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Our Estate Agency Watson Homes is an Independent Estate Agency based in Edgware within North West London. We offer all clients a professional yet personal service offering reliable and comprehensive information, whether you are buying, selling, renting, letting or investing in a property. We also offer mortgage advice by qualified members of our team, within the office or at the client's convenience.
Hints and Tips for your property Our agency targets to provide all Tenants a quality of home that is most suitable for themselves. We aim to provide a home that has as few potential problems that will not disrupt their lifestyle. In order to attract the best of Tenant we offer some guidance to our Landlords. Listed below are some examples of how to improve your rental property :-
In respect to safety, below are stated certain laws that the Landlord is obliged to adhere to when letting a property to a Tenant. Thereafter is a section of Terms which state the definitions as mentioned in an ASTA (Assured Short hold Tenancy Agreement). It is mandatory that these regulations are abided by and proof of this will have to be documented for archive purposes. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 The landlord is legally obliged to have all gas appliances and fittings to be inspected annually by a CORGI (Council for registered Gas Installers) who holds the necessary ACOP certification registered engineer and a report provided. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1998 as amended in 1993 All upholstery and upholstered furnishings, eg sofas, armchairs, mattresses, pillows, supplied as part of the tenancy must comply with current fire resistance standards. Items such as carpets, curtains and bedding are not included and any furniture manufactured prior to 1950 will be exempt providing that they have not been re-upholstered with an illegal filling. Such furnishings must carry the appropriate permanent labels to show that they comply. Any furnishings which do not comply with the regulations must be removed prior to the start of the tenancy. Electricity Whilst electrical legislation is less explicit then the above two. It is a statutory duty for Landlords and Agents to ensure that all electrical wiring and equipment present in a rental property is safe for use and maintained adequately. The two main Acts of Parliament that impose a statutory duty on Landlords with respect to the safety of electrical equipment are: The consumer protection Act 1987 The Health and Safety Act 1974 There are also several items of secondary legislation under the umbrella of the Consumer Protection act which are directly relevant to the supply of electrical goods, including: The Low Voltage Electrical Equipment Regulations 1989 The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 The Plugs and sockets (safety) Regulations 1994 We consider it essential that an electrical safety check is conducted prior to the letting of a property and that a regular inspection programme is implemented. Smoke Detectors Properties built after June 1992 must have mains interlinked smoke detectors on each floor. Older properties do not fall under these regulations. However, we would recommend that a let property have at least one fully operational battery operated detector on each floor as a minimum requirement. The Taxes Act 1988 and the Taxation of Income from the Land (Non Residents) Regulations 1995 The landlord is responcible for notifying the Inland Revenue of the tenancy, if the Landlord of the property resides abroad, the Inland Revenue will hold us as your Agents, responcible for the payment of any Tax liability which arises on rents collected by us on your behalf, unless an approval certificate is provided by the Inland Revenue pursuant to the Finance Act 1995. Accordingly if the Landlord is resident abroad it will be neccessary to deduct monies at the appropriate rate and hold such an mount until either an Approval Certificate has been received or until these monies are forwarded to the Inland Revenue which we are now obliged to do on quarterly basis. In this event we will not be liable for any refunds and you will have to liaise directly with the inspector of Taxes directly. If the landlord at present lives within the UK but subsequently moves abroad, it will be necessary for us to commence this deduction from the time the Landlord leaves this country. Property Mis-description Act 1991 It is the Landlord(s) responcibility to check the website description of his/her property and notify Watson Homes of any amendments required. The Landlord(s) shall indemnify Watson Homes its proprietors, directors, employees or agents against any claim made in respect of the property or any mis-description herein that arise wholly or partially out of the act of default of the Landlord(s). Marketing your property Watson Homes is based within a busy part of North West London. We have many professional Tenants that reside within this area for ease of transport into Central London. We market our properties through various sources. Primarily we advertise properties within the World Wide Web. We are registered members of the major property portals through which we attract many suitable candidates. As a commitment to serve the locality we advertise through the local newspapers and leaflet regularly to create awareness and publisise your property portfolio/s. Property Misdecription Act 1991 The staff at Watson Homes will always make sure that all details held for a property are accurate through various conversations with the Landlord. It is important to note that it is entirely the Landlords responsibility to make sure that all personal and property details held by us are correct. We hold no responsibility for any mis-descriptions that have been provided by the Landlord. Viewings The Landlord should explain clearly when probed the terms of the viewings. We will focus on how best to conduct viewings and accept each individual Landlords circumstances. At all times confidentiality is assured and during viewings, all Tenants will be escorted at the property with members of staff. Keys can be kept in the office for management and viewing purposes. All keys are to be kept in the office under supervision at all times and locked to upkeep our safety regulations. Mortgages Where the property to Let is subject to a mortgage, permission is normally required from the Mortgagees to sub-let (if required) in writing. Insurance You must ensure that the building and contents insurance cover is adequate and that the policy covers furnished lettings, please note that many household policies may not provide such cover. The Rent Unless otherwise stated, rents that are quoted to the Tenant are inclusive of Ground rent and Service charge, for which the Landlord is responcible. The Occupant is expected to pay for the bills which include, Gas, Electricity, Water charges and Council Tax. The rent is payable as per terms agreed between the Landlord and the agents. Commission is payable with the remainder being forwarded to the Landlord. Monthly invoices will be sent for all properties with break down of individual accounts. Deposit Watson Homes will endeavour to collect a security deposit of 6 weeks. This deposit will be held a choice of three deposit schemes in accordance to new legislation introduced April 2007. The shared purpose of the three schemes is to provide security for deposit monies, and speedy dispute resolution in those cases where agreement cannot be reached between Landlord and Tenant at the end of a tenancy. All relevant correspondence will be provided to the Landlord and the Tenant. All certificates will be sent and stored for archive purposes. Landlord and Tenant Disputes It is important to state that Watson Homes accepts no responcibility for any disagreements or disputes that arise during the term of the Tenancy. However, we will strive to rectify any situations that may potentially arise. We would also advise with regards to options in clarifying a dispute or disagreement. Fee's At Watson Homes, our fee's are constructed to provide the Landlord with the most suitable level of service that they require. Our structured modular service ensures that you as the Landlord are chargeable for those components that are applicable to your needs. Our fee's are dependant upon the individual Landlords requests. We are strong believers in customer loyalty and would like to show our appreciation when referred other clients or receive continued business. Lettings Terms Landlord Owner of a property which is rented or leased to an individual or a business who is called the Tenant. Tenant Person who is renting or leasing a property. ASTA Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement used as the contract between the parties involved, these are Landlord, the Tenant and the Agency. Let Term used to describe the Tenanted status of a property. Inventory Scheduled list of the state of the property and its contents. Check – In The process of moving a Tenant into a rental property. Check - Out The process of moving out a Tenant of a rental property. Utilities The supply of gas, electric, water, council tax and other services such as fuel. Property Portals Services provided by companies that offer further coverage of property through the World Wide Web. |
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