPC if you don't have a current one.
If the landlord wishes to rent their property to multiple occupants (this is classed as 3 or more tenants), it may mean that a licence is required before the property can be legally rented. Houses in Multiple Occupation are also referred to as “HMOs” and the purpose of the licensing scheme is to improve management and safety standards in this area of the rental sector.
It is now a mandatory duty for:
For further information on houses in multiple occupation and how this may effect you as a landlord, please speak to one of our representatives
The scheme requires UK letting agents to deduct basic rate tax from any rent they collect for non resident landlords. If non resident landlords don't have UK letting agents acting for them, it is their responsibility to inform the Inland Revenue of rental income received, and to pay any tax due. Non resident landlords can apply at any time for approval to receive rent with no tax deducted.
If your intention is to reside abroad then we can offer the following services:
Under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004 every landlord or letting agent that takes a deposit for an Assured Short-hold Tenancy in England and Wales must join a Tenancy Deposit Scheme. The new regulations came into effect from April 6, 2007. The purpose of this regulation is to ensure good practice. The secondary purpose of the new regulations is to try and keep disputes between landlords and tenants out of the courts by encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution.
In November 2006 three companies were awarded contracts by The Government to run Tenancy Deposit Schemes:
From 1st April 2013, two additional schemes were introduced:
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IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR FEES, PLEASE ASK A MEMBER OF STAFF
We will propose the most appropriate rental value for your property based on current market conditions to help you obtain maximum yield. We can also advise on improvements and sensible maintenance to ensure the value of your asset grows.
We will assist in helping you to build your investment portfolio if required, detailing areas which are predicted to experience the highest increases in capital growth and assessing rental values so that we can ensure that investments made are fully secure.
Our team is fully trained to manage matters during the tenancy, including but not limited to ongoing maintenance issues, processing rents, accounts management, inspections and the return of tenancy bonds. Your time is valuable, therefore let us take the reins, giving you more time to focus on other key areas of life.
We focus on the quality of our inventory reporting system, accurately evidencing the condition of your property at the start of the tenancy. This allows us to track the condition of the property throughout the tenancy. It also reassures all parties that any potential proposed deduction from a bond is fair and will more likely be backed up by a tenancy deposit adjudicator should any dispute arise.
We thoroughly reference each tenant by carrying out a credit check, right to rent check, assess their financial suitability and request a reference from their Landlord and employers.
We regularly inspect properties and monitor how well the property is being maintained, providing detailed inspection reports and informing you of the condition of the property. Should the tenant need to improve on their tenancy obligations, we will visit more often until issues are resolved
We realise the importance of dealing with reliable and trustworthy suppliers in connection with any work carried out on your property. We ensure that all the suppliers we work with are correctly insured before instruction. We ensure that legal compliance is adhered to at all times giving you additional peace of mind and security.
