Landlords

Five Towns Letting’s is a member of the Residential Landlords Association we are a professional team dedicated to providing its clients with the highest standard of service.

We offer an extensive range of professional services to landlords. We can offer advice on choosing a suitable property and where necessary raising finance and arrange a survey.

We will advise you on the type of tenancy, anticipated rent for the property safety requirements and insurance and tax.

Finding a suitable tenant is extremely important. That’s why when an application is made we undertake a series of reference checks including;

1. Employment
2. If self employed, accountant
3. Bank
4. Landlord
5. Credit

On obtaining the appropriate references we will write or telephone you to advise you that we have let the property.

Our Services

We offer a letting only of full management service, and whichever option you choose we will ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

Full Management service include the following

• Initial appraisal of the property
• Type of tenancy
• Legislation
• Advertising and marketing
• Inventories
• References
• Notify utility companies and local authority
• Interim inspections
• Receiving rents and accounting to you
• Arranging minor repairs when necessary
• Pre exit inspection.

Our landlord agreement sets out in full detail our obligations to you as an agent and your responsibilities as a landlord

Letting Only:

We find the tenant, and you carry out the full management services. Any additional work we undertake on your behalf is charged as indicated within our tariff of fees.

Paying the Rent

As part of our management service, we will collect the rent and account it to you in accordance with our agreement with you.

We cannot guarantee that all rents will be paid however we will make our best endeavour to ensure they are.

Insurance

It is your responsibility to provide buildings insurance and where appropriate insurance cover for any of your personal contents contained within the property. It is also important that your insurance provides public liability cover. If you have an existing insurance policy, please check with your insurance company or broker. The insurance should provide you with continued cover for buildings and any contents whilst the property is empty again check with your broker or insurance company.

Legislation

You as a landlord are legally obliged to comply with all current safety legislation relating to services and items included in the property you are letting.

Furniture & Furnishings (fire) (safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) these regulations cover fire resistance of soft furnishings included.
Furniture manufactured prior to 1st January 1950 is exempt from the regulations however proof of age is required. All furniture bought after 1st March 1993 should comply and will be marked with a label to show that it does.
Full information can be obtained from the local trading standards office

Gas safety (installation & use) Regulations 1994 (as amended) these regulations relate to all gas appliances, served by main gas, propane or calor gas. Below is a summary and should not be regarded as comprehensive.

• To ensure that any work carried out on gas appliances is carried out by a Corgi registered contractor. ( It is illegal for anyone who is not corgi registered to work on gas appliances )
• To ensure that annual safety checks are made on all gas appliances, flues and installation pipe work.
• To supply the tenant, prior to occupation, a copy of the gas safety record for the property.
• To maintain records of all inspections and other work carried out.

Electrical Safety

There are several regulations which apply to electrical safety

1. Landlord and Tenant act 1985
2. Health & Safety at work act 1974
3. Electrical at work regulations1989
4. The electrical equipment (safety) Regulations 1994
5. General product safety Regulations1994
6. Plugs and sockets etc (safety) Regulations 1994
7. Low voltage electrical equipment Regulations 1989

The electrical regulations require you to ensure that all appliances are safe when first supplied, (each tenant is classed as “first supplied”) and maintained during the period of the tenancy. To ensure compliance with this a portable appliance test, (PAT) should be carried out normally by a qualified electrician. You must also ensure that all fixed installations are safe and therefore an NIC EIC electrical report should be carried out prior to letting.

Smoke Detectors

Although there are currently no regulations except for new houses and multiple occupation houses, it is recommended that a minimum of one smoke detector is fitted to every floor of the property.

Furnished or Unfurnished

We would normally recommend letting on an unfurnished basis. In all lettings we strongly recommend that all items of sentimental or high monetary value are removed from the property. Other items which should be removed would include bedding, towels, TV, hi-fi, and fragile ornaments.

Furnished

Minimum requirements for furnished properties are that suitable furniture must be provided in all rooms, e.g. a bed in each room, seating in the lounge and table and chairs in the dining room. A cooker and kitchen white goods must also be supplied, together with cutlery, utensils and crockery. Tenants should only need to provide towels bedding and personal belongings.

Unfurnished

Minimum requirements for unfurnished properties are suitable floor coverings light fittings/shades and curtains.

Part Furnished

Are properties which have some furniture provided but not in all rooms.

Consents

If you are the owner of the property we will need to verify this by having a look at a mortgage statement of the property. In the event of the property being owned by more than one person we will require all owners to sign the landlord agreement before marketing begins.

Taxation

All rental income from property is subject to tax and you must make an annual return to the Inland Revenue after taking into account any allowable deductions. For assistance you should contact your local Inland Revenue office who will be pleased to provide advice. We can offer some assistance here by offering our services by our sister company A.J Accountancy please ask when we have let out your property. You will be issued with a financial statement every month from Five Towns which you will need to keep safe for whom ever will be preparing your property accounts.

