Renters Rights Bill

We recommend that your property is thoroughly inspected prior to the start of each tenancy.

You are responsible for ensuring that the following items are in good working order, and that they are repaired and maintained as required.

• Structure and roof
• Plumbing
• Electrics
• Gas - A Gas Safety Record is required for any gas central heating system, gas supply and gas appliances. This must be current. We can arrange this on your behalf
• Electric – An electrical certificate is required  since July 2020 in order to rent your property out.  This must show a satisfactory report and be in date.  Along with the gas certificate this will be required on all new tenancies and renewal of tenancies also.
• Legionnaires Disease Risk Assessment - A legionnaires disease risk assessment is required to be carried out by a compentent person. We can arrange this on your behalf
• Appliances - It is recommended that you supply white goods to the property, including washing machine, cooker, fridge and freezer. All appliances should have operating manuals
• Furniture - It is your choice to rent your property furnished, or unfurnished, but any furniture supplied must meet the current fire regulations
• Licensing - In many areas now a license is required for properties let.  These licences range from selective licences through to additional and HMO licences.  Kings Lettings are familiar with all licences required for all areas we operate in.  Please note failure to comply will result in fines being implemented by local councils.  It is vital you keep up to date with licencing regulations – should you require any assistance on obtaining a licence Kings Lettings are able to offer a service for obtaining this for you at a competitive price.  Please enquire within should you wish to discuss this option.

If the property is Leasehold, the landlord is responsible for all service and maintenance charges.

The tenant is responsible for repairs if damage occurs due to negligence on their part.

It is the Landlord's responsibility to ensure that the property is in a clean and habitable condition prior to commencement of the tenancy. It is the tenant's responsibility to maintain the standard of cleanliness thereafter.

It is worth considering if your property would benefit from redecoration. Sometimes paintwork can look tired after a couple of years so it is usually worth investing in a few tins of neutral-coloured paint to freshen the place up. It is also worth making any minor repairs and cleaning carpets. The Landlord should also ensure that the garden is in a good state prior to the tenancy. The responsibility for the garden is then passed over to the tenant.

A small amount of expenditure can reap significant benefits and, ultimately, make your property much more rentable.

Tenants are not allowed to redecorate during the tenancy unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Landlord.

If you use our Full Managed service, we will carry out regular inspections to ensure that the property is being kept clean.

The inventory records a description of the following items, with details of their condition:

• All furniture to be left in the property
• Wall coverings
• Carpets
• Curtains

On the day of moving into the property, the tenant will be given an inventory, if you arrange your own you must provide this to Kings Lettings to forward to your tenant.  The tenant will have 14 days to read this, and sign it/return to us.  If it is not returned within this time frame the inventory given will be deemed acceptable and no future alterations can be made by the tenant.

When a tenant vacates a property, the inventory is used to make an accurate assessment of any damage.

We must stress the importance of having a professional inventory carried out prior to letting out your property. All deposits now have to be placed in an Approved Deposit Scheme. Should there be a dispute at the end of the tenancy and you feel that the deposit should be retained, an inventory will provide a vital piece of evidence to substantiate your claim. The cost of an inventory is minimal in comparison to the cost of having to refund a deposit if your property has been damaged.

The cost of a professional inventory is included within the cost of our Full Managed Service, but should you opt for another service, we can organise this for you at a very competitive price.

It is the responsibility of the Landlord to take out building insurance. When taking out a policy, you must make your insurance company aware that the property is rented.

If your property is furnished, you will also want to take out contents insurance for the items belonging to you. The tenant is then responsible for insuring their own personal items.

If you choose to provide rental hire items within the property, you are responsible for all rental hire payments and hire purchase instalments during the period of the tenancy. You should ensure that any such items are covered to an appropriate level.

We are happy to discuss your insurance requirements with you.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) give information on how to make your property more energy efficient in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

If you are selling or renting a property, you need an EPC by law. The EPC provides ‘A’ to ‘G’ ratings for the building, with ‘A’ being most energy efficient and ‘G’ being least efficient, with the average energy efficiency and CO2 rating ‘D’.

In order to rent your property out your EPC must provide a reading no lower than an E rating.  F or G will not be acceptable to rent your property out.

Your EPC report will include recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of your property, such as improving your level of loft insulation. There is no obligation for you to act on these recommendations, but a good energy efficiency rating will make your property more attractive to tenants.

We are happy to help you arrange an EPC.

We market properties to tenants through the most popular property portals including RightMove and Zoopla. Your property will also appear on our own website, in our offices, and we will display one of our distinctive ‘To Let’ boards.

We often have tenants waiting for properties in specific areas, so will also contact these individuals on your behalf.

The high level of demand from tenants shows no signs of abating. The younger generation are opting to rent due to difficulties in financing the purchase of a property. We are also seeing older people choosing to sell their home and switch to renting as a means of maintaining their lifestyle in retirement.

The properties that rent fastest are those that are well-presented, with modern white goods and neutral furnishings. We are happy to advise you on changes that you could make to your property to ensure it is attractive to the widest possible range of tenants.

The choice of tenant is central to delivering a smooth tenancy.

We appoint a Professional Referencing Agency on your behalf to carry out references, including a Credit Check.

If you require more in depth references, these are available at an additional charge. We’ll be happy to advise you further on this.

If the references show the tenant to be unsuitable, we will actively search for and find an alternative tenant.

We recommend that you meet your tenant prior to the agreement being signed, and can arrange for this meeting to take place either at your property, or in our offices.

