Legislative

Health and Safety Obligations for Landlords

As a landlord you’re legally obliged to provide safe accommodation for your tenants, ensuring that you do everything you can to minimise any risks as outlined in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
But what is it you're responsible for? Here's a checklist to help you get started on the basics:

Written Risk Assessment
Ideally completed by a qualified fire safety specialist annually or between tenancies, a written risk assessment is a must for your rental property.

Gas
Any gas fixtures and fittings you supply for your tenants use have to be installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Each year you need to ensure a gas safety check is carried out and you must give a copy of the gas safety certificate to your tenant when they move in.

Electrics
Legally you only need to have your electrical system checked every five years (if you own and rent out a HMO), however any electrical items you supply, along with the system itself, must be in a safe condition for your tenants to use.

Escape Routes
Covered as part of your risk assessment, escape routes can often become blocked over time, so it's important to check these during any tenant visits and make sure the area is signposted properly to warn of the hazards of blocking an escape route.

Mould and Damp
The cause of many a complaint from tenants, mould and damp can cause serious health issues, so it's important to find the source of the issue and treat it quickly. Ensure good ventilation throughout the property, instruct tenants on how to ensure air circulates throughout, paint bathrooms and kitchens with mould resistant paint and check for mould, damp patches and condensation on inspecting the property.

Alarms
By law there must be a working smoke alarm on every floor of the property, however if you rent out a property with any solid fuel burner appliances, it's worth installing carbon monoxide alarms too.

Security
Ensure doors and windows are secure, boundary walls and fences are in good order and think about providing external lighting for your tenants

Furnishings
All furnishings and furniture you supply in the property must meet minimum safety standards/fire regulations and must feature a permanent label to reflect this.

Emergencies
Clear information should be displayed about what a tenant should do in an emergency. Who to contact in an emergency, what to do and how to reduce the chance of an injury occurring.

Operating Manuals
There's nothing worse than moving into a new home and not being able to use the appliances supplied with the property so make sure you leave the operating manuals for the boiler, the cooker etc for your tenant to find.

Repairs
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and its recent amendment, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, you’re legally obliged to ensure the property is fit for habitation at the start of the tenancy and maintained in good condition throughout the tenancy. If the property or its fixtures and fittings fall into disrepair, you are responsible for ensuring they're brought up to an appropriate standard.

Of course this list is by no means exhaustive. Why not talk to us about how The Good Estate Agent can help manage your property?

A Guide to Renting with Pets

We consider ourselves a pro pet agency at The Good Estate Agent. We want you to feel at home in your property and believe that pets help make a house a home. But we also understand how much time and money our landlords invest in their properties. So can we find a balance?
Here’s our top tips for finding a rental property for the entire family, pets included.

Be Flexible
Expand your search criteria when looking for a new home. Consider widening your search area, or perhaps considering a different type of property. The wider you cast your net you’ll find that more possibilities will present themselves.

References
Can you demonstrate your furry friend is impeccably well behaved? Will your current landlord include confirmation that your pet has caused no damage to their property during your tenancy in your reference? In just the same way that a landlord will be asked to provide you, as their tenant a reference, you could also request that they include your pet within the reference too.

Deposits
While you’ll be expected to pay a deposit when you rent a new home, having a furry friend in tow could mean you’ll be expected to pay a higher deposit to allow for any damages the pet may cause. If this isn’t something advertised within the rental listing why not ask?

Cleaning
When it comes to end of tenancy cleaning you need to return the property in the same state of cleanliness as you received it. Why not offer your potential landlord the assurance of a full professional clean of the property upon moving out?

Honesty is the Best Policy
Springing a pet on your landlord when you’ve already moved into the property could put you in breach of your contract, so always be upfront so as not to make the landlord feel railroaded into allowing a pet when they might not want to.

Get it in Writing
If you do find a landlord who will allow you to have a pet in the property, ensure it’s written down within your contract so there are no misunderstandings. If your contract states ‘small pet’ for example, this does not mean you are allowed to keep a dog in the property. Always ask for clarification if you’re unsure.

