Tenant moves in
After the referencing process is complete, the tenant receives a confirmation email, along with copies of the relevant safety certificates, the ‘How To Rent’ guide, and a leaflet about the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).
The tenant signs the Tenancy Agreement and pays the remainder of the deposit and the first month’s rent, and we then arrange a time for them to collect their keys.
When the tenants come to our office for key collection, they will need to produce their ID document, e.g., a passport, so that we can carry out the ‘Right to Rent’ check in person.
Before the keys are released, we give the tenant a welcome pack that contains the following:
- Contact details for repairs
- Any other useful contacts
- A leaflet on how to prevent damp and mould
- The Fixflo leaflet – Fixflo is an online platform for managing property repairs and maintenance (this is for our Fully Managed properties only).
A copy of the signed Tenancy Agreement will then be emailed to both the tenant and the landlord.
Collection of rent
The tenancy agreement contains several clauses relating to rent payments, stating the rent amount, how frequently payments are due, and that the tenant should set up a standing order to ensure the payments reach the landlord.
Usually rent payments are due monthly on the date of the month that the tenancy starts – e.g., if the tenancy starts on 6th June, rent will always be due on 6th of the month.
We are usually able to reconcile and transfer the rent payment to you within 2 working days. When we process the payment, you will be sent a statement via post or email.
As well as the usual monthly statements, we are also able to provide an annual statement to show the income and expenditure associated with the property. This document is useful when filing your tax return, so we recommend keeping it safe.
Handling maintenance issues
If the tenant reports a maintenance issue, we have a simple process to inform you of the problem and resolve it.
We will contact you when the issue is reported and arrange for a contractor to visit the property. Once we have a quote from the contractor, we will wait for your permission for the works to go ahead before we confirm with the contractor that work can begin. When the problem has been fixed, the contractor will send their invoice to us.
Organising renewal of tenancy
Both you and your tenant will be contacted by our renewals team to find out if either party wishes to extend the tenancy or serve notice – when we do this depends on the notice period stated in the tenancy agreement.
The landlord’s renewal fee is £100 plus VAT; tenants are not required to pay any renewal fees since the legislation on tenant fees was updated in 2019.
Once a renewal is agreed, the tenant will be sent a document to sign to confirm and we will sign on your behalf.
Property inspections
Property inspections are included as part of our Fully-Managed and Concierge services. The first inspection will take place in the first 3-4 months of any new tenancy. We will create a full report, documenting the current condition of the property in comparison to how it was presented upon the tenant moving in, and we will note whether any works need completing. A copy of this report will be sent to you for your records.
We conduct the first visit early in the tenancy to ensure the tenants are looking after the property in preparation for the first renewal. From here, we carry out an inspection every six months. However, if you have concerns, you are able to pay for additional inspections to be conducted. These inspections are a great way for us to keep in regular contact with your tenants and ensure the property is always kept to a good standard.