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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Renting & Real Estate |
Planning to rent out my 3BR detached house for the first time? |
The future tenants requested me to leave it furnished.Most of the furniture are brand new.How to protect my stuff,and what are the essential basic things(like gas checks) I need to do before I rent out? Also do I have to take any anuual service contract for appliances or is it their headache? First point;- If you have a mortgage on the property you have to inform them and they will change it and probably charge you 1% extra. Second point;-Change your house and contents policy to one that covers you for a tenanted property. Third:-Get an annual gas contract which covers any boiler repairs and will also come and service your boiler and give you a safety certificate that you have to have by law. Fourth;- Get electric checked by qualified electrician and get certificate from him. Fifth;-Get a rental contract drawn up stating the terms of the rental.Length of tenancy agreed (6 month shorthold is safest for you and your tenants) Complete inventory of contents and their condition.Rental amount and deposit(usually 1 months rent)Tenants rules i.e. no smoking,no sub-letting,no noise,no rubish,garden to be kept tidy,windows to be kept clean,no animals,no drugs,and anything else you can think of if these are your wishes.You will get a better type of tenant the more rules you have. Sixth;- You have a responsibility to your tenants to provide them with a clean and safe environment,they in turn have a responsibility to pay their rent,keep your property clean and undamaged and not annoy the neighbours. Good luck it can be fine but it can also be a nightmare,so make sure you pick the right tenant and do do a security and bank check on them first.Also a reference from employer or previous landlord is advisable. Source(s): experience No doubt this sort of thing is well covered by law. If I were you, I'd get in touch with a letting agency. They'll be able to guide you for a fee. Better to be covered.. let my house for the first time Christmas unfurnished but with cooker, carpets and curtains boiler and gas fire have to be serviced and have a corgi certificate which lasts a year. I have a letting agent and have had no problems this is because he has made them sign a contract which states what tenant and landlord are responsible for so no repairs, they have just extended their tenancy for 12 months, agent gets 10 % of rent well worth it for me. if i was doing it i would get a letting agent to do it all for me then they deal with everything from the gas Checks to late payments..... less of a headache! Your best bet would be to use an estate agent that takes on rentals, they normally charge around 5% of the rental price as thier commission. The agents will vet potenial tennants, take a deposit, do an inventory whats in the house and any marks on furnature and carpets etc and will organise for a qualified person to check gas and electrical supply and issue with a landlords certificate of safety. Failing that if you wish to do it your self make sure you do an inventory of everything you are leaving in the house including any marks on furniture, carpets, curtains and appliances. Contact an electrial and gas contractor from the paper that can issue a landlords certificate of safety that covers you in case of any problems and they will do an annual check for the term of the rental. write up a contract with a copy of the inventory attached and make sure you put in thier that any additonal damage to the fixtures and fittings will be paid for by the tennant. Hope this helps Rented privatley and through an estate agent |
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