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Whether you are looking to let your own home, or have an investment property to let, it is important to ensure the property is presented in good order throughout and meets the fit for human habitation (Act 2018). This will help to attract a good quality tenant and maximise the potential rental income.
Ideally, a property should be well decorated throughout and we suggest neutral colours such as magnolia or cream. Kitchens and bathrooms should be modern and well equipped. The following are generally expected to be provided:
It would be helpful to a tenant to supply an information pack to contain such details as:
We recommend that a property, including the windows and carpets, are professionally cleaned, prior to the commencement of a tenancy. The garden should also be left in good seasonal order and be well maintained. If a garage is available to use, this should be left empty and secure.
If letting a property on a furnished basis, the property should be uncluttered and personal items such as ornaments, books, etc, should be removed. All soft furnishings must also comply with safety regulations.
We will be happy to advise you further, regarding the presentation of your property.
Landlords must ensure that all gas appliances in a property are safe for tenants to use, which requires them to:
Electricity has the potential to cause serious damage, including injuries or fires. In fact, faulty or old wiring is one of the main causes of electrical fires in domestic premises. This is why it's crucial for landlords to:
Landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their properties comply with fire safety regulations. This is absolutely critical: according to government statistics, there were 27,000 fires in dwellings in 2020/21, and in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy the importance of complying with fire safety regulations could not be clearer.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, landlords must undertake a risk assessment for fire safety in all areas of their property, including individual rooms, shared hallways and corridors, communal areas, stairways, and exits. They must carry out an individual risk assessment for each separate property.
A risk assessment should include five key stages:
After a risk assessment, landlords must ensure all the necessary installations are in place and that they maintain fire safety on an ongoing basis.
More specifically, they should:
Shared properties must have at least one fire extinguisher (suitable for the specific environment) per floor of the building and at least one fire blanket in each shared kitchen. They must also have a Fire Action Notice in a communal part of the building, such as the entrance hall. This notice should detail what actions people should take during a fire.
Furthermore, the landlord should ensure that there is appropriate fire safety signage, such as those indicating the location of fire exits, assembly points, fire alarms, extinguishers, and any other fire-fighting equipment. Signage must be clear and understandable by every resident.
Anyone who has control of premises, including landlords, must be able to show that they understand and have considered the health risks associated with legionella and legionnaires' disease. Legionella is a type of pathogenic bacteria that causes a range of pneumonia-like illnesses and legionnaire's disease is the most serious one. Legionella bacteria commonly live in natural water sources, but only pose a risk of illness when the water enters more favourable conditions. For instance, when the water is between 20 °C and 45 °C and has been recirculated, causing it to become stagnant.
To effectively prevent legionella and legionnaire's disease in their properties, landlords must undertake a risk assessment for legionella. As with any other form of risk assessment, this involves five key steps:
In a property, legionella bacteria may be found in any water system between 20-45 °C. This is why it's crucial for landlords to ensure that all water systems are correctly operated and maintained, such as hot and cold water tanks, pipework and air conditioning units. The risk can be lowered if hot water is kept above 45 °C and cold water is kept below 20 °C, and if water is used regularly to keep it fresh and free of stagnation.
Should you require further information regarding the Gas, Electric or Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) Safety Regulations we recommend you approach:
Obtain a copy of the Guide to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations published by the department of trade and industry.
The above guides are intended to provide a summary of the regulations to the landlord it is not an authoritative interpretation of the regulations, which is a matter for the courts.
The Lettings market is extremely transient and therefore prices are frequently changeable. It is vital that you get an up to date professional valuation (as you would if you were selling the property). A valuation appointment should take no more than 40-60 mins.
We can, and frequently do advertise properties which are available for immediate occupation, but as a rule of thumb, 6-8 weeks prior to the property being available is a good timeframe to get the ball rolling.
Every marketplace and property type will have its own trends, but typically there is little or no difference in the asking rent whether the property is furnished or not, and often little difference in the likely timeframe for securing a tenant. As such you can simply do what suits you best, but always seek the advice of your local agent first.
You will need an Energy Performance Certificate in order to market the property and prior to tenants moving in will need to ensure you have smoke detectors on either floor, a gas/elec safety cert (where applicable) and fire safety regulation labels on all soft furnishings (if the property is to be offered furnished), and a consent to let form from your mortgage provider (if applicable) prior to tenant moving in. Professional inventory prior to a tenant taking occupation of the property.
You must have Buildings Insurance cover. Talk to your insurance company or your Letting Agent about a Landlords package
An Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement can be anything from 6 months to 3 years. The most common type of contract is a 12 month term with a reciprocal break clause on or after 6 months of continuous tenure.
Under the terms of your tenancy agreement you will be required to give 2 months' notice on your rent due date.
At Selbon we instruct an external and independent referencing agency to carry out a credit search, an employment reference, a current/previous Landlord reference. Personal references can also be requested. A final report will be given to the Landlord for approval before he/she signs the tenancy agreement.
We take 5 weeks rent deposit as standard for each tenancy. All tenancy deposits are held with The Deposit Protection Service and www.depositprotection.com
Rent is due on the anniversary of the start of the tenancy and it's the tenants responsibility to ensure it is received by this date. We require payment to be made by standing order.
You (or your letting agent) should write to tenants every 7 days requesting the rental payment up until the point at which they are 2 months in arrears and you are in a position to serve notice on the grounds of non-payment of rent. We recommend, for peace of mind, that all landlords consider rent protection insurance.
These are both terms of their agreement and your recourse would be to serve notice and end the tenancy.
Tenants are responsible for paying the council tax and any/all utility bills (unless otherwise advised). Landlords must continue to pay any ground rent/maintenance charges.
In our experience most tenancies commence within 7 to 10 days of the tenant agreeing to let a property, however the timescale can be affected by the speed of which the landlord and tenant react and such things as referencing, notices and setting up of a standing order.
If you require any further information or would like to arrange a free no obligation rental appraisal of your property please call us on 01252 979300.