Tenancy advice

Before the tenancy starts

If the property you are offering for rent is subject to a mortgage, you must tell the lender that you’re renting it out.

You must also check with your insurance company, that your buildings insurance is still vaild if you are renting out the property.

Gas Safety

If you property has gas appliances, you must get them checked at least once a year by a qualified Gas Safe gas fitter.

Every rented property with gas appliances must have a valid certificate.

You must show a copy of the certificate to the tenant and it must also be available on request. It makes sense to put a copy in the property.

It is a criminal offence to rent out a property without a valid gas safety certificate.

Electrical Appliances

You must get all electrical appliances checked at least once a year by a qualified electrician.

Landlords are liable for injuries to a tenant from unchecked appliances.

Furnishings

If your rent out a furnished property, all soft furnishings must be fire retardant.  It is an offence to offer a property with furniture that does not meet the current standard.

If the property comes with appliances (such as cooker, fridge, washing machine and so on) the contract must make clear who is responsible for their repair.

Use a letting agent

Most letting agents will offer different levels of service including:

  • advertising the property
  • rent collection
  • legal documentation
  • property management

Each letting agent will make a charge for each service they provide. The charges are usually based on a percentage of the rent.

Even if you use a letting agent, the landlord is still responsible for the cost of repairs and is the named party on any legal documents.

Inventories

An inventory is a list of the fixtures and fittings in a property. It should also note their condition. Inventories can be time consuming to compile but can be very important at the end of the tenancy.

Most landlords expect a tenant to pay  a damage deposit when they move in.

The inventory is a very important document if the tenant damages the property or any of its fixtures and fittings.

It is only by comparison with the inventory that you can check the original condition and agree any damage.

You can use photographs or videos to make a record of the condition of the property (particularly if the prints or tapes have a date-code).

You should take photographs of damage to a property before you carry out any repairs. This will support your claim if you want to keep money from the tenant's deposit to meet the repair cost.

Housing Services

Address: Causeway House
Bocking End
Braintree
Essex
CM7 9HB

Telephone: 01376 552525

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