Landlord Guide
We’ll beat any quote
With us, it’s personal. We strive to offer you the quality of service you would expect from one of the leading estate agents on the Island, whilst still helping you make the most of your investment. Therefore we offer to beat any quote you receive from any other High Street Estate Agent. Terms & Conditions Apply
Why People Choose Us
‘Valuing people, not just property’ is our motto and is something we work very hard to maintain. Choosing Williams Estate Agents isn’t just about choosing a High Street Estate Agents, its about the people there that will look after you and your property throughout our relationship.
Williams Estate Agents will use their years of experience and market knowledge to get you the best possible price, but at the same time not having the property empty for too long to avoid a long ‘void period’ which is no good to anyone. When asked to perform a rental valuation, we will look with the landlord at the supply and demand for that type of property in that area, along with recently rented property comparisons and we will also take into consideration the general property condition and property features to give the landlord an accurate as possible rental value.
Williams Estate Agents offer flexible packages to suit all types of landlords from tenant find only service through to a full management service.
Marketing
Marketing your Property – Williams Estate Agents will use their years of experience to market your property in the best possible way, to the largest possible audience. High quality imagery with professional details marketed on the leading property portals inc Rightmove, OnTheMarket and woottonestateagents.com, along with more traditional methods such as local papers, islandwide advertising in high foot fall areas and in our busy high street office window on the main road between Ryde and Newport.
Landlord Obligations
As well as abiding by all of the safety regulation as detailed under a separate heading, landlords must also make sure that they get permission to let if needed from their mortgage company. They must also make sure there are no covenants on the property restricting letting. If the property is leasehold they must also make sure they read the lease for the property to again make sure there are no limitations / restrictions to letting. We if requested can help any potential landlord look into this.
We require three sets of keys for the property. Two sets for the tenants and one to be retained by us for the management of the property. If you cannot provide three sets then we can arrange for additional keys to be cut.
The Lettings Process
A brief summary of what will happen once your property is marketed with Williams Estate Agents. The letting process begins with the perspective tenants viewing the property, we accompany all viewings so that we can vet the tenants and get to know them. If they like the property and wish to go forward with renting it they will fill in a detailed application form that we provide for them. This information will tell us the exact number of people who will be occupying the property, their ages and their occupation, it will also tell us if they have any pets, if they are going to be in receipt of Housing Benefit, if they have any CCJ’s or adverse credit and if there are any criminal convictions. This is the information we will then report to the landlord along with our feelings about the tenants so that the landlord can make an informed decision as to whether they would be acceptable and if they can move onto the next stage, referencing. We use one of the market leaders in referencing, Vouch. The referencing stage will confirm the tenants affordability for the rent which requires an employers reference, it will provide us with a landlords reference if they have one, it will confirm if they have any CCJ’s or adverse credit and also previous address history. If they pass this stage we will then offer them the tenancy. If however they come back unacceptable then it is the landlords decision as to whether to still accept them or whether you wish for us to find a different tenants, the referencing will also tell us exactly why they have failed. Once we have got acceptable references we will then agree a move in date between yourself and the tenants, once we have this we will then ensure everything is in place before the move in date. We will then receive the rent and holding deposit is paid a week before so we have it in place before the tenants move in. We will then look after the landlords property on a daily basis to ensure a stress free time for our landlord
Inventory
With any service you decide to choose we would strongly recommend you allow us to arrange a 3rd Party Inventory Report (Small Additional Cost), this includes a detailed report of each room, appliances and their condition, fixtures and fittings etc. The report is also backed up with photos to re-inforce the written detail. This will provide Tenants with a benchmark of what the property condition should be when vacating at the end of their agreement. If at the end of the Tenancy there is any damage to the property and you and the tenant do not reach an amicable agreement with what to withhold from the deposit, it will then be sent to arbitration. At arbitration a judge will assess the evidence and make an informed decision, which both parties have to adhere to. The inventory is a key piece of evidence should any problems arise.
General Maintenance
We suggest that any works required on the property are completed well in advance of the tenancy starting, and that it is left clean, tidy and ready for the new tenants. This will also mean that the property will be in the best condition for the 3rd Party Inventory report.
Maintenance issues do come up from time to time on all rental properties and if you opt for one of our managed services we can arrange for the work to be carried out and we will always do our best to get our landlords the most competitive quote available. In the case of an emergency and if a landlord is not available we will act in what we see as the landlords best interest to protect their investment, meaning you can have complete peace of mind wherever the landlord may be.
As a part of the non-domestic Private Rented Property minimum standards you must have an in date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If you do not have an EPC for the property we can arrange for one to be done on the property (‘Additional Cost’). Follow this web page for more information.
Overseas Landlord
In accordance with the Finance Act 1995 if you are going abroad you may be liable for tax. Therefore it is important that you talk to the Inland Revenue and once your application has been approved by them they will write to us confirming you are to receive rent with no tax deductions.
Safety Regulations
Since 2020 all rental properties have to have have an EICR electrical condition report. There are numerous regulatory and safety regulations that effect renting a property. We will, as you agent guide you through all of them to make sure you tenants are as safe as possible and the property meets all of the requirements. Briefly some of these regulations are Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994, Furniture & Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) in 1989 and 1993, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Plugs & Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994. Legionella risk assessment, the health and safety legislation requires that landlords carry out risk assessments for the Legionella bacteria which cause Legionnaires disease. The landlord has a legal responsibility to supply at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the rental property and a Co2 Alarm should be installed in a room if solid fuel is being used.
