Preparing To LetOur handy guide to a smooth process.

In accordance with the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004), all private landlords letting properties in Scotland must have applied for registration in the register of landlords with their local authority. You must prove to be a ‘fit and proper landlord’ in order for your application to be successful. Further information can be requested from us or can be found online at www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk

 

Mortgage
If your property is mortgaged, you should obtain your mortgagee's written consent to the letting. They may require additional clauses in the tenancy agreement of which you must inform us.

Leaseholds
If you are a leaseholder, you should check the terms of your lease, and obtain the necessary written consent before letting.

Sub-Letting
If you are a tenant yourself, you will require your landlord's consent, however, normally sub-letting is prohibited.

Insurance
You should ensure that you are suitably covered for letting under both your buildings and contents insurance. Failure to inform your insurers that the property is Let may invalidate your policies. As a HomeLet insurance Appointed Representative, we can advise on all aspects of insurance for your property and provide competitive quotes at our discounted rates.

Bills and regular outgoings
We recommend that you arrange for regular outgoings e.g. mortgage, service charges, maintenance contracts etc. to be paid by standing order or direct debit.

Council Tax
Council tax is the responsibility of the occupier of the property and the Landlord when vacant. You should inform your local collection office that you are leaving the property. During vacant periods the charge reverts to the owner. When unoccupied but furnished, the charge is 50% of the normal rate. When unoccupied and 'substantially' unfurnished, there is no charge for the first six months, and thereafter a charge of 50% of the normal rate. During tenancy periods & at tenant changeover, we advise the council on your behalf of the changeover and provide forwarding address’s to the council for the tenants.

The Inventory
It is most important that an inventory of contents and schedule of condition be prepared, in order to avoid misunderstanding or dispute at the end of a tenancy. Without such safeguards, it will be impossible for the landlord to prove any loss, damage, or significant deterioration of the property or contents. In order to provide a complete and efficient service to the landlord, we will arrange for an associate to prepare an inventory and schedule of condition. With the exclusion of “fair wear & tear”, any damage to the property would in the first instance be covered by the tenant’s security deposit. Assuming appropriate insurance is in place, extensive damage would be covered by the relevant policy.

Tax
When the landlord is resident in the UK, it is entirely his responsibility to inform the Inland Revenue of rental income received, and to pay any tax due. However, where the landlord is resident outside the UK during a tenancy, under new rules effective from 6 April 1996, unless an exemption certificate is held, we as landlord's agents are obliged to retain and forward to the Inland Revenue on a quarterly basis, an amount equal to the basic rate of income tax from rental received, less certain expenses. An application form for exemption from such deductions is available from this Agency, and further information may be obtained from the Inland Revenue.

General Property Condition - Preparing the property for letting.
We have found that a good relationship with tenants is the key to a smooth-running tenancy. As Property Managers, the relationship part is our job, but it is important that the tenants should feel comfortable in their temporary home, and that they are receiving value for their money. Our policy of offering a service of quality and care therefore extends to our tenant applicants too, and we are pleased to recommend properties to rent which conform to certain minimum standards. Quality properties attract quality tenants.

Mail forwarding
We recommend that you make use of the Post Office redirection service. Application forms are available at their counters, and the cost is minimal. It is not the tenant's responsibility to forward mail. Likewise, at tenancy completion we recommend mail redirection to the tenants, since it is also not your responsibility for their mail.

Information for the tenant
It is helpful if you leave information/manuals for the tenant on operating the central heating/hot water system/washing machine/alarm system etc, and the day refuse is collected, including any special recycling schedule scheme’s.

Keys
You should provide two sets of keys for the tenant and one set to be retained by us. We would also recommend that you retain a set of keys in the event of an emergency. These keys should include all access doors/garage/windows etc.

General condition
Electrical, gas, plumbing, waste, central heating and hot water systems must be safe, sound and in good working order. Repairs and maintenance are at the landlord's expense unless misuse can be established. Generally, third party service contracts are a good idea, since they usually include cost of parts & labour. The older the property, the more attractive these policies are. If you have a preferred contractor for a certain type of repair, notify us on our property details sheet and where possible, we will attempt to use them first. If they are unavailable or unable to respond to a (emergency) repair quickly, then we would pass the repair job to one of our reputable contractors.

Appliances
Similarly, appliances such as washing machine, fridge freezer, cooker, dishwasher etc. should be in usable condition. Repairs and maintenance are at the landlord's expense unless misuse can be established. Generally, we can provide a repair service to our landlords at a discounted rate.

We generally don’t recommend leaving TV’s /Video recorders /DVD’s /HiFi’s in a property unless specifically asked for and only at the agreement of the landlord. The main reason for this is that ‘usually’ most landlords will leave older appliances and take newer ones to their own residence. If one of these appliances fails, the tenant is perfectly within their right to ask for a replacement/repair, since the property was viewed and supplied with them in place. The landlord then has the prospect of repairing/replacing an electrical item that may have been of little value with an item that is reasonably costly.

Furnishings
It is recommended that you leave only minimum furnishings, and these should be of reasonable quality. It is preferable that items to be left are in the property during viewings. A list of recommended items is attached.

Decorations
Interior decorations should be in good condition, and preferably plain, light and neutral. Avoid bright or dark colours as this can put off tenants. Landlords should be aware that redecoration should be considered every few years to maintain the property in good condition and therefore be appealing to prospective tenants. Carpets follow a similar process.

Personal items, ornaments etc
Personal possessions, ornaments, pictures, books etc. should be removed from the premises, especially those of real or sentimental value. Some items may be boxed, sealed and stored in the loft at the owner's risk. All cupboards and shelf space should be left clear for the tenant's own use.

Gardens
Gardens should be left neat, tidy and rubbish-free, with any lawns cut. Tenants are required to maintain the gardens to a reasonable standard, provided they are left the necessary tools. However, few tenants are experienced gardeners, and if you value your garden, or if it is particularly large, you may wish us to arrange maintenance visits by a gardener.

Cleaning
At the commencement of a tenancy the property must be in a thoroughly clean condition, and at the end of each tenancy it is the tenant's responsibility to leave the property in similar condition. Where they fail to do so, cleaning will be arranged at their expense. Shortly before the end of a tenancy, we re-iterate the conditions that are required to safeguard a tenant’s security deposit, cleaning being a major part. Having a property in a clean condition is of paramount importance during viewings to attract prospective tenants.