Letting guide

1. To furnish?

• Greater demand
• Less wear and tear on your chintz
• Lower turnover of tenants
• Lower maintenance and repair costs
• No need for Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety compliance

Or not to furnish?

• Tenants save money on buying big ticket items
• You save money moving stuff out
• Furnishings can be reused when the tenancy ends
• A percentage of replacement and disposal of old items is tax deductible

5. Be upfront with your mortgage lender

• If you have a mortgage on the property you need consent to let it. Don’t worry, they rarely refuse, and are always reassured to know a professional agent is involved.
• The kind of thing they’ll want to know is the type of tenancy agreement you intend to use, how long the tenancy is for and they’ll require certain notices to be served on the tenant.
• Heads up — Building Societies often charge a small admin fee to give consent.

The lettings team at Estates East will treat your property like it’s their own

And we’re as picky about your tenants as you are!
The benefit of having a dedicated Marketing Team is that Estates East does much more than just list your property. Details are updated daily and we market you until the right tenants have been secured as quickly as possible.

Additional services

• Preparation of an inventory and schedule of condition, prior to the tenancy
• Registering the deposit with the Deposit Protection Service
• A full property inspection and inventory check at the end of the tenancy and dealing with matters relating to unfair wear and tear before arranging for the release of the tenant’s deposit
• Void property management
  We’ll always aim to have a new fully vetted tenant waiting to occupy your property as soon as the previous tenant has vacated. However, on the occasions when this doesn’t happen we can continue to manage the property for you, taking care of general maintenance, any refurbishment work you may want to do and also dealing with utility bills and mail. This service is also especially useful if the property is intentionally left empty for a period of time before an owner re-occupies it.
• Legal
  There’s a lot of legislation attached to tenancy agreements so it’s reassuring for most people to get professional guidance. We’ll ensure you meet your obligations under the 1985 Housing Act to keep the property safe and in good working order. We can also help you avoid any issues over building regulations, data protection or distance selling.

Buildings and contents insurance

All landlords should ensure that they have adequate buildings and contents insurance cover. Tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents and personal belongings.

Please note: standard homeowner insurance policies will not suffice once a tenant is in residence as you are no longer the owner-occupier. It is also important to check on cover periods when the property is empty. We recommend that you check your policy thoroughly. We can supply you with names of specialist insurers if required.

Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, it is a criminal offence to let premises with gas installations pipe-work and appliances that have not been checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The landlord should ensure that all gas appliances are serviced and maintained at least once a year and keep a record of such maintenance, which must be undertaken by a Gas Safe registered engineer in order to comply with the regulations. By law a gas safety check must be carried out once a year and a copy given to the tenant prior to the commencement of the tenancy.

• Pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants and maintained in a safe condition
• All appliances and flues that are provided for tenants use have gas safety check every 12 months
• Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a business/engineer www.gassaferegister.co.uk registered on the Gas-Safe register
• All gas equipment (including any appliances left by previous tenants) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting
• Provide a record of safety checks to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in
• Keep a copy of the safety check record for two years

Smoke Detectors Act 1991

Although it is deemed best practice, there is no legal requirement to install smoke alarms in a property unless it was newly built from 1992 onwards or it is a house in multiple occupation when the alarms must be wired into the mains electricity system (HOM), with a battery backup. If the landlord has installed any type of smoke alarms, fire extinguisher, or fire blankets in the property they must be regularly checked to ensure they are in working order. In particular the landlord must ensure they are tested prior to the start of a tenancy and be noted as in working order. Failure to do so could mean liability for any injury suffered by a tenant or other visitor to the property. By signing this agreement the landlord gives the agent authority to replace any item that the agent believes is not in working order at the landlord’s expense.

Data Protection Act 1998

We take all reasonable care to prevent any unauthorized access to or use of your personal data. We have a responsibility to keep your information confidential and will only use it:

• In the event of non-payment of fees to a debt collection agency
• Where specifically required to do so by law
• When instructing solicitors
• To change account details for council tax
• When a contractor’s invoice has not been settled by you

Accounts

Estates East will ensure that rent is paid on the due date and passed on to you as quickly as possible. They prepare statements of rental income and expenditure every month to ensure that you have full information for yourself and for your tax return. The tenant pays rent into the Estates East client account and this is then transferred into your account each month.

Smoke detectors

All new homes (built after June 1992) must be fitted with mains operated smoke detectors. There are no specific regulations governing older buildings. However Estates East strongly recommend that at least one smoke alarm is fitted to each floor of your property.

Non-UK resident landlords

The Non-Resident Landlord (NRL) scheme is for taxing the UK rental income of persons whose “usual place of abode” is outside the UK. If you are treated as a non-resident Landlord you still have to pay UK income tax on rental income from your UK property. Unless the landlord can provide Estates East with a current Inland Revenue exemption certificate, the law obliges us to deduct basic rate tax from rents received and for us to account to Inland Revenue on a quarterly basis. Any Landlord named on the tenancy agreement, when living overseas, requires a separate exemption certificate.