Helpful Information

If your property is mortgaged, you should obtain your mortgage provider’s written consent to the letting. They may require additional clauses in the tenancy agreement of which you must inform us.

At the beginning of the tenancy, the property must be in a thoroughly clean condition. It is the tenants’ responsibility to leave the property in a similar condition when they leave.

Gardens should be left neat, tidy and rubbish free, with any lawns cut. Tenants are normally required to maintain the gardens to a reasonable standard, provided they are left with the necessary tools.

It is recommended that you provide minimum furnishing and these should be of reasonable quality. You must ensure that any furniture and furnishings you supply meet the Fire Resistance Regulations in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988. The regulations set levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture. All new and second-hand furniture provided in a rental property must meet the fire resistance requirements. Most furniture will have a manufacturer’s label stating if it meets the requirements.

As a landlord, you must also ensure that the property’s electrical system (sockets and light fittings) is safe and all appliances tenants supply (eg cookers and kettles) are safe.

You are required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure that all gas appliances are maintained and in good order, an annual safety check must be carried out by a Gas Safe-registered fitter. You must keep a record of the safety checks and it must be issued to the tenant within 28 days of each annual check.

Electrical, gas, plumbing, waste, central heating and hot water systems must be safe, sound and in good working order. Interior decoration should be in good condition and preferably plain, light and neutral. You will need to allow for general wear and tear to furnishings and decoration during a tenancy.

When the landlord is resident in the UK, it is entirely his/her responsibility to inform the Inland Revenue of rental income received, and to pay any tax due. However, where the landlord is resident outside the UK during a tenancy, unless an exemption certificate is held, we as landlord’s agents are obliged to retain and forward to the Inland Revenue on a quarterly basis, an amount equal to the basic rate of income tax from rental received, less certain expenses.

Council tax is the responsibility of the occupier. We will advise the local council office when a new tenant moves into a property. If a property is temporarily empty then it is the responsibility of the Landlord to cover the shortfall in council tax payments during the unoccupied period. We will provide tenants with details for the local council to enable them to register.

If you are a leaseholder, you should check the terms of your lease and obtain the necessary written consent before letting.

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords are responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property – baths, sinks, basins and other sanitary installations, heating, and hot water installations We work closely with both landlords and Tenants to resolve and issues and where tradesmen are needed we liaise with tenants to ensure we align with their time to resolve said issues.