It may come as no surprise that your property is likely your most expensive investment and as such needs to be put in the hands of someone you trust.
It may come as no surprise that your property is likely your most expensive investment and as such needs to be put in the hands of someone you trust.
In a sector which has come under some increasing scrutiny over the years, Churchills have remained members of ARLA Propertymark, an organisation which seeks to improve the reputation of the Lettings industry. This also means that we conform to strict codes of conduct and have accounts audited in line with Client Money Protection (CMP).
It also means that we are made aware of legal updates in an ever more regulated sector meaning we will protect you and your investment. This is only complemented by Churchills being members of The Guild of Property Professionals.
It’s really important that you build a relationship with your chosen agent and when you call that you don’t feel that you’re being passed around from ‘pillar to post’. For that reason all of our clients will deal with one local personal lettings consultant as opposed to dealing with agents who work outside of the area and won’t know your property or the market.
Once you’ve made a decision as to the Agent you like the look of the next step is to arrange a market appraisal with them.
As properties vary from one to the other it is important the agent has all the information to provide you an up to date appraisal as to what you could expect to achieve on the rental market.
On the appraisal the agent should be able to confidently tell you about the rental market, their marketing procedures but should also do a ‘property health check’ to inform you as to how you can make your property legally compliant in today’s heavily regulated industry. You may have questions for your agent and we’ve prepared 10 important questions to ask them to ensure you are making the right choice. Click here to find out more.
We’d recommend printing this off to go through with them at the appointment.
There are a number of factors which can determine what you may be able to achieve such as the current market, area and proximity to local amenities, age and condition of the property. A good agent should also be able to make suggestions as to how you can maximise your investment.
It’s really important when marketing a property that the agent throws everything including the kitchen sink (figuratively speaking of course) at maximising the level of interest your property can obtain.
Other than marketing across property portals such as Zoopla, Onthemarket and Rightmove, the agent should publicise properties across their social media channels and ensure video tours are recorded for each property.
Lastly, the agent you appoint should have an up-to-date database of prospective tenants lined up who are looking for a property that matches yours.
Once a tenant has been found the next step is taking them through referencing. It’s really important you feel comfortable with your decision so your agent should carry out a robust referencing process to assess the tenants eligibility to reside in the property and you should be kept updated every step of the way.
Once a tenant has passed referencing the last part is to get the Tenancy Agreement signed and moving in monies paid. It’s a legal requirement to physically test and record that the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector work on move in day so your agent should really be doing this as part of the move in process.
Why not take our Tenancy Management service? This means you get your time back and don’t have to concern yourself with any maintenance issues which arise in and out of hours throughout the tenancy.
We will carry out an Inventory and Checkout at the start of the tenancy and end of the tenancy respectively and assess handle the deposit negotiation on your behalf.
We carry out routine property visits to the property twice yearly to assess the condition, ensure all is well with the tenants and that the property remains compliant with The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
We will resolve maintenance issues using reliable contractors who we’ve personally vetted and obtained the relevant insurances for keeping you updated every step of the way.
We will ensure you remain legally compliant in today’s rental sector. It is very much a case of you don’t know what you don’t know. However, ignorance is not a satisfactory reason in the court of the law and breaching one of the following could land you with facing civil or even criminal sanctions:
Right to Rent, Gas Safety Regulations, Electrical Safety Regulations, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards,Deregulation Act, Fire and Furnishings Act, Protection from Eviction Act, Tenant Fees Act,
The above is not an exhaustive list so why not leave it up to us to keep you legally safe and compliant?
We will collect the rent on your behalf and pay it to you upon receipt giving you peace of mind.
Through our Goodlord Switch app your tenants are able to switch across their utility and council tax providers into their names making the transition ‘a doddle’.