Letting A Property?

If you have a mortgage on your property, you must ensure that the mortgage company are aware that you intend to let the property and that they give permission for this to happen. If you have any doubts, contact your mortgage company who will be able to assist.

Some properties will require a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) licence before they can be let. This usually only applies to student or multi-unit lets with 5 or more bedrooms however certain areas in Bath have mandatory HMO licensing for certain types of house. We will check if this applies to your property and what will need to be done if it does.

An electrical inspection needs to be carried out (EICR). This certificate will remain on file, this needs to be redone every 5 years. We can arrange this for you, however if you have an electrician you prefer to use, who is qualified to do this then we can liaise with them.

If the property is to be let furnished or part furnished i.e. with white goods (dishwasher/washing machine/fridge) or small electrical items such as toasters/kettles then each item should be safe to use and an easy way to do this is a PAT. This test should be carried out annually. Again this will be carried out by an electrician.

Mains wired smoke detectors are recommended however battery operated units are acceptable with a suitable clause in the tenancy agreement which informs the tenants that it is their responsibility to check these detectors and replace the batteries as appropriate.

A landlord’s gas service and safety certificate needs to be in place when a property is let and carried out annually. We can arrange this for you or you can have your own Gas Safe registered engineer carry this out.

An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) needs to be issued before letting or selling a property. This is something that we arrange for you and needs to be done every 10 years.

We recommend that a thorough inventory is carried out prior to a tenant taking residence. This includes a detailed room by room description and photographic evidence of condition of the property at the point the new tenants move in. This proves useful if there is a discrepancy at the end of the tenancy and you need to provide proof to the Deposit Protection Scheme. We use a number of different inventory providers depending on the type of property.

A government approved scheme to hold the deposit (maximum 5 weeks rent) for the tenant until the end of the tenancy agreement. It is then returned to the tenant with any deductions agreed by the landlord and tenant or landlord and DPS.

Suitable flooring should be laid in each room, i.e. vinyl or easily washable flooring in the kitchen and bathroom areas and carpet or wooden flooring in the bedrooms and living rooms. If flooring is already in situ, it must be clean and have no danger of trips i.e. no raised or uneven areas.