For 3 reasons really:
- Rent you property: With our market presence, pool of prospective tenants, marketing focus and office location we have a great chance of letting your property quickly and achieving a good rental income for you.
- Peace of mind: Because we vet tenants thoroughly, it means there is much less chance of you having any issues with rent arrears or damage to your property.
- A helping hand: We can guide you through the myriad of changing legislation and regulations in the rental market and advise you on how you can achieve the best yield on your assets.
With our experience we can tailor a service that fits exactly what you need. Our two core services are
- Let only service – where we market your property for you and find suitable tenants but you undertake any ongoing maintenance or tenant requirements.
- Fully managed service – we will find tenants for your property but also manage the property on an ongoing basis, taking care of everything so you have full peace of mind.
Typically an Assured Shorthold Tenancy for a period of at least 6 months.
We ask tenants for a cash deposit equivalent to one month’s rent.
This is secured in a Government approved Tenant Deposit Scheme account and returned when the tenant vacates the property and left it in a satisfactory condition and complied with their responsibilities under the Tenancy Agreement.
We only charge commission on rents that we collect so when a property is empty, we’re losing money too so you are assured we are always doing everything we can to have your property let.
When your property is empty you must advise your insurance company in accordance with their requirements and you will be liable for utilities and services bills.
You will be liable to pay tax on any profit generated form letting your property. The level you pay will be dependent on individual’s situations.
If you are overseas for more than six months in any tax year, you will be regarded as a non-resident landlord. Current legislation requires us to deduct and pay over to HMRC tax at the basic rate unless we are in receipt of an exemption letter from Inland Revenue that you are exempt.
Thankfully, due to our thorough vetting and referencing process this rarely happens. If it does, we’ll endeavour to recover the rent as quickly as possible and understand the tenant’s situation. We can then advise you on what we believe to be the best course of action.
You can also take out specific insurance to protect yourself against loss of rent.
The managing agents or freeholders must be advised, as a change in the type of occupancy may affect the building’s insurance. You should obtain the freeholders or managing agents consent prior to letting and advise us of any restrictions or requirements.
You don’t have to, but it does often help to give tenants the option. At sbliving, we can advise you on what we think is best for your property and target tenants. An unfurnished property would still require carpets, curtains/blinds and white goods. If you are providing furniture it should comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety Amendment) Regulations 1993. Furniture manufactured after March 1990 is likely to comply, but it is worth checking labels.
We strongly recommend that you install one smoke alarm per floor on your property.
The requirements for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) are slightly different and more information can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensing-of-houses-in-multiple-occupation-in-england-a-guide-for-landlords-and-managers
If Gas is supplied into your property it’s a legal requirement to obtain a valid Gas Safety Certificate.
Yes, we will need to be in receipt of this before any viewings can take place.
You are obliged to maintain the structure, sanitation and supply of services to the building.
In addition, should an item in the property require replacing through fair wear and tear then you would be expected to deal with this.
Yes, you’ll normally find that you are obliged to disclose this, but it is rare for a lender to object.
You can find all the information you need here – https://www.gov.uk/private-renting
