The Rental Process

1. Make sure all necessary regulations have been carried out and that all the necessary certificates are in place see – complying with regulations tab
2. List your property on the propertybooklive website.
3. Where possible, include a floor plan of your property – see floor plan and photography tab
4. If you can, use professional photographs of your property, as this will create a real impact. You can also upload extra images and information onto a unique property web page – see create your own webpage tab.
5. Once a suitable tenant is found and a rental figure agreed, the legal documents must be agreed.
6. At this stage, you should ask your tenant for references from their current and previous employer, their previous landlord and their bank. Once received, theses references must be carefully checked. If you need help, use a professional referencing agency that can carry out this work for you – see tenant referencing tab
7. Once you are happy with the tenant’s references, a tenancy agreement must be supplied by a lawyer and sent to the prospective tenant.
8. Once signed, the tenancy agreement is returned to the landlord. At this stage, a deposit of at least one months’ rent, plus the first months’ rent in advance are required as cleared funds. As a landlord, you cannot hold the deposit: this needs to be lodged with a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme (TDPS). The tenant must complete a standing order mandate for ongoing rent payments.
9. Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme (TDPS)
   There are two types of tenancy deposit protection scheme available for landlords and letting agents: insurance-based schemes and custodial schemes. Both of these schemes provide a free dispute resolution service.
10. Checking in
    On the first day of the tenancy, the landlord will “check in” the tenant. This can be done by an inventory clerk – see inventories and insurance tab, and involves the tenant signing the inventory and agreeing to maintain the standards of the property and any contents listed on the inventory. Before the tenant moves in, the property should also be professionally cleaned.
    Meter readings are taken on “check in”, and the utilities are transferred into the name of the tenant. From the first day of the tenancy, your tenant is responsible for all utilities and other services not included in the tenancy agreement. He or she is also liable for television licences and any Satellite and Broadband charges.
11. Checking out.
    When the tenancy ends, the inventory “check out” is agreed and signed off by the tenant. The property must be left will all fittings and contents in the same condition when checked in, allowing for reasonable wear and tear. The property must also be cleaned to the same standard as when the tenancy began. All meters readings are included on the inventory document. Once the inventory is agreed and the landlord accepts the condition of the property the deposit is handed back. If there is a disagreement regarding cleanliness or damage and loss of fixtures and contents – the deposit is held back until these issues are agreed, and can be used to reimburse the Landlord if necessary

Complying with regulations

Energy Efficiency – Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s)
1988 Fire and Safety regulations
Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations
Gas Safety Regulations
Smoke Detectors Act
National Register for Landlords

Energy Efficiency – Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s)

From the 1st October 2008, all rental properties with a new tenancy in England and Wales are required by law to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Similar to the energy labels found on domestic appliances such as fridges and dishwashers, these certificate rate a property on it’s energy efficiency, with an ‘A’ rating indicating the most efficient and a ‘G’ rating designating the lowest. Current running costs for heating, hot water and lighting will also be shown.
You can obtain an EPCs from an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), and you should do so before securing a tenant for your property.

Fire and safety regulations

New fire and safety regulations came in to force on 1st October 2006. These regulations provide a list of furniture and soft furnishings that must meet fire safety standards.

Furniture and furnishings that must comply with these standards are:

• Beds, headboards of beds, mattresses
• Sofas, sofa-beds, futons and other convertibles
• Nursery furniture
• Garden furniture which is suitable for indoor use
• Furniture in new caravans
• Scatter cushions, bean bags, window seats and seat pads
• Pillows
• Padded stools and padded chests (Ottomans)
• Put-up beds and garden loungers or seats
• Loose and stretch covers for furniture

Nb: Furniture manufactured since March 1989 will comply with these regulations, and most will bear a label indicating this.

Furnishings that do not need to comply with these standards are:

• Sleeping bags
• Bed-clothes (including duvets) and pillowcases
• Loose covers for mattresses
• Curtains and carpets
• Furniture and furnishings manufactured before 1 January 1950

Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations

Although a property’s electrical equipment and appliances are not required by law to undergo any formal testing, it is the duty of the landlord to ensure that electrical equipment is safe and fully operational. As a basic guide, the following should be of help:

• Live parts should not be accessible
• Leads should not be worn or frayed, and should be complete with no joins
• Trailing leads and the use of multiple plug adaptors should be avoided
• Correct plugs (marked ‘B SECTION 136’) should be fitted and correctly fused
• Plug sockets should be firmly fastened to the wall or skirting
• Any moving parts should be guarded
• Electric blankets should be serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
• Microwave doors should be clean, free from corrosion and should close property
• Washing machines, cookers and other ‘white goods’ should be serviced and be in good working order
• Electrical heaters and central heating appliances should be serviced annually
• Fireguards should meet BS3248, and any fire extinguishers should be marked ‘BS6575 1985’.

Gas and Oil Safety Regulations

The Gas Safety Regulations passed in 1998 place a statutory duty on all residential landlords to ensure that all gas appliances, pipe work and flues are maintained in a safe condition. By law, an inspection of all gas appliances must be carried out annually by a registered Gas Safe Register engineer. After inspection, the engineer will issue a certificate as proof of inspection, which should be duplicated and kept safe by both tenant and landlord, see – www.gassaferegister.co.uk . Oil fired appliances must also be checked on an annual basis.

Smoke Detector Act

The 1991 Smoke Detectors Act requires that all new houses built since June 1992 must, by law, have a mains smoke detector installed. The minimum requirement is one smoke alarm on each level of the building. This law does not apply to properties built before June 1992, but landlords should be aware that they are likely to be held to account and face serious claims if sufficient smoke detectors are not installed.

