Guide to Letting Property

First of all, you will need to arrange an up to date Market Appraisal to ascertain the value of your property.

We will be delighted to carry this out for you, completely free of charge!

The appointment often lasts between 30 – 60 minutes, during this time we will discuss honest values, other comparable properties that have recently been let and the rents achieved, and advise you how to achieve the highest income, within a timescale that suits you.

We will also talk about our different service levels, our processes to ensure you are fully compliant with the law and our top tips to find you the perfect Tenant with a stress and hassle free experience.

Furthermore, we will give you an introduction to our company, team and reasons why you should choose us to look after your property.

If you are interested in having an up to date and free Market Appraisal or would like more information on Letting, please contact us. Alternatively, click on our Instant Valuation Tool to receive a price instantly!

We pride ourselves on our flexible and affordable services, we offer 4 tiers to suit your requirements and most importantly your budget.

Naturally, we always suggest opting for our Full Management Service as this is our most comprehensive service and will offer you the highest level of protection.

Our service levels include:

Full Management - This is our most popular service and even Landlords with plenty of experience and multiple properties still choose this service for peace of mind. We manage everything on your behalf and liaise directly between yourself and the Tenant with any day to day maintenance issues as well as renewing your contracts and making sure you are complying with the law.

Rent Collection - This is our mid range service; we will find you the Tenant in the first instance and make sure you have completed your legal obligations. Going forward we manage the collection of the rent only and you will be responsible for the day to day management as well as keeping on top of your legal obligations.

Find a Tenant - This is our lowest level, we find you a Tenant, set everything up and then its over to you to manage the day to day tasks as well as collecting the rent and the legal requirements for letting.

Ad Hoc / Bespoke Services – We also provide a tailored service whereby you can choose which services you require depending on your needs. For example, if you already have a Tenant lined up, we can prepare any Tenancy documents, such as an Inventory Reports, Tenancy Agreements or holding a Deposit.

If you would like more details on any of our services, please get in touch, our team would be thrilled to help you.

Taking your time, doing your research and choosing the right Letting Agent could save you a lot of money in the long run!

You need to choose a company you can trust, who will act quickly, effectively and with the utmost integrity. Not to mention a company with experience, qualifications, excellent reviews and recognised by professional redress schemes.

At Whitlocks, we always have your best interests at the forefront of our minds! We are proud to be recognised for providing our Landlords and Tenants with a 5 Star service, we have been accredited by ARLA for our work within the Lettings industry and have all the necessary knowledge and experience to ensure you receive the very best service.

We have let and managed properties for over 28 years and have many long standing Tenants and Landlords who often say we are the best Letting Agent they have ever dealt with!

After you have appointed us as your Letting Agent, we will send our Letting Agreements for your perusal and signature.

We will also provide you with a list, if necessary, of any works we feel would be beneficial, discuss fixtures and fittings, cleaning, gardening etc to ensure you receive the strongest rental income.

Professional Photos will be arranged for marketing purposes, and we can begin organising any necessary legal checks that are required.

Below is a list of the current legal requirements in England for letting:

Gas Safety Record (GSR) – This is a safety record to confirm the gas appliances have been thoroughly checked by a Gas Safe Engineer who is qualified. The report confirms that any gas appliances are safe to use and in working condition, they will also provide advisory recommendations for future works. This inspection must be carried out yearly and a copy supplied to the Tenant promptly following the check.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO2) Alarms – It is the Landlords responsibility to ensure there is a minimum of 1 working and tested smoke alarm per floor, tested at the start of each Tenancy. It is also necessary to have a carbon monoxide alarm in any room which houses a solid fuel burning appliance. For example, a wood burning stove or coal fire would require a CO2 alarm, tested at the start of each Tenancy to ensure fully operational.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – It is also a legal requirement to have a qualified Electrician carry out a thorough inspection of the electrics at least once every 5 years. This is to identify if the electrics are safe and if there has been any deterioration to the cables and electrical points. The Tenant must receive a copy of the report.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – This report looks at and measures the properties efficiency, relating to the amount of energy that can potentially escape. It is required every 10 years and provides various recommendations to improve the properties rating to make the energy consumption more efficient. Private rented properties must have a minimum rating of E and over to be deemed suitable for letting. If less than E, the Landlord is responsible for carrying out necessary works until the rating is at a satisfactory level – works include insulation, a new heating system etc.

