Landlord Information |
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A quick guide to renting a property
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Whether you are looking to rent your property out short term whilst working away from home, or wishing to set up a permanent rental agreement, this guide is sure to be of assistance. The prospect of letting a property is a new experience to many and it is our aim to try and make the complexities a little easier to understand. The days when tenants would accept any accommodation available are long gone. Today property must be packaged with care if it is to be let consistently and cared for. First impressions count and landlords should make sure that external paint work is well maintained and that their property is spotless and gleaming. We would recommend that your property is let unfurnished, local market conditions dictate this and, curiously, there is no difference in rental value between furnished and unfurnished property. Inside, we would recommend going for neutral colours, perhaps off-whites such as cream or magnolia, and carpets should not be patterned, but be plain and, again, be in a neutral shade. Curtains should not be skimped on. Lined ones are best and at the moment tenants seem to favour curtain poles as opposed to curtain rails. Venetian blinds are not only currently in fashion, but they are also hard-wearing and easy to care for. If the property has a garden, or even a courtyard, it should be tidy and well kept. In our Tenancy Agreements it clearly states that the tenant will be held responsible for the future maintenance and upkeep. We pride ourselves on our personal service and so we would naturally be pleased to meet with you to discuss your plans - just give us a ring or visit our office. |
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Landlords' safety requirements
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| There are a number of legal requirements, primarily concerning the health and safety of the tenant, that directly affect landlords who are considering letting their property. These are summarised below and we strongly recommended that you familiarise yourself with the regulations and ensure that your property complies with them. This is important as the penalties for non-compliance are steep and severe. The rules are largely a matter of common sense and it is likely that you will find your property already meets the required standards. Our team will be pleased to answer any queries that you may have. | |||||
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Furniture & furnishing
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This legislation defines certain standards and tests that are applied to (mainly) foam-filled furniture and as applied to manufacturers and importers of furniture from 1st November 1988. From 1st March 1990 the legislation was extended to retailers of new furniture and from 1st March 1993 to retailers of second-hand furniture. An amendment to the regulations in 1993 made it an offence to hire out non-compliant furniture in the course of business and this includes landlords letting furnished accommodation. Any furniture that you supply must therefore meet the fire-resistance requirements. If your furniture was manufactured or imported new since 1st November 1988 it will almost certainly comply and should bear a green-edged label with a picture of a cigarette and match to confirm its fire resistance. If you are unable to obtain confirmation of its fire resistance you should remove it from the property prior to the commencement of the tenancy. Furniture and furnishing to which the regulations apply include beds, mattresses, headboards, suites, seat pads, cushions, pillows and loose or stretch covers. Failure to comply with the regulations may lead to a prosecution with penalties of imprisonment or fines up to £5000.00 |
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Gas safety
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Regulation 35 of the approved code of practice imposes a duty on landlords to ensure that any gas appliances in a rented property are maintained in a safe condition to prevent risk of injury to any person. More particularly each gas appliance must be checked for safety at intervals of not more than twelve months by a CORGI registered gas fitter. Landlords should maintain a good record of when each gas appliance was checked, the defects found (if any) and the remedial action taken. This record in the form of a "Landlords Gas Safety Certificate" should be made available to the tenants on moving in to the property within 28 days of the annual inspection being carried out. PLEASE NOTE that under our terms of business we consider that it is the landlord's responsibility to ensure that these safety checks are carried out. We have been able to negotiate favourable rates with a local CORGI registered firm and, on receipt of your written instructions, will be pleased to arrange safety checks on your behalf. Failure to comply with these regulations may lead to a prosecution with penalties of imprisonment or fines upto £25,000.00. |
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Electrical equipment
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These regulations cover all mains voltage household electrical goods including cookers, kettles, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, immersion heaters etc. and impose an obligation on the landlord to ensure that such items are safe so that there is no risk of injury or death to humans or pets or risk of damage to the property. In practice, unless you are aware of any particular fault with an appliance, it is difficult to ensure that it is safe. Any non-working appliance should be removed from the property prior to the commencement of the tenancy. There is currently no obligation to the landlord to provide a smoke alarm. However, where one is provided the landlord is required to ensure that it is maintained in working order at all times. Failure to comply with the regulations may lead to prosecution with penalties of imprisonment or fines up to £5000.00. |
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Lettings & Estate Management
Haig House, Station Road
Hastings, East Sussex,
TN34 1NH.
Telephone: 01424 446644
Fax: 01424 440440
Letting opening hours:
Monday to
Friday: 9.00am to 5.30pm Saturday: 9.00am to 3.00pm
info@oakfield-property.co.uk 
