When it comes to letting your property in St Albans there’s a lot to organise and manage before, during and after any tenancy. If you are new to the process, we’ve put together an overview of the important things to take care of, all of which Daniels will arrange.
Legal responsibilities
As the landlord of the property, on your behalf Daniels will prepare an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) for the tenants to sign. This will allow the tenants to live in the property for a minimum of 6 months before you can serve notice for them to leave.
You will remain responsible for repairs and maintenance to ensure it is kept in a liveable condition which Daniels will arrange on your behalf.
Before the property can be put on the market to rent, Daniels will arrange for a local energy assessor to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If the EPC does not achieve a rating of “E” improvements will have to be made in order to achieve this rating before it can be rented.
Health and safety
Every 12 months, gas appliances will have to be checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. For electrical appliances it is recommended these are checked at least once every 5 years by a Part P registered electrician.
Maintaining fire safety standards also falls under the remit of the landlord. This means all furniture and furnishings must be fire resistant and wired smoke detectors need to be installed along with carbon monoxide detectors. We will arrange these checks.
Deposit Protection
It is standard practice to request a deposit from a prospective tenant before they move in as financial protection. Of course, the amount will vary depending on the rental price but is now capped at 5 weeks rent by law.
Any deposit received has to be placed in a government approved tenancy deposit protection scheme (TDS). This must occur within 30 days of receiving the funds and the tenant must be provided with full details of the scheme, including contact, dispute and fund release details. The money will remain in the deposit scheme until the end of the tenancy before being returned in accordance with the details of the tenancy agreement. Daniels use the TDS for registering and protecting deposits.
Finding suitable tenants
Not only can we promote the property directly to your preferred type of tenant, but also conduct viewings and manage the entire application process.
This involves carrying out credit checks and collecting references related to work and previous landlords. It offers more assurance that they have the financial stability to pay rent on time and without issue.
A number of agencies – like Daniels – provide property management services which involves collecting the rent each month and dealing with any queries or issues on your behalf during the tenancy.
Using an ARLA Propertymark protected letting agent ensures you have direct access to property specialists who can help you maximise any rental opportunity that arises on the market, making the entire process much less stressful. We have been members of ARLA for a number of years.
If you are thinking of letting your property and would like some help, get in touch with our expert letting agent team at lettings@daniels.uk.net or call us on (01727)836561.