We have very high standards when it comes to finding you the perfect Tenant, who will look after your property as if it were their own, pay their rent on time and adhere to their contractual responsibilities. Not to mention being pleasant, polite and a pleasure to manage.

Finding the right Tenant is a little bit like recruiting for a new job, first impressions count, followed by an impressive interview, references and ultimately resulting in an advantageous impact on your livelihood!

Once we have shortlisted a few Tenants we feel are suitable, we will discuss their individual applications with you, as well as our professional advice, to assist in your decision.

After a Tenant has been chosen, we then progress their application to our reference company who will carry out various checks to ensure their suitability.

These checks are to give you peace of mind that the Tenant can afford the monthly rent, does not have any adverse credit and has a positive reference from their existing Landlord or Letting Agency.

The detailed report will cover:

• Affordability
• Income
• Credit Score
• Reference
• Address History
• Linked Addresses
• Bank Confirmation
• Employment

After the reference company has completed their checks, we will receive the report and confirmation as to whether they have been accepted. If rejected, the report will explain the reasons why and you will have the choice of asking the Tenant to provide a Guarantor, pay their rent upfront or we can pursue a different Tenant.

We take great care to confirm our documents are up to date with the latest legislation, our processes are governed by ARLA to guarantee both our Tenants and Landlords are receiving the highest standards. ARLA also supplies our Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements which include the latest laws.

Prior to a Tenant moving in, we prepare all the paperwork for printing and signing as well as arranging to collect the deposit and rent.

Our paperwork includes:

• Gas Safe Record (GSR)
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO2) Alarm
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Deposit – It is a legal requirement to place Tenants deposits into a government approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDP), we use The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) as well as supplying them with legal paperwork such as the DPS Terms and Conditions, Deposit Certificate and Prescribed Information.

How to Rent Guide – This has been created by the government and is in place to ensure Tenants are aware of how they should be treated by Landlords or Letting Agencies, as well as guiding the latest legislation.

Inventory Report – We produce a detailed report with photographic evidence to confirm the condition of the property as well as any items included in the let before the Tenant moves in. It is in place to protect both the Landlord and Tenant from any disputes upon check-out.

Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) – This is the contract that the Tenants and Landlord or Letting Agent are required to sign which sets out legal responsibilities of how the property should be kept, rent due date, who is responsible for the upkeep etc.

As part of our service, we arrange to go through the Inventory Report with your Tenant at the property to verify the move-in condition and confirm the report we have created is accurate.

We will also check the co2 and smoke detectors are performing correctly, in adherence to the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and go through areas of importance such as the fuse board, water stopcock, parking arrangements, bin locations etc.

Congratulations you are now a Landlord, or perhaps a Landlord who has just added another let to their portfolio!

Now that our checks have been completed and we are in receipt of all of the signed paperwork, we will send copies for safekeeping as well as storing copies within our office.

Your first month’s rent will be sent by bank transfer minus any fees due.

Depending on which service level you feel is right for you, will depend on how much involvement we have in the day to day management tasks.

If you have decided to go for our Full Management Service for ultimate security, our team will be on hand to look after all aspects on your behalf. Most Landlords chose this service because they feel safer knowing their property is in the hands of our expert team who have years of experience!

We often speak to Landlords who feel they are experienced enough to manage the letting of their property but often get complacent and realise they haven’t checked the smoke detectors or issued the latest How to Rent Guide – these types of mistakes are very easy to make but could result in you being fined a considerable sum as well as preventing you from evicting your Tenants.