When you chose to let your property, the valuation and marketing appraisal is an important step in the rental of your investment, as is the property's value. One of our experienced valuers will assess the property whilst factoring in your needs and desired timescales. Rental values are affected by many variables and our advice will be based upon numerous factors including the location, number of bedrooms, recently let properties, the property's condition and the current local rental demand.
Looking after a rented property is logistically more straightforward when you have responsible tenants and live locally. However, should anything go wrong, from a boiler breaking down to a water leak, it can become stressful and is why you should consider a property management service. Our experienced Property Managers will manage the day to day demands of your tenants, ensuring your property investment is well maintained and that your tenants abide with their tenancy obligations.
We will also ensure that you adhere to all the over Landlord legislation’s and for additional peace of mind, an experienced Property Assessor will carry out regular property inspections. These inspections are prevention minded and can reveal issues of required property maintenance amongst other items. They also present an opportunity that could highlight changes impacting tenancy obligations, revealing them before they become a larger, potentially, more costly problem. We are proud of our extensive industry knowledge and we will always act in your best interests.
An initial decision to make is whether to let your property as furnished or unfurnished. Furnished properties will give a better visual impression to the prospective tenants on how the property will look, making it more likely to rent quickly. Should you opt to market an unfurnished property, as a minimum we highly recommend that you provide white goods (washing machine, cooker, fridge/freezer). Offering flexibility is key as a landlord and will broaden the appeal of the property to prospective tenants as individual requirements vary.
Here are a few extra tips:
· First impressions count; ensure the exterior of your property is in good decorative order and plant up any window boxes or tubs.
· Make sure your property is looking its best; paying particular attention to the kitchen and bathroom/s. Kitchen's should be fully fitted where possible (Dishwasher etc.).
· Choose neutral colours for the paint finishes, carpets and curtains. Ensure you use reputable contractors to carry out the works so that they are done to a high standard.
· Properties are often criticised due to lack of storage – make sure bedrooms are generously fitted with cupboards if space allows.
· Try and present gardens and terraces attractively as they make a big difference in the spring and summer months.
We provide maximum marketing exposure across a wide range of media channels, internet directories and property portals. Our website is an interactive resource with excellent functionality for both Landlords and Tenants. New properties are immediately uploaded and circulated, alerting matched tenants by SMS and email. In turn our website feeds the major property portals further exposing the property to the market.
Our experienced Property Consultants personally match properties with their actively registered tenants and there is often an instant response to new property listings. Even in today's technology led society, many of the tenants and landlords we encounter prefer in-person communication from a property professional. Our CRM has an extensive existing database of prospective tenants, there are frequently tenancies generated very quickly from this pool of tenants.
Another effective marketing tool to utilise is one of our distinctive To Let boards. This highly effective advertising method has always generated quality enquiries and is a great visual reference for local tenants. The wider we expose your property to the market, the better opportunity there is to reach the largest selection of tenants which ultimately maximises interest and offers received. We aim to avoid void periods and to maximise the return on your investment.
Once we receive an offer, we will relay that information to you, together with detailed information on the potential tenants. We check their situation, employment status, who is intending to move in, and how long they are looking to rent for. As the Landlord, you have the final say as to whether you wish to proceed and accept their offer. If not, viewings will continue until a suitable tenant is found.
Upon your acceptance of a suitable offer, you will receive formal written conformation outlining details of the proposed tenancy. Tenants will then be required to provide us with their Right to Rent documentation and photographic ID which will be checked and copied, along with submitting their referencing information to our third-party tenant reference provider. If a deal falls through at any point, we will re-commence viewings immediately.
All tenants will undergo thorough background checks. We use an independent reputable referencing company to report on their suitability and credit-worthiness, including their payment history on any previous lending and any adverse credit e.g. CCJ’s or bankruptcies. Their identity is also verified as is their right to live and work in the UK – We cover the Right to Rent checks including whether they are subject to any immigration control. If they have rented properties in the past, we will ask their Landlords to provide us with a reference. We will ask their Employer to provide us with an employment reference. This information is provided by a variety of sources including credit reference agencies and is compiled into a report which gives a final credit score.
Once all referencing is completed and deemed satisfactory, we will draft the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement for all parties to sign. We then ask the tenants to pay their first month's rent and security deposit. All deposits are to be protected in a Government approved deposit scheme.
Our Tenancy administration team will contact all parties to make suitable arrangements 24 hours prior to the tenancy commencement. If you have opted for our Fully Managed service, an inventory Clerk will meet the tenants at the property to conduct the check in process. The meter readings will be taken and the keys will be photographed and then handed to the new Tenants. We will also retain a set of keys at our offices.
