Landlords

Letting's Brighton and Hove - Kendrick Property Services

Introduction

Kendrick Property Services, Letting Agents in Brighton and Hove, provides a range of letting and management services based on the experience, skills and expertise of our lettings team. You can be assured that we have a detailed understanding of the lettings and management sector and will ensure that you are given the best possible service.

Kendrick Property Services have an office in the centre of Brighton and have a dominant role in the Lettings market.  Kendrick Property Services have been established for over 12 years and our team of dedicated property professionals are able to provide up to date advice on market trends and valuations.  As one of the largest independent Sales and Letting agencies in the City, we understand the importance of providing a professional, personal and competitive service and the importance of effective marketing to enable us to achieve the best price for your property.  We advertise on all major property websites (rightmove, zoopla and primelocation) as well as our own which are all updated daily. 

Reputation is everything, most of our business comes through recommendation, here are a few testimonials from Landlords:

Dan W - Landlord "I am using Kendricks for my flat in Kemp Town. Awesome service so far. Can't recommend highly enough. Cheers guys."

We pride ourselves on retaining our client's through excellent service. Our record of success has been built upon a single-minded desire to provide our clients, with a top class personal service delivered by highly motivated and trained staff. A sign of this success is the large proportion of repeat business from referrals and satisfied clients who have recommended us to friends and family.

LETTING AGENTS BRIGHTON  – HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

After you choose a letting agent, you will have to prepare your house for the renting process.  You can do this by following a few guidelines.

These guidelines include the following:

•  Paint your interior walls a neutral color while keeping your carpets plain
•  If you use fabrics or furnishings, make sure they are high quality
•  Eliminate any animal odour in your house
•  Make sure you give a good first impression.  Keep your entryway clear and clean your front door(s).
•  Thoroughly clean your property.  Do this for both the inside and the outside
•  If it is cold outside, make sure you turn on the heat.  If it is warm, put on the air or open your windows.
•  Talk to your agent if you have any more concerns.
Additional considerations you should think about:
•  If your house is a leasehold, you will have to get permission from your lender before letting.
•  You should notify your insurance provider of your intention to let.  You then need to get an appropriate policy.   If you need help in this process, just ask us.
•  You must notify Inland Revenue of your intentions within six months of renting.  It does not matter if you are letting a house, flat or apartment, as all of them get charged taxes.  For further tax advice, consult with an accountant, they will teach you how to maximize your new investment.
•  If necessary, redirect your mail.
•  Make an extra copy of your keys.
•  All of your current utility accounts will need to be transferred to your tenant, this includes council tax.
•  Provide an inventory, we at Kendrick can help you in this process.  An inventory is a legal document that details the condition of the property, so, to prevent any problems at the end of the tenancy. The inventory has to be accurate and detailed, Kendrick Property Service's use a specialised outside company to do the inventory. Using an outside company will help if there are any disputes at the end of tenancy as the report will not be biased in anyway.

Tenancy Agreement – 1988, the UK initiated a Housing Act.

Through this legislation, two new forms of Tenancy were created:  Assured & Assured-Shorthold.  The existing tenancies of Company and Contractual remained as they were.

What are assured and shorthold tenancies?

These are the names of the commonest forms of arrangement for the renting of  houses and flats by private tenants. In their current form, they were introduced by the Housing Act 1988 but important changes were made by the Housing Act 1996 with effect from 28 February 1997.  In the legislation, the term “assured tenancy” covers both assured tenancies (sometimes called “full” or “ordinary” assured tenancies) and assured shorthold tenancies. For clarity, we will refer to assured tenancies and shorthold tenancies to highlight the important differences between the two.

An assured or shorthold tenancy is the usual form of letting if:

• you are a private tenant and your landlord is a private landlord
• the tenancy began on or after 15 January 1989
• the house or flat is let as separate accommodation and is your main home.

A tenancy will not be an assured or shorthold tenancy if:

• the tenancy began before 15 January 1989
• it is a business or holiday let
• no rent or a very low or very high rent is charged
• the landlord is a “resident landlord” (see section 1.2).

