Winter warnings for tenants
During the cold winter months tenants need to make sure they are aware of the responsibilities. Burst pipes and break ins can often be the Tenants responsiblity.
Check out why by reading my blog on Bristol 247
07th Dec2011
0 Comm
30th Nov2011
Students… keep the noise down or learn an expensive lesson
In Bristol on July 1, in time-honoured fashion, it’s the great student changeover day. Thousands of students career around the city, changing accommodation. As a Bristol letting agent and for letting agents all over the city, it’s a busy and often fun time for all – not just the students but agents alike – as we meet new faces and personalities, and have to say goodbye to the great and some not so great student tenants.
09th Nov2011
Rental property management is more than just a lick of paint
Landlords at times shy away from hiring letting agents to manage rental properties, assuming they can look after it themselves and save money.
However, despite what some landlords feel, property management is more than just an insurance policy, the occasional phone call to or from a tenant, and a quick lick of paint every so often. Many landlords often realise at a later stage just how much is involved.
26th Oct2011
UNFURNISHED PROPERTIES – Why Landlord still need an inventor
It is a popular misconception among Landlords who own unfurnished properties that there is no need to have an inventory.
How wrong they are.
A property consists of more than furniture or what is known as loose contents, without stating the obvious, there as walls, ceilings, doors, windows, carpets, curtains, kitchen units, worktops. All of these have a condition when the tenancy commences.
Failure to have a comprehensive form of condition, can leave the landlord with expenses he did not expect, due to damage to doors, walls, carpets and worktops etc. Landlords can avoid these costs by having a professional check-in and check out.
So your walls were magnolia when the tenant moved in and now they are mauve. The carpets were new and now they look like a car engine has been dismantled in the middle of the lounge.
It’s easy to just take it from the deposit right? WRONG….. Long gone are those days, when it was up to the outgoing tenant to argue. These days the boot is firmly on the other foot.
It is no good just having a sheet of A4 paper just saying Magnolia Walls, beige carpets, without any form of condition or description. Many landlords loose the arbitration case, due to lack of firm evidence of the original condition, leaving the Landlord having to cover all of the costs himself. It requires no imagination as to the cost of extensive cleaning, repairs and redecoration that is often needed.
According to the Association of Independant inventory clerks, the most common damage found in unfurnished properties includes the following:
- Doors and walls – Damage/holes from impact, walls – nail and screw holes, drilled cable holes, impact indents from door handles, general excessive dirt and marks,
- Painting and redecoration – Tenants repainting without permission in outrageous colours. Often redecoration is required before the property can be let again
- Carpets – Stains, burns, tears, sometimes whole sections cut out due to tenant damage and replaced with off cuts of a similar carpet found inside cupboards or wardrobes
- Light fittings – Tenants take bulbs and lampshades, sometimes whole fittings and the bare wires are hanging from the ceiling
- Kitchen worktops – Damage, burns to worktops, knife marks in worktops and chips
- Kitchen appliances – Damage to ceramic hobs, one recently was cracked right across, fortunately the inventory was professionally compiled and the tenant was made to pay for a new hob. Broken shelves in fridges, damage to washing machines and dish washers
- Bathrooms – Cracks in sinks toilets and baths – bathroom suites are very expensive to replace and sometimes hard to match when replacing only one item
- Windows – Common damage are chips and cracks, broken window fittings
- Gardens – If the condition is not clear at time of check in, gardening is very expensive – £20 per hour is normal – and the landlord, without any firm evidence, will be picking up the bill. Every area of a garden needs to be listed on an inventory, not just the grass, but the condition of the borders, weedy or not, patio – weedy, mossy, stained etc. Loose or broken flagstones – as always detail is needed to be able to judge what additional damage has occurred
- Cleaning – if the inventory does not categorically state the cleaning condition of every area, then the landlord will be stuck with the cleaning bill after the check-out.
On average a check in and checkout costs little more than £50 on each occasion with the Landlord either paying for the check in or checkout. Which has to be a bargain when you consider how much the costs could be otherwise
If you have found this blog useful, please comment below or better still share it with others. Feel free to look at some of the other content.
If you are considering investing in Bristol or need assistance with your existing portfolio, I have over 15 years experience in Letting and Property Management in Bristol, letting properties from studios to Penthouses. Feel free to call me today on 0845 652 1428 or contact me at www.igloolets.com
16th Sep2011
Landlords are all a GAS t’ when it comes to safety
When it comes to letting out property, and I have let out 100’s over the last 30 years both as a Letting Agent and Landlord, it never ceases to amaze me that when you go to let out a property on a Let only basis, and ask for a current Gas certificate from the Landlord you either get a stony silence or the proverbial “AH!”
