If you are considering letting your home there are probably a number of questions that you have. We have answered some of the most common questions below along with details of our services and fees.

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Choosing your letting agent
Your agent will be looking after a valuable asset. You need to have confidence in him, both at the time of letting and throughout the rental period. As a member firm of ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) and NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents), you can be sure that standards are of the highest.

Furnished & unfurnished lettings
Are covered by the present legislation and we can advise on either type of letting. Furnishings must be of good quality and MUST comply with The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (As Amended): Rented Furnished Accommodation.
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Peace of mind
Applicants wishing to proceed, who seem acceptable, are referenced before commencement. In addition there are legal expense and loss of rent insurance products available to Landlords so that in the event of a tenant defaulting on rent or refusing to vacate, or in the event of any other Landlord/Tenant related dispute, your insurance company will instruct specialist solicitors to liaise with us. The costs of any legal action will be covered by the policy (subject to status and any excess). Details of these schemes are available on request.

Insurance and Risk Management for Landlords Protecting your investment property
Mead Property Management are able to provide details of various providers of insurance products specifically designed for the private rented sector Landlords and Tenants and will arrange for their representative to contact you to discuss your insurance requirements unless you specifically ask not to be contacted.

Products include:

• Landlords Household Insurance
• UK Holiday Homes Insurance
• Buildings Insurance
• Legal Protection
• Rent Protection
• Landlords Emergency Assistance
• Tenants Contents Insurance
• Homecover

Legal Protection
Tenant’s circumstances can change and even the best references in the world cannot guarantee what might happen in the future. Wouldn’t it be great to remove some of the worry of facing unknown and expensive legal bills in the event that your tenant breaches the Tenancy Agreement? We can assist by offering you details of providers of Legal Protection insurance and other products. (subject to status, terms and conditions apply).
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Insurance
You MUST notify both your contents and buildings insurers of your intent to let your property. If cover is withdrawn, we can offer landlords details of other providers who may offer competitively priced alternatives arranged through a major insurance company.
Mortgaged & leasehold property
If your property is mortgaged, or leasehold, you MUST obtain your Lender’s and Lessor’s permission to let the property. Many tenants will require proof of this.

Landlords Household Insurance
Finding specialist insurance for rental property can sometimes be a challenge. All too often landlords find their property is not adequately covered by standard insurance policies. We can offer you details of specialist providers able to offer comprehensive property insurance specifically for the rental market.

Landlords Emergency Assistance
We recommend that your rental property is kept in good working order. But emergencies can occur and that unexpected call in the middle of the night or during an important meeting is often inconvenient, and even worse, expensive. Damage to essential services like the electricity supply at your property can be an untimely reminder of your responsibilities. A solution to this could be Landlords Emergency Assistance Insurance, subject to policy terms and conditions, the provider will arrange for an Approved Contractor to visit your property to effect emergency repairs.

Income tax
Income arising from the letting of your property is assessable for tax, even though you may be regarded as being a non-resident in the UK for tax purposes. Certain expenditure incurred is allowable. If you are resident abroad during the let period, we (or your tenant if no agent instructed) are obliged to deduct and retain and pay tax quarterly at the standard rate until the Inland Revenue confirms liability for the year in question has been cleared or an Exemption Reference has been granted Please request a tax exemption application form. We also suggest that an Accountant be appointed in these circumstances to minimise your liability.
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Landlord’s repossession
Should not present a problem provided the correct steps are taken. We will be pleased to advise on this aspect. To obtain possession, it is important the Notice to Quit or Notice of Intent to Repossess is served at the correct time and in the proper form.

Tenancy agreements
Most tenancies, except for Company lets, are given under a fixed term Assured Shorthold Agreement (usually a minimum six months), at the end of which, subject to notice, or agreed extension, the tenant must vacate the property. We usually prepare the Tenancy Agreement and relevant Notices for the letting. However, we will only sign as Agent on your behalf where you have formally asked us to do so by completing our Client Instructions to Agent Forms. We will advise on the type of Agreement/Notice required given the relevant circumstances.

Rents
We advise on a market rent when our initial inspection of the property is made. Our opinion on the rental figure will be based on experience of current market trends and will take into account numerous factors, such as location, condition and presentation of the property. Rental opinions between Agents may differ slightly, but if more than one is instructed, it is important that we all offer the property at the same rent.

