Landlord FAQs

Landlords should definitely obtain building insurance – there are landlord specific packages.
In order to sell this a company needs to be SEA trained, therefore James Anderson cannot sell them but we can point you in the right direction.
Your property manager can also liaise with insurers if any claims are made (with the landlords permission) and they will arrange quotes or works if maintenance repairs are required.

Not during the agreed term, however when the tenancy comes to renewal/extension there is an opportunity to discuss and negotiate rent changes with your tenant(s).

Yes you can. We recommend doing this via DPS through James Anderson but there are many schemes available.
If there are any disputes, having a property manager to mediate is really beneficial. The only stage we do not get involved with is discussions around what is owed on the deposit.

There are a couple of ways of going about this, dependent on the details of the tenancy agreement. The simplest way is to serve two months notice upon the tenant – where the tenancy agreement allows you to do so.
If not, the end of the tenancy is the final date stated in the contract and you cannot take the property back before this date.

Yes, so long as suitable notice is served (at least 24 hours) and this is arranged with the tenants.
Part of James Anderson’s full service is quarterly inspections. We recommend that when possible, inspections are carried out by a non-biased, third party.

When a tenant is a full two months in arrears, a landlord is able to serve a section 8 notice that requires the tenant to surrender and vacate the property because of this breach of contract.
In this unlikely circumstance, your property manager would pursue the tenant at three days, seven days, fourteen and twenty-one days.
The benefit of our comprehensive service is the ‘rent guarantee’. With this, if a tenant stops paying rent or if the property is vacant, rent will still be covered and paid to the landlord.

If stated in the agreement that pets are not allowed, this is a breach of contract. The property manager would liaise with the tenant on the landlord’s behalf to resolve this.

The tenant is responsible for keeping the property clean and well maintained.
If the infestation is due to natural circumstances, and the property has been well maintained and kept clean, the landlord is responsible for taking care of the problem.

Most correspondence will be carried out over the phone, in person or via email. We can be guided by client on their preferred means of contact.
As well as being kept up to date regularly by the property manager via these channels, we have the MyHome portal for things like invoices and statements.

Paying utility/council tax whilst vacant bills, forwarding on post etc …HMRC reporting, responsibilities and client’s non-relevant exemption number, we can help with all of these!

We have a dedicated out of hours team, available by phone from 6pm on weekdays until 8.45am and from 6pm on Fridays – 8.45am on Monday. You can contact them using a dedicated phone number. This service is to be used for emergencies only such as gas or electric failures and leaks
Our offices and your normal property manager will be contactable at all other times.

The rental guarantee. This is provided with our comprehensive management service and means that if a tenant stops paying rent or if the property is vacant, rent will still be covered and paid to the landlord.

Your property manager is contactable 9-6pm Mon-Fri. For out of hours emergencies, contact our out of hours team.

Yes agency fees are tax deductible and you can claim these back.

We offer a reduced ‘vacate manager service’ that includes quick and less regular inspections and reports back to the landlord. This is offered at a lower fee (£180 inc VAT pm).

We currently have 250-300 on our books (Barnes ~112 East Sheen ~58 and Putney ~83 respectively).

We have a core set of five go-to contractors who we trust and have a long-term working relationship with (they have been with us for a number of years).
Some are more specific e.g. locksmiths, carpet fitters, flooring, sash windows.
Where works are required we always obtain three quotes or more.
If a landlord has a preferred contractor, we are happy to use them.
We review contractors according to quality and their quotes – our team meet with contractors quarterly for review meetings.

The tenant or landlord will report the issue to their property manager directly.
Your property manager will then decide on the best course of action, on behalf of the landlord.
Where significant works or cost are incurred and it is non-emergency, the property manager will liaise with the landlord prior to go ahead.
We do our best to alleviate issues over phone where possible e.g of flicking switches or changing settings and go and to inspect the issue ourself if necessary.

If a landlord has a preferred contractor, we are happy to use them.

These are currently conducted by an independent company.
The company we use can usually update the landlords previous inventory, if it was a professional one.

These are offered as quarterly (with our full and comprehensive plans) but we are happy to go with what the landlord would prefer e.g. six months.
We are not able to carry out more than four per year – this breaches the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the residence.

Open 7 days a week, 8am - 11pm

Property Management

Barnes

East Sheen

Putney

Our landlords ask...