Landlords FAQs
Click on the below questions to find the answers
It’s not unreasonable to want a dream tenant who pays on time and appliances that never require replacement. But in real life, landlords have a lot of responsibility. You need to make sure that you adhere to gas and electricity safety regulations, smoke alarms and heat alarms are functional and you carry out an EPC check once every decade. That’s before we even consider ongoing wear and tear of your house. You also need to ensure your tenancy agreement is legally correct and that deposit monies are protected. And that’s even before you find a tenant! It makes sense to have a professional, highly trained team look after the business of renting your property for you.
This varies, depending on how many properties and the level of service you require. We will of course work with you to arrange a cost and package that meets your needs. You can call us anytime for a no obligation chat to talk through your needs.
Absolutely. In addition to our existing database of potential tenants, we will market the property locally and online. When we have sourced tenants, we will check credit references, liaise with guarantors and make sure everything is in place before anyone moves in.
Depending on the package you’ve arranged with us, net funds are transferred into your bank account as soon as they have cleared. We can draw up the tenancy agreement so that rent is paid in time to cover any mortgage payments you may need to make.
The moment a payment is missed, our team will be notified and will contact the tenant straight away. We’ll work hard to resolve the matter and have in place rigorous next steps in the event of non-payment, including verbal warnings, written warnings and legal action.
This isn’t possible during the initial 12 month tenancy period, but when an agreement is due for renewal we’ll advise on achievable rents and work with you manage rent increases.
We know our local areas extremely well and we’ll be able to advise you on budget, area and predicted rents. We can also help you to arrange a suitable mortgage.
You have to give “reasonable notice”, which is usually 24 hours, except in certain cases of emergency. If you’ve taken out one of our more comprehensive packages, get in touch with your dedicated property manager and they’ll sort this out for you.
Your property must be fit for human habitation – the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 makes sure of that. You are responsible for making sure main utilities and services including central heating, gas, electricity, plumbing and any appliances are working. Depending on which of our packages you choose, ongoing maintenance and repairs will be dealt with by Whittley Parish. Of course, the tenant is usually responsible for keeping gardens and any repairs resulting from abuse or misuse in the property.
An inventory is really important to assess wear and tear or damage that needs to be claimed from the tenant’s deposit. If there’s a dispute over deposit monies owed, an inventory helps both parties make their case.
Usually, the tenant pays for the electric, water, heating, council tax costs and contents insurance. Any service charges and buildings insurance would normally be paid by the landlord.
Being a member of ARLA Propertymark (MARLA) means that our staff comply with industry standards and the relevant codes of conduct. Propertymarks guidance keeps us up to date with the numerous legislative changes within the property sector.
If you have any more questions on being a landlord in Norfolk, Call us today. We’ll be happy to help.