Landlord & Tenant Guides
GUIDE FOR LANDLORDS:
Mortgage
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
We can arrange Landlord's Legal Protection, and Landlord's Buildings & Contents insurance if required.
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.
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.
Council tax
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
It 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 a complete service to the landlord, we will , if requested, arrange for a member of staff to prepare an inventory and schedule of condition. There is no additional charge, if provided as part of the initial Tenant Find or Full Management service, unless the property is furnished, in which case there is a charge of £25.00.
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.
Gas Appliances & Equipment
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 (amended 1996) and some other regulations, all gas appliances in tenanted premises must be checked for safety at intervals of not more than 12 months, by a CORGI registered gas engineer and a safety certificate issued. Records must be kept of; the dates of inspections; of defects identified; and of any remedial action taken.
Electrical Appliances & Equipment
Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, the Plugs & Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and some other regulations, electrical installations and equipment in tenanted premises must be safe. Although (unlike gas) no safety certificate is legally required, and therefore it may be adequate to perform a visual check of electrical equipment, fittings and leads, it is recommended that a qualified electrician be engaged for this purpose.
Electrical Safety in Dwelling (Part P)
From 1st January 2005 all electrical work in dwellings will need to comply with "Part P" requirements and be carried out by persons who are competent to do the work.
Small jobs such as replacing a socket-outlet or a light switch on an exisitng circuit will not need to be notified to a Building Control Body (although there will be some exceptions for high risk areas such as kitchens and bathrooms).
Person registered with a "Part P" Self-Certification Schemes will be fully qualified Electrical Contractors with the ability to thoroughly check a circuit for safety. They will be able to issue Building Regulations Certificates of Compliance.
Each year on average 10 people die and about 750 are seriously injured in accidetns involving unsafe electrical installations in the home. Risks in future could increase as rising consumer ownership of portable and fixed electrical applicances is causing extra demand for extentions and alterations to exisitng electrical installations. Much unsatisfactory electrical work is carried out be over-ambitious amateurs.
Most jobs carried out be DIYers will be small jobs that do not need to be notifed to Building Control, but they should still be checked by a competent Electrician.
"Part P" came into force on the 1st January 2005.
If in doubt, you should contact the Building Control Department of your local council.
Information provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minsiter
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 the 1 March 1990, from a reputable supplier are also likely to comply.
General Product Safety
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.
Furnishings
It 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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GUIDE FOR TENANTS:
Finding a property
The first step is to contact us to provide brief details about yourself and about the accommodation you require. We then search our database for suitable properties for you to view. If not urgent, we log your details so that we can contact you as suitable properties become available. It is wise to start looking about a month before you wish to move, as the nicer properties are viewed and reserved quickly. We regret that we cannot guarantee to be able to assist claimants of Housing or other Benefits as this is at the discretion of individual landlords. Our tenancies are normally granted for a minimum term of 6 months.
Other Areas
If you are looking for a property to rent outside Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Gwent & the Forest of Dean, please contact us
Viewings
Viewings will be arranged at times to suit you, including evenings and weekends and you will invariably be accompanied by a member of staff, who can give advice and answer any questions you may have.
Reserving the property
Once you have decided on a property, you will need to reserve it by paying a Holding Fee, usually £100. Assuming that the tenancy goes ahead, this will be deducted from the monies due before you move in. If the landlord declines to grant the tenancy, it will be refunded. However, the Holding Fee will be forfeited if you decide not to proceed for any reason, or if you fail to provide complete and accurate information in your application.
References
As a minimum we will require satisfactory references from your employer (or college), and a previous or current landlord. We may also require a personal reference, and sometimes a guarantor. In addition, a credit check will be undertaken. We use the services of an independent referencing company to obtain and evaluate these references.
Rents
Rents are normally quoted calendar monthly and payable monthly in advance. The tenant is usually also responsible for Council Tax, Water Rates, Gas, Electricity and Telephone costs. All rents are payable by bank standing order to our company bank account.
Deposit
A security deposit of a minimum of one month's rental must be paid and will be held by ourselves as stakeholders in a secure "client account" throughout the tenancy term. This is held to cover damage, breakages and any other liabilities under the terms of your tenancy agreement. Please note that under no circumstances can the deposit be used by the tenant to cover rent.
Fees
We charge an Agency Fee of £45 per applicant to cover referencing costs and an Administration Fee of £75.