If you are not a UK resident we are required to deduct tax from the rental we collect, unless the Inland Revenue provide us with an exemption from tax deduction at source authority. To obtain this, you are required to complete a Non Resident Landlords form. We can provide this to you and lodge it on your behalf however; each owner of the property must complete a form.

Preparing the property for the tenants.

Tenant’s expectations today are high and to attract a suitable tenant your property must be presented in good condition throughout

Decoration, Fittings and Cleaning.

The property should be in first class decorative order with carpets and curtains in a good and clean condition. The cleanliness and decorative condition will have considerable influence on how the tenant will look after your property. We recommend that the property be professionally cleaned prior to any tenancy.

Garden

The garden should be in a tidy condition with grass cut. The tenant will be responsible for cutting the grass and keeping the garden weed free, but only if it is weed free and tidy at the commencement of the tenancy. Any hedges, bushes or large trees which require specialist attention are not the responsibility of the tenant. If the garden is extensive and/or contains valuable or rare plants we recommend that you make arrangements, at your own expense, for the garden and plants to be maintained.

Garage

The garage should be cleared and clean. All personal items should be removed the only items which should be left are those which the tenant will require in the general maintenance of the garden. A suitable lawn mower should be provided to cut the grass.

Information for Tenants

To assist the tenant we provide them with a tenant’s pack which contains the rental agreement, safety certificates etc. It will provide them with general information regarding maintenance and contact numbers etc…. We would suggest that any manuals relating to appliances, central heating, alarms and other equipment is provided for inclusion in the tenant’s folder.

Mail and Utilities

If you have lived in the property previously please remember to arrange for the re direction of your mail and to take the final meter reading for the utilities and arrange for the utility companies to send the final account to your new address. Where appropriate you should arrange for the disconnection of a telephone and any cable/satellite TV service. Tenants will be responsible for the payment of the utilities during the term of their tenancy. When we undertake full management of the property we will take the readings at the commencement and completion of the tenancy agreement.

When the property is empty

In the event of a delay between you vacating the property, or after you have purchased it and a tenant taking occupancy, don’t forget to keep the gardens maintained, and remove junk mail. During the winter months we suggest you keep the heating on a low setting.

Repairs

Repairs are covered by the landlord and Tenant Act and the housing Act and these statutes make the landlord responsible for maintaining the following.

• The supply of gas, water electricity and sanitation.
• The drains, gutters and rainwater goods
• The structure, roof and exterior of the property
• The installation for water heating and space heating

You will also have a contractual obligation to maintain any white goods which you provide in the property together with all other fixtures and fittings and equipment provided for the tenants use unless the problem is proved to have been caused by the tenant, visitor or guests.

When you choose our full management service any necessary maintenance or repairs which we identify during our property inspections or reported to us by the tenant will be carried out by our own preferred contractors within the pre –agreed authorised expenditure budget.

When a repair is required we will always use a reputable maintenance company or your preferred contractors. We will not normally incur expense on your behalf in excess of your authorized expenditure budget which is £150.00. If any repairs which are necessary and are estimated to be out with the agreed expenditure budget, then full details and a copy of the estimate will be provided for your approval prior to the work being undertaken.

The cost of all repairs and servicing is your responsibility.

Tenants are responsible for keeping the property clean and decorated to the same standard as on their first occupation subject to normal wear and tear. Items such as light bulbs, fuses and tap washers etc are the responsibility of the tenants.

Under our full management service we will liaise with you and the tenant to find out what both parties want to do at the end of the tenancy. Towards the end of the tenancy, usually within 10 working days, we will arrange a pre-exit inspection of the property to check the inventory and condition of the property. At this time the tenant and will be informed of any remedial work or replacement of items which will have to be undertaken prior to the final day of occupancy

Please note that we do not test appliances. If any deductions are to be made from the deposit we will agree the amounts.

Should you decide to re-let the property the process will start all over again

“You will find our fees competitive and our service standards excellent we are professionals working to help you grow your income streams and give you that one to one service every client is looking for”

Full Management fees

We charge £110.00 once we have let your property which will come out of the first months rent this is for marketing your property and then 10% of the months rent.

Letting only

If you wish to manage the property yourself and are just looking for someone to set up the tenancy and find the tenant then we offer this facility at a cost of or equivalent to the first months rent. For this fee we will market the property find the tenant vet the tenant set up the tenancy agreement take the deposit and the first months rent and forward on the balance to you.

We are able to give you quotes on landlords insurance via RLA residential landlords association and also via Homelet please ask at reception for more details.