Putting aside all the other legislation that a professional agent has to remember, GAS SAFETY should come right at the top of the list.
Rent arrears can be often solved, along with damage. However, it is very difficult to resurrect a corpse!
According to the HSE, four people died and 117 fell ill as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning at home in the year to June 2010.
In real terms I guess you might not feel that is many. UNTIL, it happens in YOUR tenanted property, and the full weight of the law comes crashing down on you.
Ha! it will never happen…………..well it happened in 117 of cases.
Follow these simply rules to avoid it happening to you.
- Landlords need an annual Gas Safety Certificate each year by law for all gas appliances; this includes boilers, gas cookers and gas fires.
- Landlords need to use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and check gas appliances in rental properties – it’s the law and will help keep tenants safe.
- Landlords and tenants are advised to see an engineer’s Gas Safe ID card and check the back of the card to ensure they are qualified to carry out the specific type of gas work.
- Find a Gas Safe registered engineer in your area or call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500
- Recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
- Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.
- Landlords are advise to install a carbon monoxide alarm and locate it near to any gas appliances in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance. Carbon monoxide can leak from appliances and kill.
- Landlords and tenants should only use gas appliances for their intended purpose e.g. don’t use a gas oven to heat a room or use a gas barbeque inside the house.
- Landlords and tenants should always ensure there is enough ventilation for the gas appliances to allow them to burn correctly and make sure they are not blocking any air vents that provide an air supply to the gas appliance.
- Anybody working with gas has to be Gas Safe registered by law. Report someone working without registration or call Gas Safe Register on the free phone number 0800 408 5500
If you are considering investing in Bristol or need assistance with your existing portfolio, I have over 18 years experience in Letting and Property Management in Bristol, letting properties from studios to Penthouses. Feel free to call me today on 0845 652 1428 or contact me at www.igloolets.com
06th Sep2011
Why deposits are importance
No doubt you have heard the old adage ‘Something is better than nothing’ having been called a fair letting agent and also Landlord. I have always been an advocate of the deposit scheme. However, I know that not all Landlords and lettings agents have been.
Occasionally I am told by landlords that they don’t take a deposit, it’s not worth the hassle. This
kind of comment always amazes me. Even if your only just renting out rooms, to replace a well soiled carpet would cost you £150-200 pounds. Whilst you have to prove that the tenant damaged the property, prior to any deduction being made, if adequate preparation is made at the commencement of the tenancy, most disputes can be avoided.
With many tenancies these days’ deposits can amount to thousands of pounds. Often a clean and rectification of damage might only require spending a few hundred pounds. If you have no deposit to even start with your on a looser before you start! I would like to think that you are by now realizing where I am coming from.
To set the benchmark with properties that we manage, it is important to check the property completely before new tenants move in. Making sure that little niggly things are rectified. If your property is presented right at the start of the tenancy, more often than not the property is returned in a reasonable condition.
In my previous post “Why do I need an Inventory?”, if at the end of the tenancy you have a disagreement with your outgoing tenant about the condition of the property or ‘that inevitable red wine stain’ there is little point in beating yourself up over the best course of action you might just as well have it settled through the arbitration service which was set up as part of the Deposit Protection Scheme(s)
In the Housing Act 2004, a new law was introduced that meant any monies received by Landlords as a deposit must be protected within 14 days with one of the aforementioned tenancy deposit schemes. There are plenty of options for Landlords when it comes to choosing one, and the process is fairly straightforward, with the deposit normally being protected by the scheme until the end of the tenancy where it is returned to the relevant party.
As a leading lettings and property management agent in Bristol, we include protecting deposits as standard with both our Fully Managed and Let Only Service. We believe in having our Landlords covered.
If you are looking for further FREE information or assistance on renting out your property in Bristol, I have over 15 years experience in Letting and Property Management in Bristol, letting all various properties from studios to Penthouses. Call me today on 0845 652 1428 or contact me via our site www.igloolets.com
30th Aug2011
How long will it take to rent out my property?
When valuing a property for letting I am often asked during conversation with Prospective Landlords, “How long will it take to let out my property” Each landlords circumstances are different, some want to hit the ground running so like to be prepared and think ahead. For some others they need to schedule maintenance works or remodeling improvements, in line with availability dates.
I would always say that the earlier you market the property, is better in the longer term.
If you wait until a property is vacant before you beginning marketing, you then have to allow the time it takes for suitable tenants to be found, referenced, safety checks and paperwork to be completed. In some cases the prospective tenant may even have to serve a month’s notice on their existing Landlord, before they can move in.
