Property Information

Landlord’s Obligations

The landlord is obliged to comply with Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. You will be responsible for maintaining the structure and exterior of your property, heating and plumbing installations and dealing with routine repairs. If your property is leasehold you will be responsible for paying the service charge and ground rent.

Tenant’s Obligation

The tenant has a duty to take care of the property and use it in a reasonable way, pay the rent and keep to the terms of the tenancy agreement that have been negotiated. If the tenant or visitors cause damage to the property then the tenant is responsible for the cost of repair providing it is not deemed to be fair wear and tear.

Buildings and Contents Insurance

All landlords should ensure that they have adequate buildings insurance in place. Please note that standard buildings insurance you would have if you were living in the property may not be sufficient once the property is tenanted. We would suggest that you check the cover on your policy to ensure that it covers periods when the property is empty and that you thoroughly check your policy properly. If you have any problems with insurance we can refer you to a broker who will be able to assist you further.

It is not your responsibility to have contents insurance in place as tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents and personal belongings. We would only suggest that you have contents insurance where the property is furnished.

Leasehold Properties

If your property is leasehold your lease will specifically state whether or not you are able to let your property and, if you are then you may need to obtain the necessary permission to sub-let from the freehold or managing agent. It is essential that you clarify the situation before marketing your property and we will need to see a copy of your lease to clarify what restrictions or type of letting is approved.

Inventory

Many landlords believe they can provide an inventory themselves. We strongly advise against this. An inventory should be a report that is carried out on the property by an independent third party. The Inventory Clerk will not only list the contents of the property, but also the condition of the property. It is important that a third party carries out the inventory as should there be a dispute over the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy then a copy of the report can be produced.

Cleaning

We advise that a property should be professionally cleaned prior to the tenant moving in.