National Register for Landlords

Under new Government proposals, all private landlords in England are now required to log their details on a national register of landlords. This web-based register is designed to help landlords as much as it is to protect tenants, and will log details such as deposits paid and re-imbursed, and repairs and renovations carried out on a property.

In any formal rental agreement, there are a number of legal obligations that must be upheld by both landlord and tenant. These were set to protect everyone involved in the rental agreement; failure to comply could result in prosecution..

2. Tenant obligations

In addition to rent, tenants will almost certainly be required to pay electricity, gas, water charges, council tax, telephone, television license, and any charges for satellite or cable television. All of this will be clearly set out in the tenancy agreement.
As well as being one less thing to worry about, paying all bills on time will help you maintain a good relationship with your landlord, and will save you from any late-payment charges, if these are listed in your rental agreement.

Tennant references

The standard guidelines around tenant references were designed to protect landlords. In general, obtaining tenant references should not be a lengthy process, and any honest tenant will not object to undergoing the normal checks.

The three basic guidelines around obtaining tenant references are:

• Check a prospective tenant’s references thoroughly before you consider them as a tenant
• The key references you require are from their bank, current and/or previous employer and current/previous landlord.
• Always request the referee’s contact details, and take up the reference yourself

Landlords should also note that all references are given in strict confidence and must not passed on to another party without the tenant’s permission.

Tenant agreements & legal matters

A tenancy agreement is a contract – either written or verbal – between a tenant and a landlord. The agreement provides protection to both parties, and outlines statutory rights covering a range of issues including payment, occupancy and individual responsibility. The agreement typically covers rent (amount and date payable), term of tenancy, and tenant’s obligations (such as basic maintenance of the property, noise minimisation, and any restrictions on pets or business practices).  

Tenancy agreements fall into three categories: Assured Shorthold Tenancy, Assured Tenancy and Company Letting.

Amending and ending tenant/landlord agreement

A tenancy agreement can be amended if both the landlord and tenant agree. All amendments should be recorded in writing, either by drawing up a written document setting out the new terms or by amending the existing tenancy agreement.
The right to end a tenancy agreement is set out at the start. If both parties agree to terminate the contract, this can easily be done by documenting the agreed termination date, which must be signed by both landlord and tenant.

A landlord’s duties

• Basic repairs, which must be carried out by the landlord
• Maintenance and servicing of installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and heating water; again the duty of the landlord
• Proper care or the accommodation, which is the duty of the tenant
• The tenant’s right to live peacefully in the accommodation without nuisance from the landlord

Inventories and insurance

Inventories
An inventory lists the contents of a property to let (such as fixtures, furnishings and appliances), and the condition that these are in at the start of the tenancy. This can either be compiled by you as the landlord, or by a professional inventory clerk, who will also help you with the formal “check-in and check-out” process. It is usual for the cost of the inventory to be shared equally between the landlord and tenant, with the landlord normally covering the cost of the check-in at the start of the tenancy, and the tenant paying for the check-out at the end.

Insurance
The landlord is normally responsible for insuring the property and the contents supplied. However, a tenant should ensure that they have adequate insurance to protect their own possessions within the property. When seeking an insurance policy as a tenant, it is important to make it clear to the insurance company that the insurance is for a rental property, as the insurer will then be able to advise a policy that provides cover for any damage caused to the landlords’ possessions.

Floor plans, boundary plans and photos

It’s no coincidence that property sellers, landlords and holiday homeowners who get the most interest in their properties are those who provide plenty of information right from the start. Visual impact counts for a great deal – especially when backed up by vivid descriptions and solid fact. Over the last 10 years the use of floor plans, boundary plans and photography has completely changed the way property is promoted, combined with the Internet – this is powerful marketing.

Effective ways you can boost interest in your property is by providing floor plans, boundary plans and good-quality photographs.

Create a webpage for £50 - the perfect way to give a purchaser, tenant or holiday guest a more complete overview of your property?

To create a property web page please contact us. On receipt of your email we will send you a template and instructions on information we require to design the page. The webpage is your opportunity to provide a more detailed overview of the property. It will help buyers, tenants and holiday guests select properties of interest. Whilst the standard property entry is FREE it is limited in text and number of images (up to 3). A web page allows the advertiser to use a far greater selection of images (up to 10) to provide a more comprehensive visual impression. You can add a lot more descriptive text highlighting important features and the surrounding landscape greatly enhancing the appeal of the property. For holiday properties the extra images can be used to show examples of local activities and facilities that will appeal to your guests.

upload up to 10 images which run as a slide show provide a more detailed description of the property provide a list of local information and facilities, schools and activities provide directions and transport links, especially useful for holiday property

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Other features of a webpage::

• You can upload up to 4 associated documents e.g. planning permission documents, building regulation certificates, proposed alteration plans and other documents relating to the property.
• You can print the webpage.
• It is cost effective and easy to set up.

If you require a bespoke web site, please contact us. We will introduce you to our web site designing team who will create a bespoke site for you.

An individual web page or website embracing video tours, virtual tours, voiceovers and accompanying music will eventually replace the need for printed brochures. Property owners can add interesting associated history along with useful information that a new owner, tenant or holiday user will find interesting. A unique webpage or web site for every property offered for sale, for rent, for holiday is the future.

At KRHS we work for retained clients looking for rental property. We offer an independent, discreetly effective service working hard for our clients. We guarantee clients' confidentiality is ensured at all times.

Local knowledge and excellent contacts often enables us to gain access to property and secure it before it reaches the open market, thus giving clients the edge over other renters.

All our clients pay an initial retained fee. Commission only becomes payable when a suitable property is found and secured.

If you:

• have limited time to commit to a property search.
• live overseas or are not familiar with the region of choice.
• need help to negotiate.
• need someone who has excellent local knowledge.
• need advice on local schools and facilities.

Call us on 07784 497521 or email us here to discuss your search in more detail.