Sali Brown, Managing Director of Chelton Brown, with the first in a series of articles about renting out a property and the benefits of the service of a lettings agency.
RESIDENTIAL tenants in the UK have a very high level of protection from unreasonable interference and harassment, afforded to them by law and custom. Where a landlord lets a property to a tenant they will give up much of their control of the property for the tenancy term. Access to the property can only be achieved on seeking the tenant’s permission, unless it is an emergency, and tenants can only be removed from a property with a court order, unless they leave of their own accord.
Landlords are encouraged to use our services for a number of reasons including:
Accreditation – We are not required to obtain a licence by law, but we are members of ARLA which offers a code of conduct and protection for client money.
Experience – We have over many years of experience in the industry and local area. We can advise on how to maximise on rental returns and what properties are in high demand.
Training – We regularly attend seminars and workshops to ensure that we are familiar with all the changes in the law that affect our industry. This knowledge assists us to ensure that our clients are complying with the law and keeping their tenants safe.
Redress Schemes – We aim to offer clients an exceptional service but where things go wrong we offer a free redress scheme with The Property Ombudsman.
Costs – A list of fees can be viewed in all our offices for both landlords and tenants so that they can see what they are being charged.
The private rental sector is subject to a huge increase in legislation and will continue into the foreseeable future. It is possible that other regulations will be introduced at relatively short notice.
For instance, landlords in England are obliged to check the immigration status of their tenants. In order to comply with the requirement landlords should carry out checks on all adult tenants prior to granting a tenancy. There is a civil penalty for failing to adhere to the requirement is up to £3,000 per individual who is in a property unlawfully. From December 2016 these penalties will be increased to include prison sentences and unlimited fines.
Landlords can help guard against being caught out by such changes by using a high quality professional agent who will stay on top of the legislation.
Contact Chelton Brown on 01604 603433 or 01327 879431 or visit the website www.cheltonbrown.co.uk