Many people see their pets as an extension of their family and having a pet does not always make them bad tenants. With the right level of expectation, agreed by both parties, this may not be an issue. Permitting a cat or small dog to reside in your property could help you to seal the deal with a reliable tenant. You can always agree a higher rent for tenants with pets, this is called pet rent and is normally agreed on each individual pet – please speak to a member of staff for further clarification on this.

There are solid reasons for considering a Local Housing Allowance (LHA) tenant. We have been dealing with the Local Authorities for many years and have many LHA tenants who have renewed their tenancies time and time again. With the right Property Management and process, the majority of these tenancies are issue-free and there is no difference between these and private tenancies. Please let us know if you would like to find out more.

Here’s a checklist to consider before letting your property.

• Landlord’s Consent: It is essential that the Landlord obtains the necessary consent, where applicable, for example from the bank, a building society or head lessor. This should be done prior to letting the property in order to avoid any delay. We will need to hold a copy on file
• You’ll need to inform your mortgage lender
• Ensure you take meter readings (we can do this for you if required) and inform your utility companies. When the tenancy starts, the services will change over to the tenant's name, with the appropriate meter readings. The Landlord should not have the utilities disconnected
• Redirect your mail
• Inform Sky or any other media suppliers
• You’ll need to tell your Buildings and Contents Insurers that the property is being rented

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement will be signed by the Landlord prior to the commencement of the tenancy and signed by the Tenant just prior to moving in. The agreement is legally binding and an enforceable document. The terms set out in it are not flexible and must be strictly adhered to by both parties. If, once the original term has ended, a renewal is required by the Landlord and the Tenant, then a further agreement is drawn up.

The Agreement covers:

• Rent: Once the rent has been agreed, it will remain at the same level throughout the term of tenancy
• Furniture and furnishings which the Landlord has agreed to leave, as long as these are detailed in the inventory
• Inspections: The Landlord is allowed to inspect the property but only by prior appointment and giving at least 48 hours’ notice. If you choose to use our Full Managed Service, we will carry out regular property inspections on your behalf
• The length of the tenancy and notice period: The tenant may occupy a property on the day the tenancy commences and should vacate it the day that the agreement terminates. The Tenancy Agreement will specify the term of the contract, which is usually 6 or 12 months. By signing the Tenancy Agreement, both parties are committing to the specific term stated. Should either party wish to terminate early, then agreement has to be reached that both parties are happy to do so. Confirmation in writing from both parties is required by the Agent. We recommend a minimum notice period of 2 months
• The date and frequency of the rental payments

Once the Tenancy Agreement is signed, the first month’s rent and the dilapidations deposit will be paid. If an inventory is supplied, this will be checked and signed by the tenant.

The Landlord will receive a copy of the Tenancy Agreement. You should check if there are any adjustments and ensure that you are happy with the details contained within the inventory.

By law, all tenants' deposits must be held in an approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme in order to provide a fair and equitable way of agreeing the return of deposits to tenants. This provides a mechanism for both the protection of the Landlord and the tenant, should a dispute arise in relation to the tenancy.

Kings are members of an approved scheme (TDS).  All tenants deposits are transferred to a separate client account and we will hold the deposits under the TDS insured scheme until such time as the tenancy reaches a termination. If the property is left in an acceptable condition, the deposit will be returned to the tenant.

Tenancy deposit protection legislation was introduced to protect the rights of tenants by ensuring deductions from deposits are genuine. The onus is on the Landlord to show that any money being withheld is for a good reason. If the landlord cannot provide evidence of damage or failure to clean, tenancy deposit protection schemes will often have no choice but to act in favour of the tenant. For this reason, we recommend a thorough professional inventory and regular inspections (part of our Full Managed Service), so that there is adequate evidence in the instance that you need to withhold some or all of the deposit.

The vast majority of our tenancies end harmoniously, but if there are problems and the Landlord wishes to withhold the deposit, the case is handed to the TDS, who arbitrate in this situation. Kings are not allowed to be involved in any such arbitration, should it reach this stage.

In January 2009, the TDS announced that they would not offer protection to Landlords and tenants who had used agents who were not members of a recognised trade body. Kings are members of both ARLA and the NAEA. We would strongly advise that any prospective landlords check the accreditation of any Letting Agents before entering into a contract.

If repairs or maintenance issues arise, we will normally arrange for one of our vetted tradespeople to carry out the work required. All trades are checked for competence and price competitiveness. Whilst we have confidence in our contractors, as they are not Kings Group employees, we cannot be held responsible for their actions.

If a Landlord wishes to use a specific contractor, we require the name, address and telephone number.

We require tenants to pay their rent on time to Kings Lettings. We can either issue a cheque to you, or transfer rent directly into your bank account via BACS, within 3-5 days of payment by the tenant. A statement will be forwarded to you on the day on which rent is processed.

Whilst we make every effort to put the right tenant in your property, on occasion there can be issues with the receipt of payment. Our Property Managers ensure they are in regular contact with your tenant, so they know in advance if there is likely to be a problem, but in some circumstances, we are unable to resolve issues with a polite phone call.

To give you complete peace of mind, our Full Managed Service includes a Rent Warranty Policy. This covers you in the instance that rent is not paid, and also covers legal expenses, to assist with the legal eviction of tenants due to rent arrears.

The terms and conditions of the Rent Warranty product provider will apply. Please consult the product provider’s literature for details as Kings cannot be held responsible for third party terms and conditions.