Letting & rent receival
Tenants are usually required to pay rent monthly in advance to us. This means we are able to monitor payments closely, arrears can be quickly spotted and the necessary steps taken for recovery.

Accounting (Letting & Rent Receival & Full Management)
Computerised rental statements of account and payments to the Client are prepared and payments made monthly as soon as practical after receipt of rent. Payments are usually by electronic transfer or by cheque if specifically requested & statements of account where possible are sent by email All Clients’ and Tenants’ monies are held in Client Accounts separate to the Firm’s accounts and are protected under the ARLA Bonding Scheme. Fees are subject to VAT and are payable on invoice or by deduction.

Utility services & local authorities
Where possible, we will arrange for the council tax, water rates, electricity and gas accounts to be transferred into the Tenant’s name. We are not usually able to deal with the telephone service.
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Repairs (Full Management only).
We undertake and will with the authority of your signed “Instructions to Agent “forms arrange for minor and emergency repairs to be carried out as and when necessary. If there is a major item of repair, unless an emergency, we would seek your specific authority and advise if there is a possibility of claiming against the Buildings or Contents Insurance Policy. All Contractors will be instructed by you, either directly, or through ourselves, and their invoices will be for your account.

Homecover
Your home is likely to be your biggest asset, so it makes sense for you to protect it. will arrange for you to be contacted by a provider who will be able to advise you on most of your needs.

Maintenance agreements
Major appliances including plumbing and heating, should be left in good order and, where possible, be covered by maintenance agreements. Landlords are expected to maintain any items supplied with the tenancy and, in some cases, are required to do so in law, especially with regard to the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1994 and the Electrical Regulations. These regulations apply to both appliances and fixed installations. We should be advised of all items covered by guarantee.

Energy Performance Certificate
Since 1st October 2008 All rented property is required to have an Energy Performance Certificate, which will be valid for 10 years. This must be available to show to prospective tenants when they first see the property or ask for details

Deposit
We will obtain a deposit from the tenant, which will usually be held by us as Stakeholder or in some circumstances as Agent for the Landlord, to defray the cost of any dilapidations and accounts and rent outstanding at the termination of the tenancy. This deposit is returnable to the tenant when there are no such items outstanding. Deposits are now protected in law and may only be used with agreement by both parties or after arbitration by the independent adjudicator.

Inventories
An inventory of contents, including a schedule of condition of the property, is strongly recommended. If required this will be prepared by an independent Inventory Clerk. An inventory check will take place at the beginning and termination of the tenancy and any dilapidations found by the Inventory Clerk will be noted and assessed and reported to us or to you directly. All Inventory Agents will be instructed by you, either directly, or through ourselves, and their invoices will be for your account. We cannot enter into disputes with the tenant over dilapidations where there has been no proper inventory check in or out.
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Postal arrangements
You should inform the Post Office of your change of address. We will forward to you any personal correspondence passed to us, but we cannot guarantee that the tenant will hand over mail once he has taken possession.

Gardens
Generally, the Tenancy Agreement provides for the tenant to maintain the garden, although this does not usually include pruning trees, climbing plants such as Ivy or Wisteria or large hedges. The garden should therefore be handed over in good order and appropriate tools and equipment must be provided for the tenant to maintain it. If other arrangements are to be made, such as a part-time gardener, mention will need to be made in the agreement; we would only supervise this as part of our periodic inspections (Full Management only).

General experience
From experience, we find that tenants often do not look after your home quite as well as if it were their own and we remind you, therefore, that on your return you should expect some wear and tear, especially after a long period.
It is also important that the property is well maintained and in good condition, to attract the right applicant.
To assist in the preparation of the inventory, we recommend that items of special sentimental value, linen, small ornaments etc, be omitted from the letting. We also suggest that items of miscellaneous cleaning materials, storage tins and goods stored in garages and sheds, be sorted prior to the tenancy, as unless otherwise agreed, these items will not be listed, or merely listed as “a variety of stored items”. However, as tenants are responsible for cleaning, suitable equipment such as brooms, dustpans and brushes and vacuum cleaners may be left.

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