AGENCY AGREEMENT FOR LETTINGS

Anthony Allen Estate Agent is an independent estate agent with wealth of experience in both Sales and Lettings spanning over 27 years in the industry. We offer high quality property management with no compromise on quality of service, endeavouring to build a long working relationship with our Client/s and ensuring your property management transactions run as smooth as possible. We pride ourselves on customer service and customer satisfaction. If you are looking to LET YOUR PROPERTY to quality working vetted professional tenants without compromise on quality of service or high costs associated with lettings, then you have come to the right place.

We are successful because we :

(1) Market your property for FREE, we operate on a NO LET, NO FEE basis with no upfront costs

(2) We advertise your property on Rightmove, Zoopla and Prime location

(3) We carry out a detailed and comprehensive referencing checks on all applicants including background credit check.

(4) We offer a wealth of experience

(5) local knowledge of the lettings market and property industry in general

We take pride in offering the full range of Lettings services tailored to your needs, focusing on our services to you and building a long working relationship with customise lettings solutions to provide exceptional value to our customers.

GENERAL ADVICE FOR LANDLORDS

Mortgages

If your property is mortgaged, you should obtain your mortgagee’s written consent before letting your property.

Leasehold

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

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.

Council Tax

Council tax is the responsibility of the occupier of the property and the Landlord when vacant.

The Inventory

It is important that an inventory of contents and scheduled of condition be prepared in order to avoid misunderstanding or dispute at the end of a tenancy. Without such safeguards, it will be difficult 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 can arrange 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. 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 and Letting Agents, 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 tenants 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 your 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 tenants

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

Keys

Ideally you should provide two sets of keys for the tenants. 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 misuses can be established. Generally, third party service contracts are a good idea, since they usually include cost of parts & labour.

Furnishings

Furnishings covered under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989 & 1993).

The Regulations apply to:

(1) Beds, headboards of beds and mattresses

(2) Sofa beds, futons and other convertibles

(3) Nursery furniture

(4) Garden furniture which is suitable for use inside

(5) Scatter cushions and seat pads

(6) Pillows

(7) Loose and stretch covers for furniture

(8) Extra or replacement furniture purchased for rented accommodation

The Regulations do not apply to :

(1) Antique furniture or any furniture made before 1950

(2) Bed-clothes (including duvets)

(3) Loose covers for mattresses

(4) Pillow cases

(5) Curtains

(6) Carpets

(7) Sleeping bags

Gardens

Gardens should be left neat, tidy and rubbish free, with any lawns cut. Tenants are required to maintain the garden to a reasonable standard. 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 should be provided in a clean condition, and at the end of each tenancy it is the tenants responsibilities to leave the property in similar condition. Having a property in a clean condition is of paramount importance during viewings to attract prospective tenants.

Important Safety Regulations

PLEASE NOTE: The following safety requirements are the responsibilities of the owner/landlord.

Health and Safety – Gas

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and use) Regulations, all gas appliances in tenanted premises must be checked for safety at intervals of not more than 12 months, by a Gas Safe engineer and a safety certificate issued. Records must be kept of the dates of inspections, of defects identified and of any remedial action taken. This can either be arranged by the landlord themselves or by ourselves.

Health and Safety- Electrical

Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations, electrical installations and equipment in the tenanted premises must be safe. You should therefore make visual checks to ensure that all electrical fittings, equipment and leads appear completely safe and undamaged, and arrange for a qualified electrician to deal with any faults that are discovered. Generally, we can provide this service to our landlords at a discounted rate. Landlords can themselves or through ourselves arrange for PAT test on electrical equipment within the property. This PAT test certifies that each portable appliance is electrically safe.

Consumer Protection – Fire

The furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safe) Regulations supplied in the course of letting a property must meet minimum fire resistant standards. In practice, items that comply will have a suitable permanent label attached.

Insurance

Assuming that the correct insurance policies are in place, problems occurring from non- payment of rent to property damage can be covered and minimise any cost in repair and also ensure that rental income lost is reduced to a bare minimum. We will only refer to insurance policies available from our insurance affiliate, although there are other plans available from other sources, but be aware that letting insurance is regarded as specialised and many main stream insurance companies will not provide insurance cover. This is why it is essential to inform your insurance company of your intention to Let since letting may invalidate your current policy.

Insurance can be broken down into three areas:

(1) Building Insurance

(2) Contents

(3) Rent guarantee & legal expenses schemes

The Landlord is responsible for ensuring that the building is insured at all times. The landlord should ensure that their building policy also provides the landlord with essential property owners & employer liability cover. This is essential in case of a claim made by either the tenant or contractors employed in your property.

OUR LETTINGS SERVICES

Anthony Allen Estate Agent use only the most comprehensive references checks as part of our commitment in ensuring a hitch free letting of your property. Our Landlords gain peace of mind as all our tenant/s goes through the most comprehensive and rigorous checks.

We provide you with a comprehensive referencing report comprising :

(1) A tenant’s credit score

(2) Checks for Bankruptcy, CCJ’S/ Court Decrees.

