Informing your Bank or Building Society

Informing your Bank/Building Society of your intention to let 

If there is a mortgage on the property, you will need to seek permission to let from your lender. These lending sources sometimes charge an administration fee for dealing with your application for approval to let the property.

Building Insurance to save you ££££

Most standard home insurance policies will not provide protection for a tenanted property. We can offer specialist policy that can also save you money, these policies are available regardless of whether you are a client or not.

Tax Advice

From the total rent received in a Tax year you can deduct expenses for Tax purposes, such as our Fee's, interest paid to a Mortgage Company, as well as reasonable repair costs. Please contact your local Tax office or Accountant for more detailed information. If you would like a more comprehensive tax service, or are an oversea's landlord, we can arrange this for you.Offset our Fee's against your Tax!. It is your responsibility to inform the Tax Office of your Additional Income

Tenants Content Insurance

Please call us for further advice.

Assesment of the Property

Various factors need to be taken into account when advising a Landlord on how they should best proceed with their letting. The location, condition and size of the property, standard of contents and fittings provided and prevailing market forces are all factors which must be considered.

A Property Assessment will be carried out by an experienced Castle Estates representative visiting the property to carry out an initial inspection, following which all relevant issues will be discussed in greater detail with you. This enables you to ask any questions that you may have and discuss any particular concerns. This service is provided free and with no obligation.

Should i Let Furnished or Unfurnished

The market is generally evenly divided between demand for furnished and unfurnished properties, though most lettings to a Company as tenant will usually be on a furnished basis. If furnished then of course the better the standard and presentation of furnishings the greater the opportunity for maximising the rent achievable.

All properties should usually include carpets and curtains. Furnished properties will also include the furniture found in most homes (beds, tables, chairs, suites), cooker and fridge, kitchen crockery, cooking utensils and cutlery. Better presentation and quality of the property and furnishings will be reflected in the monthly rental achievable. Linen and towels are not normally included even in a fully furnished property, and we would strongly advise against leaving a television, video, hi-fi equipment etc., other than in executive lets. We have a list giving a suggested inventory, and you may find it useful to refer to this if you are intending to let on a fully furnished basis.

A major consideration for Landlords who have a choice whether to let a property furnished or unfurnished is that there are Regulations which must be adhered to specifically on furnished properties.

The Inventory

As part of our comprehensive service to Landlords, we arrange an Inventory and Schedule of Condition. Even if the property is unfurnished there should be a Schedule of Condition for the property itself. Carpets and curtains can be very expensive to replace and unless the condition of these soft furnishings and interior décor is properly documented, you will be unable to claim recompense for any damage at the end of the Tenancy.

Tips on Presentation

• Neutral décor works best
• Remove all "clutter"
• Painted surfaces are easier to maintain than wallpaper
• Gardens should be neat & tidy

Gas Safety

There are now some very important obligations placed upon Landlords to ensure that all mains or bottled gas supplied appliances in a rented property have a certificate of safety. This means central heating boilers, water heaters, cookers, fires and gas refrigerators etc. All such appliances must be serviced by an engineer who is registered with CORGI for domestic appliance work, following which a safety certificate in a prescribed format must be obtained and a copy issued to the tenant.

The appliances must be properly maintained and subject to annual inspections and safety checks. The safety certificate must be renewed annually and the tenant is entitled to receive an updated copy. Non compliance with the Gas Safety Regulations could result in a heavy fine or imprisonment, or both.

As these provisions apply equally to the managing agent as well as the Landlord, you will understand that we must take a clear stance in this matter to the extent that we are unable to accept and/or retain a property on our books unless, in respect of all appliances, either:

• A current certificate is already in force OR
• The Landlord is obtaining a certificate which is given to us before we install a tenant OR
• The Landlord authorises The Lettings Co to take the necessary action and obtain a certificate via one of our authorised maintenance personnel.

Electrical Safety

Further advice on this vital issue is outlined in one of our Landlord fact-sheets which is available on request. The landlord is responsible for ensuring that all electrical appliances supplied in the accommodation must be safe for use. We are happy to arrange for the necessary electrical inspections to be carried out on your behalf.

Further advice on this important issue is outlined in one of our Landlord fact-sheets and is available on request.

Smoke Detectors

The law requires that all new houses built after June 1992 have electronically linked, mains operated smoke detectors installed on each floor. Although older properties are exempt from this requirement, we strongly recommend that smoke detectors be installed on each floor in all rental properties.

Fire Safety Furniture and Furnishings

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amended) Regulations 1993 require that all upholstered furniture and furnishings in rented properties pass the "cigarette test". If any property is found not to comply the landlord faces fines or imprisonment, or both.

Any Landlord placing a property on the rental market for the first time must comply with these regulations immediately, and any furniture not complying must be removed before the tenancy commences.

Similarly, if any items in a property subject to an existing rental are replaced, either during a tenancy or a void period, then those replacement items must continue to satisfy the requirements of these important Regulations.

Generally, most furniture purchased from reputable suppliers after March 1990 should comply with the regulations and will be labelled accordingly.

Products covered by the furniture and furnishings regulations

• Furniture intended for private use in a dwelling, including children's furniture
• Beds, head-boards, mattresses
• Sofa-beds, futons and other convertible’s
• Nursery furniture
• Garden furniture which is suitable for use in a dwelling
• Pillows, cushions & seat-pads
• Loose and stretch covers for furniture

Products usually not covered by the regulations

• Curtains, Carpets, Sleeping bags
• Bed-clothes (including duvets)
• Loose covers for mattresses and pillowcases
• Furniture made before 1950