As you can see, with a little forward planning, honesty and perhaps a slightly larger deposit, you and your family pet have every chance of finding the perfect new home.

What it Actually Costs to Buy a Home

When you buy a property it’s easy to think it’s just a case of finding enough money to cover the cost of the property itself, but what else do you need to budget for?

Solicitor Fees
When buying and selling property, you’ll need a good solicitor to handle the legalities including property searches and transferring mortgage funds. Depending on how much legal work is involved expect to pay around £1,000 – £2,500.

Stamp Duty
You pay Stamp Duty Land Tax when you purchase a new home and the amount varies depending on whether you have bought a home before and the price of the property you are buying. Find out how much you’re likely to pay using the Government’s Stamp Duty calculator.

Mortgage Fees
While not technically a mortgage fee as such, you will need to budget for the deposit you require to purchase your property, usually between 5% and 20% of the value of the property you are purchasing. You may also find that your mortgage is subject to valuation fees and product fees, so always check with your lender for any additional costs involved.

Survey
When buying a home you need to obtain a survey of the property, completed by a surveyor. Responsible for flagging any major issues with the property, they are well worth the few hundred pounds they cost.

Estate Agent Fees
If you’re selling your existing home, as well as purchasing a new one, you’ll find that you will need to pay a fee to your estate agent upon completion of the sale. If you’re selling your home and would like to use an agency that passes on the savings it makes to its customers we’d be delighted to assist you in both selling and purchasing your new home.

Removal Fees
Remember to factor in moving your belongings to your new home. Whether you’re planning on hiring a self drive van or getting a removal company in to do it for you, shop around for a quote that works for you.

Home Insurance
In order to obtain a mortgage you will need buildings insurance as a minimum, which insures the property itself against damage. You’ll be looking at around £100 a year for such a policy, which you can also combine with your contents insurance policy.

Remember you’ll also need a contingency fund to fix any issues the survey picked up on, along with unexpected expenses as they arise.

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 | What You Need to Know

What is the Tenant Fees Act 2019? The Tenant Fees Act bans most letting fees and caps tenancy deposits paid by tenants in the private rented sector in England.
The ban on tenant fees applies to new or renewed tenancy agreements signed on or after 1 June 2019.

The government guidance on the Act for tenants, landlords and letting agents helps explain how this legislation affects them. You might also find the ‘How to Rent’ and ‘How to Let’ guides useful.
The aim of the Act is to reduce the costs that tenants can face at the outset, and throughout, a tenancy. Tenants will be able to see, at a glance, what a given property will cost them in the advertised rent with no hidden costs.

The party that contracts the service – the landlord – will be responsible for paying for that service, helping ensure the fees charged reflect the real economic value of the services provided and sharpen letting agents’ incentive to compete for landlords’ business.

Local enforcement authorities have primary responsibility for enforcing this legislation. The Tenant Fees Act created an independent lead enforcement authority to provide advice and information to local authorities on the Act. Bristol city council has been appointed as the lead enforcement authority for lettings.

What are the new fees?
From 1 June 2019, the only payments that landlords or letting agents can charge to tenants for new contracts are:.

Rent
a refundable tenancy deposit capped at no more than 5 weeks’ rent where the total annual rent is less than £50,000, or 6 weeks’ rent where the total annual rent is £50,000 or above
a refundable holding deposit (to reserve a property) capped at no more than 1 week’s rent
payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant
payments in respect of utilities, communication services, TV licence and Council Tax
a default fee for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device giving access to the housing, where required under a tenancy agreement
A Word from The Good Estate Agent
Whilst this is a big change for the industry this will simplify the process for tenants. Ultimately both letting agents and landlords will have the same costs and the income will need to be replaced. It is estimated that rents will go up on average £103 per year per tenant in order to counteract this rise.

Further information regarding the Tenant Fees Act 2019, including rates charged to both landlords and tenants can be found here.

Note: All information is taken from the UK Government website..