How to Rent Your Property

First impressions always count Interior decorations should be in good condition and preferably plain light and neutral, clean carpets, tidy kitchens and bathrooms and not forgetting gardens. Certificates for energy electrical, gas must be in place, we would recommend the testing of all plumbing, waste, central heating and hot water systems and they must be safe, sound and in good working order.

Your property can be let fully furnished, part furnished or unfurnished. Which of these is appropriate will depend on the type of property and local market conditions. We will be pleased to give you advice on whether to furnish or not and to what level. As a minimum you will need to provide decent quality carpets or floor coverings and decor. Remember that there will be wear and tear on the property and any items provided.

Personal possessions, ornaments, pictures, books etc. should be removed from the premises, especially those of real or sentimental value. All cupboards and shelf space should be left clear for the Tenant’s own use.

Gardens should be left neat, tidy and rubbish free, with any lawns cut. Tenants are required to maintain the gardens to a reasonable standard. However, few Tenants are experienced gardeners, and if you value your garden, or if it is particularly large, you may wish to arrange visits by a regular gardener. Trees and large bushes (some hedges) will remain the responsibility of the landlord.

At the commencement of the tenancy the property must be in a thoroughly clean condition, and at the end of each tenancy it is the Tenants' responsibility to leave the property in a similar condition.

It is helpful and could save you money as a Landlord if you leave information for the Tenant on the day to day running of the property. It is also a legal requirement that all appliances require the operating instructions this includes the boiler and the heating controls along with any white goods. It also helps the tenant if local information can be made available to help such as the day refuse is collected etc.

You need to provide one full set of keys for each Tenant. Where we will be managing we will arrange to have duplicates cut as required at the cost of the landlord.

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

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

You should ensure that you are suitably covered for letting under both your buildings and contents insurance. Failure to inform your insurers may invalidate your policies. We can provide information on Landlords Legal Protection, Rent Guarantee Cover and Landlords Contents and Buildings Insurance if required.

We recommend that you arrange for regular outgoings e.g. service charges, maintenance contracts etc. to be paid by standing order or direct debit.

We will support the transfer of Council Tax and utility accounts to the Tenant. Meter readings will be taken, allowing/supporting you to closing gas and electricity accounts to be drawn up. All these matters we will handle for you, however Telephone, Broadband, TV Licence and Subscription Television Services will require instructions directly from both the Landlord and the Tenant.

When resident in the UK, it is entirely the Landlords responsibility to inform the Revenue & Customs of rental income received, and to pay any tax due. Where the Landlord is resident outside the UK during a tenancy, he will require an exemption certificate from the Revenue & Customs before he can receive rental balances without deduction of tax. Where we are managing the property we will provide advice and assistance on applying for such exemption.

It is most important that an inventory of contents and schedule of condition be prepared, in order to avoid misunderstanding or dispute at the end of a tenancy. Without such safeguards, it will be impossible for the Landlord to prove any loss, damage, or significant deterioration of the property or contents. In order to provide a complete Service, we will if required arrange for a member of staff to prepare an inventory and schedule of condition, at the cost quoted in our Agency Agreement.

Assured periodic tenancies (APTs) are rolling rental contracts with no fixed end date. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, they are the default tenancy type in England. They roll on indefinitely, with rent usually payable monthly, until either the tenant provides 2 months' notice or the landlord proves legal grounds for eviction.

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into effect on 6 April 2026 with the aim to improve the fire safety and evacuation of residents in specified residential buildings in England who would have difficulties evacuating a building by themselves in the event of a fire and or landlords of small flats in England were 2 or more flats that share a communal door (Please note for building over 11 meters high there are further regulations).

Communal Doors: Any door(s) leading onto a shared escape route (e.g., your blocks front entrance door or the door to your flats floor or a fire exit door from the building) must be a certified, self-closing fire door.

The Flat/Apartment front door must be a certified, self-closing fire door.

Escape Routes: You must ensure all stairs, corridors, and exits are kept completely clear of combustible materials and obstructions and you have an issue the tenant(s) new or current with a copy of the “flats” escape plan.

You can get a copies of the fire door certificates and fire plan from the freeholder or the management company, or you will need to produce one if you are the freeholder.

GAS - Annual gas safety check: Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 all gas appliances and flues in rented accommodation must be checked for safety at least every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. They must be maintained in a safe condition at all times.

Records kept for at least 2 years, (we would recommend that they are kept for the life of the tenancy) and a copy of the safety certificate given to the current tenant and each new tenant before their tenancy commences.

ELECTRICAL - Landlords in England are required to have the electrical installation in their rental properties checked by a qualified electrician to ensure that they are safe. This means that:

Electrical installations must be inspected and tested prior to the start of a new tenancy from 1st July 2020. Checks must be carried out on any existing tenancies by 1st April 2021. These checks must then be carried out on a five yearly basis.A copy of the most recent electrical safety condition report (EICR) must be provided to both new and retained tenants.

We can assist with this process, please contact us.

Landlords in England are required to have the electrical installation in their rental properties checked by a qualified electrician to ensure that they are safe. This means that:

Since 1st October 2008 landlords in England and Wales offering property for rent are required by law to provide prospective tenants with an Energy Performance Certificate for their property at the marketing stage.

From April 2018 rental properties with an EPC rating below and E grade cannot be advertised or rented until the minim efficiency rating is raised to E or above.

