Let's Rent: Questions and answers for landlords
What services do you offer?
We support households to find settled private rented accommodation. We offer either a full management or Tenant Find service to property owners who want to contribute to the local community. In both instances we will pay up to 5 weeks rent deposit on behalf of the tenant as well as a month’s rent in advance. The Tenant Find service involves us securing you tenants and drawing up contracts once we have established your property is up to standard. Once the tenancy starts you manage things yourself. The full management service is more comprehensive, offering everything you would get with Tenant Find and more. We guarantee the rent for the first four months of the tenancy with this service and it covers you for all eventualities with us acting as a buffer between you and your tenant. The property can be managed by you or by us depending on your preference.
Why should I use a managing agent?
Many new, or even experienced, landlords prefer to maintain a professional distance between their tenants and themselves. Engaging a managing agent to act on your behalf prevents the relationship becoming too personal and allows the landlord to avoid the strain of dealing with maintenance problems, rent arrears, deposit disputes or even the everyday gripes which rental properties can cause. We are here to help you make the most of your investment and deal with the complexities of current legislation. Remember; a landlord remains responsible for everything an agent does on their behalf, so make sure you choose an organisation that does things properly.
Unless a property owner has time to resolve the issues that can arise from renting a property, employing an agent will give them peace of mind. Our Let’s Rent Team have the correct technical knowledge and act as a conduit to solutions avoiding problems swiftly. We’re property specialists, with the additional flexibility of providing some financial assurances, act as your buffer and protect you as well as giving you access to our direct maintenance and repairs hub. Saving you time, money and anxiety.
How much rent will I get for my property?
This will vary depending on several factors including the property size and location. Properties rented through us must be at Local Housing Allowance rates which are decided by a government body (Valuation Office Agency). For a specific price, please contact us for a market appraisal. It is important rental prices are fair and at the right level. A correctly priced property will help to reduce the ‘void periods’ and keep the rent coming in. A fair monthly rental will result in a happy tenant who is more likely to stay and care for the property.
What do I need to do to my property?
Above all, rental properties must be safe. They should also be clean, dry, well insulated with adequate means of heating and free from hazard or defect. There are many regulations relating to the safety of properties provided for accommodation and it is easy to fall foul of them without the required knowledge and experience. Part of our initial appraisal of your property would include an assessment of its overall condition to identify what work would need to be done to bring it up to the required standard. Part of our policy is that all our properties should not only be safe for their occupants, but should be in good condition, clean and well presented.
What is an EPC, gas safety record/certificate, and EICR?
An energy performance certificate, or EPC for short, is a report detailing the energy efficiency of a property. It gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. All landlords (by law) are required to purchase an EPC for a property before they let it and, since 1 April 2018, the property must have a minimum rating of E on its EPC.
A Gas Safety Record (GSR) has to be in place (again by law) to ensure that all gas appliances, pipes and flues are in safe working order. It must be carried out by a qualified Gas Safe Registered engineer. This needs to be renewed every 12 months.
An electrical inspection condition report (EICR) is an in-depth inspection of your property's electrical systems and installation. The report assesses the competency of your electrics and as a landlord you have a duty of care to ensure the electrics are safe.
Does the property need to be furnished or unfurnished?
To an extent, this will depend on your own situation but generally speaking, most of our tenants only require white goods and appliances. You will have to bear in mind that furniture and equipment are subject to wear and tear and will have to be replaced from time to time. Also bear in mind that any upholstered furniture included must comply with fire regulations and electrical appliances will need to be tested regularly.
Who is responsible for utility bills?
Under normal circumstances, the tenant will be responsible for things like utility bills, TV licence and Council Tax during their period of tenancy. The landlord will be liable for these costs during any period that the property is left vacant.
What will you find out about the tenant?
We fully reference and credit check every tenant before putting them forward to rent a property. They must have a good tenancy history. Affordability is also assessed so we make sure there is less chance of rent arrears.
Tenancy sustainment is imperative to us, so all our prospective tenants undertake our Tenant Accreditation Scheme. This helps them develop the skills and knowledge required to maintain their tenancy successfully. The scheme is a module-based course which contains current, useful and relevant housing information.
Do you inspect properties during the tenancy?
As a matter of routine and as part of our service, managed properties are inspected every three months. We can also inspect Tenant Find properties for an additional fee. Longer intervals may be allowed depending on how the tenancy has been conducted and landlord preferences. All properties are also inspected a couple of weeks before the end of the agreement to go through the condition of the property with the tenant; identifying any areas which need attention. After the tenant has left, we assess the condition prior to authorising return of the deposit.
How often can I inspect my property?
You are welcome to inspect your property, provided you give reasonable notice to your tenant. Our landlords usually leave us to do this, trusting us to undertake regular inspections and interactions with the tenant.
How do I receive rental payment?
Monthly rent is paid via BACS if you select the full management service. We will ensure payment is received from the tenant and you are paid on time, every time. When we sign your agreement, we will request your bank details. With the Tenant Find service, we will make the initial payment to you then following that, the tenant will pay you directly on a monthly basis.
Is my rent guaranteed for any length of time/period?
With the full management service, we will guarantee rental income for the first 4 months, however we do not extend the guarantee period after this time. Our trained officers manage our portfolio of properties to support the payment process.
What do you do if a tenant fails to pay their rent or create issues?
Our full management service means your rent is assured for the first four months. We will always carry out investigations for the reason for non-payment following this period and manage the process immediately, whilst keeping you in the loop.
As our officers regularly contact the tenants, we will address issues in the early stages. However, on rare occasions if ongoing problems occur our officers are skilled in the court process and have the training to take legal action when required.
What does a tenant do if something needs repairing in the property?
When we place a tenant, we issue guidance on reporting repairs to us. We make sure they know how to contact us, if they are online, we will provide our webpages and direct email. All repairs will be confirmed with the landlord in the first instance when finding the best price to repair.
Can I get my property back?
These days the law allows much better protection for landlords seeking to recover possession. The days of being stuck with a ‘sitting tenant’ for years have mostly disappeared (with a few exceptions where a long-term tenant is still protected). It is essential to use a suitable modern tenancy agreement. It is however true that sometimes it is difficult to get rid of unwilling tenants and it is essential in these cases to have issued the correct documentation and start the legal process at the appropriate time.
What are your fees?
View or download fees for landlords (PDF)
These FAQs are the most common questions we receive from landlords, but we appreciate there could be many more! If you need more answers please email letsrent@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk