Our managed service:
Our managed service is our most popular service as we take on the day-to-day management of the property as well as ensuring compliance with legislation for both properties and tenants. This removes unnecessary stress for landlords and is also a great solution for overseas landlords. Our aim is to find the right tenant for the property as well as minimising any rental voids during the year. The managed service includes all the benefits of the let only service, plus the additional below:
Photo inventories and deposit protection:
We carry out thorough photo and written inventories as part of our managed service and we have found this to be the best way in minimising any disputes at the end of the tenancy. We also take relevant meter readings and notify utility suppliers and the council at the start and end of each tenancy. We then request void period bills to be sent to our office and payment for these bills are deducted from the rent.
For deposits for managed properties, we register the deposits with Tenancy Deposit Scheme on behalf of the landlords. We have found this scheme to be the easiest for both registering, and for any possible disputes at the end of the tenancy, however, should a landlord prefer an alternative scheme, we can compile a tenancy agreement to reflect this.
Regular property inspections:
Conducting regular property inspections is vital for keeping both tenants and landlords happy throughout the tenancy, as well as ensuring we have a good record of all maintenance issues. This means that when deposits are released at the end of the tenancy, it is easier to reach an agreement between the parties as we will have been in regular contact throughout the tenancy. We carry out an initial inspection of the property 6-8 weeks after the tenant has moved in to see how they have settled in, and how they are keeping the property. We then carry out inspections approximately every 6 months throughout the remainder of the tenancy.
Property maintenance and refurbishment:
We have an excellent team of experienced local contractors, most of whom have worked with us for many years. All our contractors are thoroughly vetted and are required to supply us with copies of their professional indemnity and public liability insurance. We aim to respond to all maintenance queries from tenants in a prompt manner and as we hold keys for our managed properties, access is easily arranged. We are also flexible with landlord’s preferences for property maintenance, for example, using own contractors, or setting a budget for carrying out maintenance.
For our managed properties, we are also happy to help with preparing the property for re-letting. This covers any task from minor maintenance to full refurbishments, and we liaise with both landlords and contractors to discuss quotes and agree suitable timeframes. Finally, we are very lucky to have an excellent out-of-hours contractor, who can attend to emergency callouts outside of our office hours.
Rent collection and arrears control:
Rent is paid to us each month by the tenant. We will subtract our fees, along with any costs on the property, and then pay the balance directly into your account by BACS transfer. You will also be emailed a statement every month detailing income and expenditure. We are very thorough in our referencing checks before a tenant moves in, such as asking for 3 months’ bank statements and gaining satisfactory landlord and employer references. This allows us to gain a good insight into how the prospective tenant will be in terms of paying rent. However, if arrears start to accumulate, we have a set procedure to recover them and as a result we have few rent arrears across tenancies.
Move out process:
We complete a full move out inspection of the property once the tenancy has ended and the tenant has returned the keys to our office. Any discrepancies with the original inventory or with how the property is left, will be raised with both the tenant and the landlord, and we can then arrange any deductions from the deposit. The dispute part of the process is the most difficult part of renting out a property, and our experience, thorough communication, and regular inspections throughout the tenancy make the managed service extremely favourable to landlords.
Lettings Brochure:
For any queries about our Lettings or Management services contact our office on 0121 442 2049 or email [email protected]