letting agents Sunningdale

5 steps to letting your belongings for UK based landlords including: presenting the property, safety regulations and selecting a letting agents

5 steps to letting your Property

1. Acquire permission from appropriate parties: -

• Mortgage Company:

If you have a standard residential mortgage you will have to request permission to let from the mortgage company – they generally make a small charge for this and may place some restrictions about the types of tenant or tenancy details.

• Leaseholder:

If you own a leasehold property you may even need to inform the Headlease holder that the property is going to be let and check the lease for any restrictions.

• Insurance provider:

You will need to maintain building insurance cover and must inform the policy holder how the property will be let.

2. Make sure the property is actually safe and legally compliant: -

• Gas Appliances:

You will have to ensure you have a valid Gas Safety Certificate, which should be issued to the tenants before they move in and with an annual basis thereafter. A Corgi registered plumber must be contracted to the safety check. The boiler and gas appliances should also be serviced regularly to make sure they remain safe.

• Electrical Equipment:

All electrical systems and appliance should also be safe. The only way to ensure this is to possess a full safety check of the system and fittings. An annual Portable Appliance Test (PAT) can also be recommended for all furnished properties. The tests and any electrical maintenance work should be carried out by a qualified electrician.

• Furniture:

All gentle furnishings, such as sofas and beds, in rental property must adhere to the Fire and Furnishing Safety Regulations.

• Smoke & And also carbon Monoxide Alarms:

All properties built after X must have the smoke alarms fitted. It is highly recommended that any rental property should have a minumum of one alarm on each floor regardless of age. A Carbon Monoxide alarm also needs to be considered.

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): -

Since July 2008, all properties advertised to let, must have an EPC. An EPC could be issued by a Domestic Energy Assessor and the certificate lasts for ten years. A copy should be given to any one considering renting the home.

3. Presentation, Presentation, Presentation: -

There is usually a large choice of properties for potential tenants and good presentation will give your property the edge over the competition in addition to helping to achieve the best rental price.

• Clean as well as tidy:

Tenants will be more inclined to keep the property in good shape if it was in that condition when they moved within. It is also easier to record and prove the condition of the property if it's perfect at the start.

• Décor:

Do not be afraid to make use of some colour, there are hundreds of bland magnolia walls in properties nowadays!... but avoid a lot of "loud" or dark colours upon walls. A slightly darker carpet will show less marks when compared to a very light one. Consider laminate in the walkways (unless inside a flat! ) and lino for Kitchens and bathrooms.

• Will everything work?: -

To avoid problems once the tenant techniques in, check heating and water systems work and all appliances have been in good working order. It helps to leave a set of instructions and appliance manuals for these things, even if they are hand written.

4. Furnished or unfurnished?

Furnished properties command a slightly higher premium than unfurnished but the main advantage is that we now have usually less furnished properties available.

Unfurnished properties are normally given the Kitchen white goods.

If you decide to furnish the home, consider:

• Furnish in keeping with the period of the home.

• Good quality, hard wearing, easy to clean furniture.

• Check it's fire and safety compliant.

• Expect slightly more wear and tear than within an unfurnished property.

• Electrical items are the main things to visit wrong (and need testing annually), therefore avoid supplying unless opting for maximum rental value.

5. Rental guarantee and legal expenses insurance coverage

With the current economic climate meaning more people are engaging in financial difficulty, it is worth considering some insurance to protect you in the unexpected. Although tenants are normally credit and referenced checked, these checks are a snap shot in time and there isn't any way of knowing if your tenant will be made well not required or get divorced and suddenly stop paying the rent.

6. …and finally - use a good Letting Agent:

Look for:

• A professional agent (member associated with NALS, ARLA, OEA).

• Competitive fees – look out for all those hidden extra charges!

• Proactive approach and extensive internet advertising.



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letting agents Sunningdale