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Rent Your House: Letting your property through an agent

Landlord’s Guide

Our goal is to ensure that our landlords do not have void rental periods, as these can eat into their returns. This guide follows the journey involved in letting and renting out your property step by step.

1. Rental valuation & appraisal

In the first instance you will require a rental appraisal on your property. There are many factors that will need to be considered, our experienced client managers will be able to talk you through these and provide an accurate current rental market value. It is important to us to find you the right tenant as quickly as possible and achieve the very best possible price for you. In the majority of cases the full quoted rental price of our properties is achieved.

2. Decide which property management services you require

Your client manager will discuss your own personal requirements with you to find which of our property management service levels is best for you and help you to reach a fully informed decision. Our management service levels are available here, with a more detailed breakdown in our terms of business. Many tenants, especially corporate tenants are ideally looking for fully managed properties, so this would be worth considering when making your decision.

Fees to: Landlords menu of charges PDF

3. Work on presentation

Our experienced client managers will be able to advise the best way to present your property. First impressions do count, any maintenance should be completed and a neutral décor throughout is recommended.

4. Prepare your property to rent

You will need to ensure that the property complies with safety regulations. A valid Gas Safety Certificate will be required if you have any gas appliances at the property. A full wiring check should also be carried out every five years with PAT testing of any appliances on an annual basis. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) amendment Regulations 1993 must be adhered to if you are leaving any furnishings. Carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms should be fitted at the property alongside conducting a fire safety risk assessment. As part of your managed property letting agreement with us we can organise all of this for you.

5. Marketing your property

Comprehensive marketing details will be prepared to attract the right tenant for you. These will include professional photos, floorplan and property description. These details will made available on our website and, of course, all best performing web portals. You will also have the opportunity to appear in our ever-popular GU Newspaper which is delivered to 87,000 local households and businesses. A member of our highly trained lettings team will accompany all viewings and provide you with the feedback. We will take clear instruction from yourself to ensure that the tenants considered for your home meet your criteria, i.e. will you consider pets?

6. Receiving and agreeing a rental offer for your house

We will communicate the details of all offers received to you along with helpful background information regarding the tenant and their tenancy requirements, i.e how long they intend to stay and any other factor that may help you reach a decision, we will always advise you of any concerns we may have regarding the proposed tenant. We will always negotiate the best possible rental price.

7. Review tenants references

The tenants will have to pay the referencing and administration fees once the tenancy offer has been agreed. When this is all in place the file will pass to our move coordinator to commence with the referencing process. Once you have had the opportunity to review the reference conclusion and authorised the next stage of the tenancy we shall collect the deposit and the first month’s rent.

8. The tenancy agreement

We will prepare the tenancy agreement once all the tenants’ monies have been received and email a copy to you for your approval. We will also register your tenants deposit with the TDS and forward a copy of the certificate to both yourself and the tenant. The tenant will sign the tenancy agreement in the office along with all the supporting documents. We will sign on your behalf to save you any inconvenience.

9. Inventory and condition report

Prior to the commencement of the tenancy when the property has been fully prepared we will arrange for an independent inventory company to prepare a full inventory and condition report. This record is essential in order to accurately assess any deductions from the tenant’s deposit at the end of the tenancy and to alleviate any potential disputes.

10. Tenant’s check in

Your tenants will be guided though their report by the inventory clerk at the property when they check in and asked to confirm their agreement by signing the document. Any outstanding monies will be transferred to yourself after check in has taken place.