Your responsibilities as a landlord: what you need to know
As soon as you have accepted the offer and agreed the terms of the tenancy, we will arrange the contracts for both parties. We will also arrange when to provide the keys to your tenants.
If by any chance you manage your own property, we will share your contact details with the tenants, so that maintenance or repair issues can be resolved during the tenancy. If James Anderson is responsible for managing your property affairs, then your designated Portfolio Coordinator will work within the local office. Unlike all of our competitors, you will always have your property looked after by our local office and local staff and they are always there for you and your tenant. Please feel free to get in touch at any time, we always look forward to seeing you whenever you find yourself in the High Street.
Prior to the end of the tenancy, your Portfolio Coordinator will contact you to find out your wishes of continuing the tenancy or re-letting your property. Whatever the decision, James Anderson is able to assist you whether with the renewal of the Tenancy Agreement or finding new tenants for your property.
As the prime lettings agency in South West London, we are up to date with all legislation involved in the lettings sector, and with over 170 pieces of legislation that affect landlords, we are able to assist you through the lettings process and provide you the right advice to keep you up-to-date.
The following topics are some of the latest rules of the current lettings regulation:
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
The new safety legislation that took effect in October 2015 states that all rented properties must have smoke alarms fitted on each floor, and carbon monoxide alarms in any room where solid fuel is being burnt. This rule applies to all current tenancies, and all James Anderson rental properties are compliant to this regulation. James Anderson will not provide any services if your property is breaking this rule, so please speak to our Property Management team in our Lettings office for advice in how to proceed.
Right to Rent
Landlords have the responsibility to check that their tenants have the legal right to reside and work in the UK, according to the Immigration Act 2014. A review of this declaration has been made, and new sections have been added since then to include the Immigration Act 2016. James Anderson carries out this check prior to the start of any tenancy, as part of our detailed vetting, to ensure that our landlords are compliant with this law.
Notice to end a tenancy
Landlords are now restricted in ending tenancies in certain circumstances – where they failed to protect the deposit or to supply information to the tenant at the start of a tenancy. This includes the Energy Performance Certificate, the Gas Safety Certificate, details of the Deposit Protection, a signed Tenancy Agreement with detailed information of the terms agreed and the Government’s How to Rent checklist. Without the correct serving of these documents a knowledgeable tenant would be well within their rights to refuse to leave the property.
Gas Safety
Under the Gas safe Regulations 1998, all landlords are obliged to perform gas safety check on their properties. These checks should be at intervals of no longer than 12 months and must be carried out by a specialist gas engineer, registered on the Gas Safety Register. A copy of the gas safety certification should be given to the tenant before moving into the property.
Failing to do this will ensure as a landlord you will face a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and be punished by fines or imprisonment.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
Landlords are responsible for ensuring that their property has safe electrical circuits and fittings, and we strongly recommend all our landlords to get an EICR, where it states the condition of the electrics in your property, giving you the peace of mind that you are compliant with this law.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
All rented properties must have an EPC, with a minimum energy performance rating of E. According to the new rules, from April this year, all tenants have the right to request energy efficiency improvements to their properties. This regulation will take effect for new lets and renewals of tenancies from the 1st of April 2018 and for all existing tenancies from 1st of April 2020. If your property is affected by this legislation, please contact James Anderson Property Management services for advice on how you should proceed.
Read our blog post on obligations as a landlord here.
