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There have been several legislation changes over the years and there are a lot more expected. There is some great guidance on the Government website, but basically, as a landlord, you must:
- Keep your rented property safe and free from health hazards. It must conform with The Housing Health & Safety Rating System under The Housing Act 2004, which covers things like damp and mould, lighting, staircases, ventilation, and a wide range of other things.
- Make sure all gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained. Annual Gas Safety checks must be carried out and the electrical installations including wiring, sockets, consumer units, etc, must be inspected and tested every five years to ensure national electrical safety standards are met. Copies of Gas Safety Certificates and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) must be provided to tenants.
- Provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the property. Its rating must be E or above, unless an exemption applies, and it needs renewing every 10 years.
- Fit smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with fixed combustion appliances, such as boilers, and evidence that they are in working order.
- Protect your tenant’s deposit in a government approved scheme and provide copies of the paperwork to the tenant.
- Check your tenant has the right to rent your property.
- Give your tenant a copy of the ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England’ guide.
You should also arrange buildings insurance, and ensure any blinds are safe by design with no looped cords to prevent accidents.
There’s a lot to do! Then there’s finding suitable tenants and the screening process, periodic inspections and inventories, ongoing property maintenance, etc. I know I’m biased, but personally, I would enlist the help of a lettings agency as they deal with these things all the time and have the knowledge and experience to handle it all thoroughly and efficiently!
If we can be of any more help, feel free to ask – give our experienced, award-winning lettings team a call on 01392 204800.
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We’re often asked about Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and what it means for properties affected by them. Basically, local authorities have the power to safeguard individual trees, groups of trees and even whole woodlands if they are of a certain age or species, protecting them from deliberate damage and destruction, which includes felling, lopping, topping, uprooting or otherwise wilful damage, however well intended.
There are thousands of TPOs in place in the UK and for homeowners with one on or near their land they come with responsibilities and restrictions.
Any management work, trimming, maintenance or removal of a tree with a TPO or in a conservation area, needs permission from the local planning authority and must be undertaken by an agreed contractor. If any work takes place without approval, the Council can prosecute, which could result in a fine of between £2,500 and £20,000.
So, you’ve found your dream home but there’s a protected tree on the plot. Find out the species of the tree and how often maintenance is likely to be required. Think about how the tree will change with the seasons and if this will cause any issues. Check with your mortgage lender if the TPO will have any impact on your mortgage. Local Authority Searches will flag up a TPO during the conveyancing process so any decisions can be made early on in the process.
if you’re considering selling a property with a TPO, consider writing a fact sheet to share with prospective buyers how you have enjoyed the tree, and perhaps include some photos showing how the tree looks in changing seasons. You could also pre-empt any objections by getting a tree survey done so potential buyers can set their minds at rest before making an offer.
If you have any further questions about TPOs or any other property-related matter, we have a team of highly experienced property professionals, including Chartered Surveyors, who can help. Visit our website for more information or call us on 01392 204800.
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A property chain occurs during the buying and selling process and can cause the biggest frustration! At the bottom of the chain is a buyer with nothing to sell – either a first-time buyer, an investor or someone else who just isn’t selling. At the top of the chain is someone who is only looking to sell – it could be an investment property, a probate sale, an empty property or someone buying a new build, for example.
In between are all the other links – people who are both buying and selling, forming a sequence of property transactions that must all come together for completion at the same time.
A chain can only move as fast as its slowest link and can collapse at any point before exchange of contracts due to something completely out of anyone’s control – for example, someone in the chain may have lost their job, had a separation or bereavement, or been refused a mortgage due to survey issues.
Basically, the shorter the chain the better as the smaller the chance of unforeseen delays or breakages. Buyers of a property with no onward chain have no risk of a knock-on effect from anyone else’s sale or purchase. And sellers with more than one interested buyer to choose from would ideally opt to sell to a first-time buyer, investor or someone not looking to sell, for a smaller chain.
In some instances, it is beneficial for sellers in the middle of a long chain to break it by going ahead with their sale and temporarily moving in with family or renting short-term, making them more attractive as buyers by having no downward chain.
If you’d like any more advice, we have a lovely team of highly experienced property specialists who can help. Call us on 01392 204800.
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