(3) An anti-fraud check

(4) A detrimental credit history, even at undisclosed addresses

(5) A current Landlord reference

(6) An Employer’s income reference

(7) Previous employers reference, if applicable

(8) International tenants referencing, if applicable

LET ONLY SERVICE

Our standard letting commission for finding you a tenant is payable upfront upon the commencement of the tenancy for your property and is calculated on the length of the initial fixed term tenancy with a fee of 10% of the total annual rent for the tenancy term.

Our LET ONLY SERVICE is the basic service available from Anthony Allen Estate Agent and will ensure that a quality tenant is secured for your rental property as quick as possible. The minimum Letting fee is £500.00 per annum. Renewal tenancies (either fixed term or periodic) to the same tenant introduced by Anthony Allen Estate Agent are charged at the reduced rate of 7.5% of the rent for the term of the extension.

Range of Services

(1) An initial visit to your property by an experienced lettings professional resulting in an accurate rent assessment and market appraisal of your property

(2) Advice on Regulations and legal aspect of lettings

(3) Advice on strategic marketing to present your including impartial advice on property presentation and refurbishments

(4) Prominent property display and current industry information on Anthony Allen website and multi -listing with rightmove, Zoopla and Prime location

(5) Social media advertising, Facebook and Twitter

(6) Display prominent TO LET and LET BY boards

(7) Select registered applicant who fits your tenant criteria

(8) Accompanied viewings by a member of our experienced lettings team

(9) Anthony Allen Estate Agent will inform you of appropriate offers and will negotiate with prospective tenants in accordance with your instructions.

(10) Outsourcing to acclaimed credit reference agency to reference prospective tenant/s

(11) Drafting of Tenancy Agreement and relevant documentation using Docu-sign a provider of electronic signature technology for your convenience

(12) Holding of the tenant’s deposit in the capacity of stakeholder and registering it with the IDS (Tenants Deposit Scheme)

(13) Reviewing property rents on an annual basis and negotiating rent increases where applicable.

In addition to the letting fee, there is a charge for the provision and preparation of our tenancy agreement which is drawn up by our Solicitors and this includes any updates required to this throughout the term of the tenancy. £199 at the outlet of the original tenancy £150 for new tenancy agreement at the point of renewal

RENT COLLECTION SERVICE

In addition to all the care we take under our LET ONLY service, The RENT COLLECTION SERVICE is designed to cover all aspects of the money process, so that you do not need to keep checking your bank account to see if the rent has been paid, or chase up late payments, send receipts , keep track of statements , bill payments , invoices etc. The fee for this is 12% of the total annual rent for the tenancy term. You will be informed of any rent arrears or breaches of contracts brought to our attention. However, if legal action is required, you will be responsible for instructing your own solicitors and for all the fees involved.

Range of Services

These services are in addition to those listed as part of our range of services in the LET ONLY section

(1) To ease your cash flow, we will accept your fees paid in four equal instalments over the first four months of the tenancy. Please note that fees remain due for the entire period that a tenant, introduced by Anthony Allen Estate Agent remains in your property, either on a fixed term, periodic or other tenancy type.

(2) Collection of rent by standing order with rent transferred into your bank account electronically with a statement account of rent

(3) Incoming monthly rent monitored on a weekly basis and rent arrears procedure implemented in the event of non- payment

(4) In the event of court action being required for tenancy breaches under rent arrears, a complete log of payment history and credit control processes will be provided to your solicitors.

FULL MANAGEMENT SERVICE

In addition to all of the care we take under our LET ONLY and RENT COLLECTION services, the fully managed service is designed to take care of everything, so that you can just get on with other day to day activities and watch the rent come in and know your property is in safe hands. The fee for this is 15% of the total annual rent for the tenancy term.

Range of services

These services are in addition to those listed as part of our range of services in the LET ONLY and RENT COLLECTION service

(1) To ease your cash flow, we will accept your fees paid on a monthly basis from the rent as it arrives in our account. Please note, fees remain due for the entire period that a tenant, introduced by Anthony Allen Estate Agent remains in your property, either on a fixed term, periodic or other tenancy type.

(2) Serving statutory legal notices for possession in accordance with the 1988 Housing Act and presentation of prescribed information as required

(3) Negotiating tenancy renewals in accordance with your instructions

(4) Accurate advice from our trained and dedicated team

(5) Access to Anthony Allen Estate Agent’s online property management and maintenance emergency help line for your tenant’s peace of mind

(6) Financial annual statement for you and or your tax advisors if required

(7) Negotiation of the deposit release to Landlord or tenant/s

(8) Co-ordination with local reputable contractors for property maintenance at competitive rates or prices

(9) Arrange a quarterly inspection of your property via the tenant/s and supply of report

(10) Ensure property is fully compliant in accordance with all current legal safety obligations.

(11) Arrange accompanied property schedule of condition, inventory check I and check out visits

(12) Arrange Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

TENANCY ISSUES

In the event of the tenant/s failing to vacate the property after being served with a notice to vacate/quit, the landlord will NOT hold the agent responsible. The Landlord understands that it is their duty to ensure that sufficient insurance policies are in place to cover the repair and legal cost involved.