Assured and shorthold tenancies allow landlords to charge a full market rent, unlike previous forms of tenancy. Shorthold tenancies also allow landlords to let their property for a short period only and to get it back if they wish after six months.

Changes in the 1996 Act mean that:

• a new tenancy will automatically be a shorthold tenancy unless the landlord gives written notice that it will not be a shorthold tenancy
• the landlord has a right to possession if you owe at least two months’ or eight weeks’ rent (rather than three months’ or 13 weeks’ rent)
• it will be easier for the landlord to evict you if you cause a nuisance or annoyance to other local people
• if the landlord agrees a new or replacement shorthold tenancy with you, you have a right to a statement of the main details of the tenancy agreement if he or she does not provide a written agreement.

Under changes in the 1996 Act, if you are a new shorthold tenant, you will:

• only be able to refer your rent to a rent assessment committee during the first six months of the tenancy
• continue to have the right not to be evicted without a court order and to have the same rights as existing tenants to stay in the property.

Company Tenancy

Contract law determines how company tenancy works.  As such, it does not fall under the housing legislation of 1988 or 1996.  Basically, company tenancy occurs when private or public limited companies want to create tenancies.  Partnerships and sole traders are excluded.

In this arrangement, you will not have tenure security as the rent is usually made in quarterly installments.

Finding Tenants

Letting your property can be a complex, demanding process. We’re here to take the stress out of being a landlord, ensuring you maximise rental income while walking you through financial and legal obligations. We will provide you with a valuation which will be determined by a number of factors ranging from popularity to the property’s decorative conditions.  Your property is advertised on all major property websites. Not only that, it will it be featured in our Brighton Office. 

Credit Checks and Reference Checks

We are very careful with the tenants we take. We arrange for referencing to be carried out which would include a landlord reference check, employer reference and credit checks on all prospective tenants and if need be, take a Guarantor whom has to be a UK property owner.  If the applicant does not meet our standards, we have the right to reject their tenancy.

Along those lines, we can also help you get an insurance policy that will protect you in the event the tenant defaults on their rent.  These policies provide both financial and legal safeguards.

Deposits

The deposit we request is equal to 5 weeks rent.  These monies will be protected under the DPS rules if Kendrick Property Services manage the property.  Once the tenant leaves, we will arrange a check out inspection and if everything is appropriate, we will issue a refund to your tenant. If there are issues, we will arrange for contractors to carry out any repairs/cleaning and this will be deducted from the tenants deposit.

Rent Collection

Rent is usually paid monthly by standing order directly to Kendrick's if we are managing the property. We then pay the Landlord minus our commission and any deductions for repairs if necessary.

Legal Duties

As per the common law, you have to make sure your homes are safe to live in.  Doing otherwise is a criminal offence. As a managing agent, we will help you make sure your property is up to standard.  

Gas Installation – If your property runs on gas, you must maintain the installation.  To do so, you need to get safety checks from a Gas Safe Engineer and if the gas lines are working appropriately and safely, you will be issued with a certificate.

Electricity

You must make sure that all of the electrical wiring in your house is safe.  If there is a non-repairable component, it must be removed immediately. An NICEIC electrician can test your wiring.  You should do this each time there is a change in tenancy. All of the operating instructions for any appliances should be left on the premises.

Furnishings

The majority of tenants prefer that their houses be unfurnished.  Also, studies have shown that tenants actually take care of the property better if they are allowed to use their own furniture.  Moreover, there is very little difference when it comes to rent.  But with a furnished house, the landlord must fix or replace anything that breaks down.   The only exception is if the tenant destroys your furnishing.  Any soft furnishings have to meet fire standards.  They should have a label confirming such a fact.  If you cannot prove compliance, you must replace the furniture. 

Smoke Detectors

You are legally required to have a smoke detector in your property.  They should be on each floor of your property.

NB: If you do not comply with the UK’s safety legislation, you could face a fine and/or imprisonment.  This is applied towards each offence.  If your actions result in death or injury, you could suffer a harsher sentence.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs ) and Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

The above legislation came into force on 6 April 2006, will classify a property as an HMO requiring mandatory licensing where it is part of a building which has 3 or more storeys and is occupied by 5 or more people who form more the one household.