The certificates must be provided free either when (or before) any written information about the property is provided to prospective tenants or a viewing is conducted. An EPC is valid for 10 years. We can arrange an EPC inspection for our landlord clients upon request.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989 & 1993) provide that specified items supplied in the course of letting property must meet minimum fire resistance standards. The regulations apply to all upholstered furniture, beds, headboards and mattresses, sofa-beds, futons and other convertibles, nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows and non-original covers for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or furniture made before 1950, and certain other items. Non-compliant items must be removed before a tenancy commences.

Under the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm (England) regulations, landlords must install at least one smoke alarm on every storey of a rental property that is used as living accommodation, including any entrance hallways for flats and attic rooms.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms: A CO alarm must be equipped in any room that contains a fixed combustion appliance (like a gas boiler, gas fire, log burner, or open fire). Note: Gas cookers are excluded from this requirement. .

Once the tenancy begins, it is the tenant's responsibility to test the alarms regularly and change batteries when needed.

If a tenant reports a faulty alarm, the landlord must repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable. Alarms must be tested and working on day one of a tenancy, and landlords face fines of up to £5,000 if they fail to comply. .

If your property is on 3 or more levels and let to 5 or more tenants comprising 2 or more households (i.e. not all of the same family) it will be subject to mandatory licensing by your local authority. Whether mandatory licensing as above applies or not, if there are 3 or more tenants not all related in any property, it is still likely to be an HMO, and special Management rules will apply.

The HHSRS provides an analysis of how hazardous a property is through assessment of 29 potential hazards found in housing. Landlords have to maintain their properties to provide a safe and healthy environment. The HHSRS is enforced by local authorities.

All deposits taken by landlords and letting agents under Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) in England must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme. To avoid any disputes going to court, each scheme is supported by an alternative dispute resolution service (ADR). Landlords and letting agents can choose between two types of scheme; a single custodial scheme and two insurance-based schemes.

From October 2010, the Equality Act replaced much of the Disability Discrimination Act of 2005. However, the Disability Equality Duty in the DDA continues to apply. These Acts define disabled peoples rights in respect of premises that are let or to be let. Landlords and managers of let/to let premises are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

Under the renters rights act 2026 - It is illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants because they receive benefits (such as Universal Credit or housing) or have children. - There are bans on "No DSS" or "no children" property listings, or conditions in tenancy agreements or insurance policies that exclude these groups are unlawful.

Request for a pet - private tenants a statutory right to request to keep a pet, this must be done in writing and completion of a pet request form. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse, must respond in writing within 28 days.

Rental bidding — the practice of tenants offering, or being encouraged to offer, more than the advertised rent to secure a property—is strictly banned in the UK. Landlords must advertise properties at a fixed single price.

Rent in Advance - landlords are strictly prohibited from demanding or accepting any rent payments before a tenancy agreement has been signed. Once signed, the maximum upfront payment is capped at one month's rent. Landlords cannot ask tenants to pay rent before it falls due

These are just some of the points from the new act, You can see the full Renter Rights Act 2026 at gov.uk/rentersrights with an overview of fines for non-compliance

Our Fully Managed Service - Gold Level.

* Set up fee – charge once we have found a new tenent at the start of each new tenancy. - £249.00 excluding vat - £298.80 including vat.

the set up fee included the referancing and credit checks, prepare the tenancy agreement and written statement, tenant sanctions check and right to rent checks.

* Monthly charge for full management of the property. - 7% excluding vat - 8.4% including vat.

* Security Deposit Registration - Included in our gold service.

* Landlord Sanctions Check. - Included in our gold service.

* Smoke / Carbon Monoxide Alarms 1st check certificate. - Included in our gold service.

* Perpare a basic inventory and condition of standard. - Included in our gold service.

* Check-in with inventory. - Included in our gold service.

* Property Visits and reports to the landlord. - Included in our gold service.

* Rent Review and servce of section 13 notice on request. - Included in our gold service.

* Variation of contract for tenant. - Included in our gold service.

* Pet Request and pet agreement. - Included in our gold service.

* Check out and dilapidation report. - Included in our gold service.

* Depost claim. - Included in our gold service with a £6.00 solicitor fee if required .

* Full year end tax and vat statement.

OTHER FEES .

* Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every 5 years - Price depending on size of property

* Gas Certificate CP12 every year- Price depending on number of gas applaince in the property

* Energy Performace Certiciate (EPC) every 10 years - Price depending on size of property

* Management Takeover (moving your property from another agent). - £199.00 excluding vat - £238.80 including vat.

* Additional Property Visits - requested by landlord. - £30.00 excluding vat - £36.00 including vat.

* MTD quarterly statement - requested by landlord. - £10.00 excluding vat - £12.00 including vat per property.

LET ONLY FEES .

1) Let only upto £500.00pcm advertised rent. - £250.00 excluding vat - £300.00 including vat.

2) Let only upto £1000.00pcm advertised rent. - £300.00 excluding vat - £360.00 including vat.

3) Let only upto £2000.00pcm advertised rent. - £400.00 excluding vat - £480.00 including vat.

4) Let only over £2000.00pcm advertised rent. - £500.00 excluding vat - £600.00 including vat.

* Perpare a basic inventory and condition of standard upto 2 bedrooms. - £50.00 excluding vat - £60.00 including vat.

* Perpare a basic inventory and condition of standard upto 4 bedrooms. - £70.00 excluding vat - £84.00 including vat.

* Perpare a basic inventory and condition of standard over 4 bedrooms. - £90.00 excluding vat - £108.00 including vat.

* Lodgement of teanacy deposit and sevice of prescriptive information. - £40.00 excluding vat - £48.00 including vat.