The problem with this is that there can be a lengthy delay between, periods, when someone actually expresses interest in a property and when actually funds actually begin to get to the landlord. Marketing a property earlier can reduce void periods between tenancies to a few days, even hours in some cases.
One secret to success in letting out your property, is to have it professionally managed by a letting agent specialist such
as Igloolets.com. It is a common trait of Landlords to focus on the initial let, but it is more important to focus on what happens during the tenancy and in between lets. If you decide to have your property managed, ask how your agents plans ahead , will they communicate with the tenants or expect the tenant to communicate beyond the fixed term of the tenancy, to find out their intentions.
Also ask to see the agents terms and conditions to see if there are any hidden charges, regarding renewal fees, Will the tenants be charged at the end of the first 6 months, this is often a big turn off to tenants when they are considering what to do at the end of the fixed term. Even for the Landlord paying an additional remarketing fee along with a void period may well mean you end up paying in more ways than one.
At igloolets.com we like to have regular communication with tenants and Landlords we feel I makes for a longer and better relationships. You can also be assured that at Igloolets.com were feel that charging a tenant and Landlord renewal or re=lettings fees on our managed properties is unfair. So you can feel confident that you will not be stung by any small print hidden charges.
Why not check out our website www.igloolets.com for more information, or call us on 0117 230 5056 you can also email us at admin@igloolets.com.
19th Jul2011
Tenants right to compensation
One of the biggest banes of modern society, which has come to prominence in the last ten years, increasingly now in the Private rented sector, is the phrase ‘what about compensation’
A recent example for me both as a Bristol Letting agent and also private landlord, was when I wanted to partially convert my attic space. There was no need to enter the house, as no stairs were going to be installed in the first phase; scaffolding was going to be erected on the outside to the front and rear. Bearing in mind the garden is 100 feet long, and the scaffolding was not more than 5 feet wide, one of the then tenants asked how much compensation they were going to get for lack of use of the garden! I don’t think I need you to work out the math, or where I am going with this. 
Sadly even for the least amount of inconvenience such as the boiler breaking down, and this taking three or four days to repair, some tenants feel they are entitled to compensation. Sometimes a Landlord has no alternative other than to carry out works around the tenant while they are in occupation and sadly even with the best will in the world breakdowns happen, even in the best maintained properties.
In my position as a Letting Agent, when the situation of compensation arises I often ask the tenant how much compensation they think they might be entitled to, this can often be, bordering on the sublime to the ridiculous.
Under the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, tenants are entitled to compensation if they have to leave their home due to major works. Often though this situation is rare and a tenant is little more than inconvenienced for a short period of time.
The classic example of compensation is lack of a boiler and heating. “We had to use the electric heaters because the boiler was not working, and now our bill is so HIGH” Tenants then think a Landlord should pick up the whole bill. WRONG! If the tenants average bill for heating is £12 and the extra they incurred was £5, they may be entitled to the £5. Not the £17 as so many think.
If it was taken to court the similar rules apply as to the deposits schemes in place. A landlord is not entitled to anything greater than his loss and likewise often the tenant the same.
The tenant may well be entitled to some form of rebate, however this then comes down to the real loss of facilities, as an example:- The loss of the facility of using a lounge. Some tenants think they would be entitled to the rebate of the whole days rent, not so as they still have the full use of the other facilities of the property. So when you actually begin to break it down the amount of the entitlement is quite small.
As a rule of thumb I use the following breakdown.
In the event of any of the items listed below the tenant would be entitled to a rebate on their weekly rent after the first two days without facilities. The rebate would be a maximum of 80% of their weekly rent and any reasonable expenses incurred.
- Living room unusable 20%
- Bedroom unusable 25%
- No access to cooking facilities 30%
- No access to washing facilities 30%
These figures and formula have come about through years of experience, research, and precedent being set by housing associations. I have never had them contested either by the tenant or the law courts.
Often Landlords and Managing Agents are too quick for their own good in such situations, like all claims for compensation, the facts have to be considered more than the emotion and what people think they are entitled to.
In my personal case with regard to the scaffolding, it in the end cost me nothing in compensation. But there again, should it have anyways?
26th Apr2011
Reduce Tenant Turnover 3 Top Tips
One of the biggest expenses for Landlords, whether they employ an agent or do it themselves, is tenants changing. 
Firstly the renewal fees, if they use a Letting agent as most charge a fee, even if you do it yourself you still have advertising fees to consider, which ever medium you choose to use, even Gumtree is now charging. Also in most cases of tenant change over their will be minor repairs or decorations to be carried out, just to keep the property up to the standard tenants now expect, and often in most cases demand, prior to signing a tenancy agreement. Not forgetting of course lost rent if the property is empty. If the tenant stays put, all of these costs can be avoided, and this is the main reason Landlords try to avoid tenant change over as much as possible
As a Landlord you may well find the following tips useful.
