6 Month Short Assured Tenancy - Schedule of Fees & Charges
The following information sets out how we can can rent your property quickly and efficiently:-
Our services include
• Locating tenant
• Employer & Landlord references
• Organisation of a 6 month short assured tenancy agreement drawn up by our solicitors.
• Advertising in our office window
• Adverising on our Website & Related Websites
Advertising in newspapers where applicable
Our fee is 12.5% of the monthly rental income and includes the following services:
• Tenant Search
• Property Viewings
• Organisation of Safety Checks
• Receiving & Managing rental income
• Accounting to you via Monthly Rent Statement
• General problem solving in relation to the tenancy
Third Party Obligatory Annual Costs:
o Landlord Registration with East Lothian Council. [£60 approx]
o Landlord’s Gas Safety Check [£60 approx]
o Portable Appliance Test, PAT Electrical Safety Check [£2.50 per item with a minimum charge of £25]
The safety checks need to be completed by a qualified technician.
A management fee of £20.00 per hour, or part thereof, is chargeable on extraordinary time spent by the agent on additional services and includes the following:
o Emergency call outs
o Supervision of officials requiring access to the property for whatever purpose
o Organisation of repairs
o Organisation & supply of such items as cleaning agents, light bulbs, batteries etc
o Purchasing replacement items of crockery, lamps etc
o Arranging for redecoration and refurnishing on owners’ instructions
Additional chargeable services:
o Payment of household bills. [Council Tax, TV License, Utilities]
o Weekly / Monthly maintenance Visits [if you are unable to visit your property regularly when it is vacant]
o Supervision of Annual Spring Clean
o Smoke Alarm Maintenance
o Winter Heating
Advice for landlords
There are many reasons why letting your property is a good idea. You can lose more than £5,000 a year by keeping a home empty through rent loss, council tax payments, insurance, dilapidation and security measures. There is also the risk of vandalism and squatting.
Legal rights and obligations
The length of the tenancy agreement is up to you to agree with your tenant. You can agree that it should last for a set period, known as a "fixed term", or you can leave it open-ended.
There are four elements to a shorthold tenancy:
1. You have a guaranteed right to get your home back after six months if you need to
2. You can charge a "market rate" for rent; that is the going rate for a similar property in the area
3. You can get your home back if your tenant owes you at least two months rent
4. You can evict tenants who cause a nuisance to local people
You are entitled to end the tenancy without giving a reason at any time after six months, provided any fixed term you have agreed has ended. You must give your tenant at least two months' written notice if you want your property back. If your tenant refuses to leave, you cannot evict them yourself, but you can apply to the county court to do so.
Responsibilities
Landlords are generally responsible for the maintenance and major repairs to a property. This includes repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water installations, basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary installations.
You must keep a record of the safety checks and, usually, you must issue it to the occupier within 28 days of each annual check. The occupier is responsible for maintaining gas appliances which they own.
By law, you must ensure that the electrical system and any electrical appliances supplied with the let such as cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and immersion heaters are safe to use. If you are supplying new appliances, you should also provide any accompanying instruction booklets.
If you supply furniture or furnishings with the let, you must ensure that they meet the fire resistance requirements, sometimes known as the "match test" in the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1988.
Multiple occupation
If you are planning to let your property out to more than three tenants from more than three families, you must have a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence. If you are not sure whether you need a licence for your property, you should contact your local authority for advice.
The application for an HMO licence must be made by the owner, even if the property is leased to or managed by another person or organisation. If the day-to-day management of the property is carried out by someone other than you, the owner, they will be named on the licence as a joint licence holder.
If you are sure that letting your property is the right route for you to take, contact your local authority for a licence application form and information about the procedure and the standards you will need to meet.