Additional HMO Licensing

Additional licensing will apply in the following five wards in Brighton & Hove: Hanover & Elm Grove, Moulsecoombe & Bevendean, St Peter's & North Laine, Hollingdean & Stanmer, Queen's Park. It will apply to smaller houses in multiple occupation, consisting of two or more storeys, with three or more occupiers from two or more households sharing facilities.

Individual authorities have the power to set prescribed licensing as set out in the above act. Penalties occurred with not having applied for the license could attract a fine of up to £20,000; therefore if your property applies it is essential to contact your local authorities to register your property. If you wish for Kendrick Property Services to help with the registration there will be a fee of £50.00 plus VAT.

Overseas Landlord

If you live in another country or you are out of the country for more than 6 months of the year, you fall into this category. The taxes of Inland Revenue apply to anyone letting property in the United Kingdom, it does not matter if you are not a citizen.  You must apply for a certificate from the Inland Revenue to receive rental with no tax deducted, you will need to complete an NRL1 form to receive the certificate.

NB: Again, the advice mentioned above is meant to serve as a basic guideline.   Talk with a tax expert or an accountant before making any final decisions.

Letting Agents Brighton – A Brief Overview of our Services:

1. Advising as to the likely rental income and providing information how to let your property.
2. Marketing (on all major websites), advertising and conducting viewing of the property.
3.  Interviewing prospective tenants and taking up full references including employer or previous landlord character reference. Where necessary, additional security would be requested by means of a guarantor. In the case of a company, a full bank reference would be taken.
4. Preparing the Tenancy Agreement necessary for the Landlord to gain protection of the relevant Rent and Housing Acts, and renewing the Agreement where necessary at the end of the Term.
5.Taking a deposit from the tenant to either be held and protected by the Agent or lodged with The Deposit Protection Service until the end of the tenancy when the Property and contents have been checked for unfair wear and tear. 
6.  Collecting the rent monthly and paying over to the Landlord monthly (normally sent within 5 days of collection) less any fees or expenses due or incurred for the period. Payments will be made by direct bank transfer and a detailed rent statement will be forwarded to the Landlord.
7. Arranging the Inventory and Schedule of Condition.
8. Regular inspections of the Property are carried out. Responsibility for management of empty a property is not normally included, and will only be carried out by special arrangement.
9. Co-ordination of repair or maintenance including arranging for tradesmen to attend the Property and obtaining estimates where necessary, supervising works and settling accounts from rents received.
10. Making payments on behalf of the Landlord from rents received for costs in managing the property.
11. Carrying out a full property inspection and inventory check at the end of the tenancy and dealing with  matters relating to unfair wear and tear before releasing the tenant's deposit.
12. Optional extra. Access to Landlords online where Landlords are able to view all their property portfolio rental accounts and details online.
13.  Advise on buy to let's and help if you wish to increase your property portfolio.

LANDLORD FEE'S

For more information on our range of services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

STANDARD MANAGEMENT

SCALE OF FEES (Inclusive of VAT at the current rate of 20%. Percentages are plus VAT)

Standard Management Fee - 10% of rent due

Additional Fee's

Initial Tenancy Set-up Fee - £120.00

Tenancy Renewal - £120.00

Obtaining estimates and supervision of major works - 10% of cost of work over £500

Registration of security deposit - £90.00

EPC (If required) - £100.00

LETTING AND RENTAL COLLECTION SERVICE

SCALE OF FEES  (Inclusive of VAT at the current rate of  20%. Percentages are plus VAT)

Rent Collection Fee - 8% of rent due

Additional Fee's

Initial Tenancy Set-up Fee - £120.00

Tenancy Renewal - £120.00

Registration of security deposit - £90.00

EPC (If required) - £100.00

INTRODUCTION ONLY SERVICE

The fee for the Letting Service is 2.5 weeks rental + VAT for the term of the tenancy subject to a minimum fee of £360.00 (Inc VAT).  If you wish Kendrick Property Services to provide an inventory, please see inventory section fee's

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