How do you estimate the rental value of my property?
As one of the largest Letting Agents in the area we have a database of rents achieved and therefore, before appraising your property we would have researched prices in your road. This coupled with our experienced staff that have worked in the area for many years means we are able to establish the anticipated rental we will achieve for you.

What should be included in the rent?
The rent will normally be exclusive of Gas, Electric, Water Rates, Telephone Charges, Council Tax etc, but inclusive of Buildings Insurance, Contents Insurance (for your own items) and Maintenance costs, unless otherwise agreed.

Why use an Approved Letting Agent?
Using an Approved Letting Agent such as ourselves who are members of the three Professional trade organisations associated with the Letting industry, ARLA, NAEA and NALS, ensures that you are dealing with an agent who has been thoroughly vetted, has been established for a number of years and also holds Professional Indemnity Insurance to give you recourse in the unlikely event of any negligence.

What about referencing the Tenants
It is important to have the tenant professionally referenced and we do this through an industry recognised independent referencing agency. As part of our package to our landlords, we offer a free Rent Guarantee Scheme, which carries a one month excess however, landlords are able to upgrade this to a Non Excess Policy for a small fee. The advantage of using an independent referencing agency that offers a rent guarantee is that they are underwriting the quality of the tenant.

What Tenancy Agreement is best to use
What ever service you choose we will draw up all of the tenancy agreements, ensuring that they comply with the legislation at that time, as the wrong tenancy agreement may affect how quickly you can gain possession of your property if required.

Who is responsible for repairs?
Under existing legislation landlords are responsible for all repairs to the property and its contents except when a repair is necessary due to a tenant's misuse. If we are managing a property we will arrange for the work to be carried out by one of our approved contractors.

What should I do about insurance?
Landlords are responsible for insuring their Buildings and own Contents. We suggest you advise your Insurers of the proposed letting at an early stage to ensure that cover is not prejudiced in any way. Failure to inform them that the property is being let, may result in their refusal to meet any claim made. You may well find your Insurer does not offer Landlords cover or even if they do, the terms may be very restricted. Ideally, you should seriously consider taking out specialist Landlords buildings and contents insurance, as this covers all the risks associated with letting a property.
We have a specialist insurance division that have negotiated preferential rates for landlords for a fully comprehensive policy and should your require further information either on this or on your own policy they will be happy to discuss this with you.

Do I need to tell my Mortgage Company?
If your property is mortgaged you will be required to notify them before you let. In most cases consent is given readily however, it is worth checking with your lender their criteria, as in some instances there may be a small administration fee charged.

Should I prepare an Inventory of Furniture, Fixtures and Fittings?
Every property that is let should have either an Inventory or a Guidance to the Condition and contents of the property. Although we are happy to arrange this for a set fee, landlords are free to supply us with their own inventory.

Who looks after the Exterior Maintenance?
External decorations and general maintenance of the property is the responsibility of the landlord. However, if there is a garden to the property, the upkeep is the tenant's responsibility, but the landlord would be expected to supply the necessary tools such as Lawnmower, Rake, Spade, Hoe, Hedge Cutters etc in order to carry out the maintenance required.

What service should I choose?
The service a landlord chooses very much depends on the involvement they wish to have with the property. Managing a property takes away the day to day tenancy issues such as property maintenance, rent collection, property inspections, check-in and check-out reports etc, which can become both time consuming and inconvenient. In some instances landlords prefer to deal with maintenance issues themselves but want us to deal with the collecting of the rent and therefore, use our Rent Collection service. On other occasions a landlord may be set up to be able to deal with the rent collection and management of the property and require us just to find a tenant. However, we would not advise this unless you have the experience of letting a property and an understanding of the laws surrounding Assured Shorthold Tenancies and the Housing Act. Alternatively, we can tailor make a package to suit your needs i.e.: We can add to the Rent Collection Service, Property Inspections with one off fees being charged for every Inspection, Tenancy Check In or Check Outs.

Should I Let my property Furnished or Unfurnished?
The choice is yours. There is sufficient demand for both Furnished and Unfurnished properties however, all properties should still have the standard white goods such as fridge freezer, washing machine, microwave, cooker etc. The degree of how much a property is furnished is again up to you, although for most a furnished property would consist of beds, sofa's, dining room table and chairs, wardrobes, white goods as mentioned above, but does not necessarily have to include linen, cutlery, crockery etc. We would advise all Landlords not to leave any personal effects at the property.

How long will it take to find a tenant?
In general, the process of letting your property is very quick and in most cases we would expect a property to be on the market no longer than a couple of weeks, although many properties are let within a few days of us being instructed. If the property is not let within that time, the likely reasons are that either the rent is too high, there are other more appealing properties on the market or the general market conditions are influencing the let.Whatever the reasons, our fully trained staff will be able to advise of the best course of action to get your property rented.

How much do you charge?
The initial rental assessment of your property is free of charge and you only pay commission if and when we successfully let your property i.e. No let, no fee. The commission we charge is based upon the level of service you wish us to provide and will be agreed with you prior to us marketing your property. Consequently, you will be fully aware of what you are being charged with no hidden costs.