Tip # 1 – Fairness
Every tenant wants a fair landlord. Just put yourself in their shoes and you will understand what is meant by that. If the tenatn is having problems and the landlord is offering a helping hand, this will always be in the back of their mind and something they will remember at the time the tenancy agreement is due to expire. If you are fair to them, they would much rather stay with you since they wouldn’t want to lose such a landlord who is nice and reasonable.
Tip # 2 – Play by the rules
Outline the details of what you expect from the tenant at the onset of the tenancy agreement. Where the agreement states a certain date for the payment of rent and any late payment have a certain fix charge, then stand by it and charge that fee. You should never look to relax your own set rules because if you show relaxation once, the tenants won’t take any of your rules seriously
Tip # 3 – Take care of the Repair work
The best thing any landlord can do is taking care of the repair requests. This is something which is given a lot of importance by most tenants because this can be a big hassle and therefore, tenants are far more unwilling to move out of a property where the owner is taking care of this part. Tenants would even be willing to pay more in terms of rent at other places if that means that the landlord will take care of the repair requests on a timely basis. If you do this, there is a great chance that your tenants will stay with you and renew their tenancy agreement when it expires.
The above 3 tips really work and are something that is expected of a good landlord. So be one.
17th Mar2011
How to market and present your property the easy way
As a Bristol Letting Agent, I have seen numerous good and bad properties, and when tenants want to rent in bristol, they have quite a wide choice, so you really do need to get the fundamentals right.
If you really want to make a profit in the letting business, you need to show your properties to interested people. It’s just the same as if you’re selling your property, you need to make certain that your home is the preferred choice of potential tenants.
Kerbside appeal can also be a crucial aspect for prospective tenants, just as it is for buyers of homes.
Just how does your property really look, when you stand at the gate, peeling paint, dirty window sills, rubbish strewn about, grass that need cutting or borders over grown with weeds. If everything look like it is in disrepair and the house is not taken care of, it could potentially run off quality tenants.
Rental properties need to make a good first impression before they even walk into the door. The cheapest and most simplest of things can make a BIG difference to the front of the property.
Often just a good brush up and a bottle of weedkiller, is all that might be needed. If you have harsh concrete that is crazed and cracked, put down chard flint, which is a gravel that always looks clean, and does not attract dirt. Apply strong weedkiller, annually to keep weeds at bay.
Wash of your paintwork with a pressure washer can often look as if the property has had a fresh coat of paint. If you have borders in the garden often they can be more trouble than they are worth, if you can actually make then bigger they are more manageable as you can apply annually a covering of woodchip, which again suppresses weed growth. All of the above take little time or are high cost tasks.
Make sure that the property is very clean. Pay special attention to the toilets, kitchen and bathroom. Make sure everything is picked up and the house is tidy. Again, you want to make sure you make a good first impression to your prospective tenant. Never show a property that is in the process of being repaired or renovated, or even cleaned. Wait until everything is completed before you start showing the unit to potential renters. A fresh coat of paint to the walls can re-energise a room. If there are numerous chips of the paintwork, especially on stairs and architraves just use an artist brush and touch in those areas. It makes a difference and the eye is not drawn to the overall condition of the paintwork. One useful trick is to just paint the handrails up the stairs, again the eye is drawn to the rail missing the other areas.
Make sure the temperature is set in the property to take the chill or dampness out of the air, so that they are not uncomfortable when they arrive. If it is too cold chances are they will not stick around long enough to see what the property has to offer. You may also want to stop by the property before your appointment, perhaps 10 -15 minutes before, to be certain that everything is in order and that there are no problems. Pick up the post and hid it in a draw, mountains of old post, makes prospective tenants think the property has been on the market for a long time, and then begin to wonder why.
Make sure the lights are on and if during the day the curtains are drawn back to fully let in all the natural daylight, and please have a lampshade, for goodness sake they only cost about £1.50 for a paper lampshade and believe it or not give the house a lived in look, more so than just a barren light bulb holder.
Be sure you have the right key, etc. You would not believe what could go wrong before the potential tenant shows up. If the lock is stiff a quick squirt of WD40 makes all the difference, and avoid embarrassment of a sticky lock, which is difficult to open.
Finally, have the paperwork ready such as applications if the tenant is interested in the property. You want to be prepared in case they want to take application to the property. You do not want them to lose interest while you are looking for the applications. It is very unprofessional and is never a good idea.
