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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 a leaseholder, you
should check the terms of your
lease, and obtain the necessary
written consent before letting.
Sub-letting If you are a tenant yourself, you will require your landlord's consent. Insurance
You should ensure that you are
suitably covered for letting
under both your buildings and
contents insurance. Failure to
inform your insurers may
invalidate your policies. We can
advise on Landlord's Legal
Protection, and Landlord's
Contents insurance if required.
Bills and regular outgoings
We recommend that 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 held to your credit.
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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 no charge for the first
six months, and thereafter a
charge of 50% of the normal
rate.
The inventory I
t is most important that an
inventory of contents and
schedule of 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
significant deterioration of the
property or contents. In order
to provide complete peace of
mind and to safeguard your
interests, a full inventory and
schedule of condition is
included in our service.
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
rules 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, an
amount equal to the basic rate
of income tax from rental
received, less certain expenses.
An application form for
exemption from such deductions
is available from this Agency,
and further information may be
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
manage 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.
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Annual safety check: Under the
Gas Safety (Installation and
Use) Regulations 1998 all gas
appliances and flues in rented
accommodation must be checked
for safety within 12 months of
being installed, and thereafter
at least every 12 months by a
competent engineer (e.g. a CORGI
registered gas installer).
Maintenance: There is a duty to
ensure that all gas appliances,
flues and associated pipework
are maintained in a safe
condition at all times.
Records: Full records must be
kept for at least 2 years of the
inspections of each appliance
and flue, of any defects found
and of any remedial action
taken.
Copies to tenants: A copy of the
safety certificate issued by the
engineer must be given to each
new tenant before their tenancy
commences, or to each existing
tenant within 28 days of the
check being carried out.
Electrical Appliances & Equipment
There are several regulations
relating to electrical
installations, equipment and
appliance safety, and these
affect landlords and their
agents in that they are
'supplying in the course of
business'. They include the
Electrical Equipment (Safety)
Regulations 1994, the Plugs and
Sockets Regulations 1994, the
2005 Building Regulation - 'Part
P, and British Standard BS1363
relating to plugs and sockets.
Although with tenanted property
there is currently no specific
legal requirement for a
qualified electrician to carry
out an inspection and issue a
safety certificate (as exists in
the case of gas appliances), it
is now widely accepted in the
letting industry that the only
safe way to ensure safety, and
to avoid the risk of being
accused of neglecting your 'duty
of care', or even of
manslaughter is to arrange such
an inspection and certificate.
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
label attached. Items purchased
since 1.3.90 from a reputable
supplier are also likely to
comply.
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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 surfaces,
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 their money. This is your job. Our policy of offering a service of quality and care therefore extends to our tenant applicants 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.
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t 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, curtains, 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 owner's 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 cut. Tenants are required
to maintain the gardens to a
reasonable standard, provided
they are left the necessary
tools. However, few tenants are
experienced gardeners, and if
you value your garden, or if 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.
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