Nelsons Residential Property Rental Agents

Having been in the property business themselves for many years, the owners of Nelsons understand that what a Landlord wants from a Letting Agent, apart from the usual requirements of efficiency and professionalism, is;
  • Good communication.
  • A pro-active approach.
  • An absence of problems.

An empty property earns no-one any money; an unsuitable tenant brings nothing but headaches.

THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE

INITIAL VISIT AND ADVICE

A free, no obligation, visit to the property in question to advise on rental valuation, furnishings, specific stipulations, current legislation and prevailing market conditions.

MORTGAGE LENDERS PERMISSION

Where the property in question is mortgaged, assistance can be given concerning the requirement to advise the mortgagor. Different lending companies have varying stipulations and criteria that must be met and we are happy to assist you in completing their application forms.

MARKETING

Brief particulars are prepared to circulate to prospective tenants. Advertisements are placed in the local press, details are included on our computer generated property list and extensive use is made of the internet through this dedicated website.

VIEWING

Appointments for selected applicants to view the property are always made through us as your agent. Accompanied viewing is mandatory where a property is unoccupied, or where a Landlord specifically requests.

REFERENCE CHECKS

Full financial and employers references are taken up, together with credit checks and any other checks that we deem necessary. In certain circumstances the selected applicant will be asked to provide a Guarantor for their Tenancy, upon whom full references are also required. An offer of a Tenancy is not made until satisfactory references have been received, credit checks have been concluded, and all stipulations and conditions have been met. You are quite at liberty to meet the selected applicant before a final decision is reached.

PRIOR TO OCCUPATION

The Tenant will attend our office and sign the relevant Tenancy Agreement, together with any further relevant document that is required and salient to individual tenancies. At no later than this juncture the Tenant will provide cleared funds for payment of the agreed rent and security deposit. Please note that we will require two full sets of keys; one set will be handed to the ingoing Tenant, the other set will be retained by us.

RENTS/ACCOUNTS

We account to you on a monthly basis and you will receive, each month, a statement detailing the amount of rent received, together with any deductions made (for example, our agreed commission, and the cost of any works of repair/maintenance that you have agreed to being carried out during that month). The net rent figure is credited to your nominated bank/building society account by the banks automated credit transfer system (BACS) thus ensuring that this is cleared into your account with the minimum delay.

INSPECTIONS

Regular inspections of the property are made to ensure proper care is exercised throughout the Tenancy. We also note and advise where any specific repairs or maintenance are required.

TENANCY AGREEMENTS

It is of vital importance that the correct Tenancy Agreement is used to create the letting. The Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Housing Act 1996, makes provision to create Agreements for varying lengths of term. The specific legal requirements for these documents, together with any amendments or additions required (which may be unique for your property) can be discussed upon consultation.

STAMP DUTY

The year 2000 Budget introduced some very important changes to the requirements for Tenancy Agreements to be "stamped". The new rules apply to any Tenancies that were created on or after the 28th March 2000. The Budget made it very clear that unstamped Agreements would not be accepted by the courts and introduced tougher penalties for non-payment. This has very important and far-reaching ramifications for Landlords who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having to commence legal proceedings against their Tenant. Since this new legislation does not apply to all residential lets we will be able to advise whether you must comply upon consultation.

FINAL UTILITY READINGS

Upon the Tenant taking occupation of the property we will advise all utility companies and relevant local authorities of the change of occupant (with the exception of the telephone line provider). We can help if you are unhappy with your current utility provider.

INVENTORY

We cannot over emphasise the importance of creating a fully detailed Inventory of the fixtures, fittings, furnishings and effects, together with an attached schedule showing the condition of the same, within the property. We strongly recommend that this is prepared by ourselves, or another professional organisation such as a dedicated Inventory Clerk Company. It should be noted that we will not be responsible to check an Inventory unless the original has been prepared by us.

TERMINATION OF TENANCY

Should you wish to regain possession of your property, for whatever reason, we shall require your written instructions and will thereafter issue the statutory Notice to the Tenant at the appropriate time. It is rare that a Tenant "holds over" at the expiry of the Notice period. Indeed, experience shows that most Tenants under Notice will find alternative accomodation prior to the expiry date of the Notice. In the event that legal intervention is required, we will co-operate fully with your appointed solicitor to ensure the issue is expedited as quickly as possible.