"Fisher Management has provided an excellent service to me for a number of years. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a property management company"
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"Fisher Management has provided an excellent service to me for a number of years. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a property management company" |
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Frequently Asked Questions Who should be informed of my intention to let the property? If your property is mortgaged the lender must be informed. You must provide us with a copy of the lender’s letter of permission. You may also need to inform the landlord if your property is leasehold. As a Landlord, you need to advise your buildings insurer that the property is to be occupied by tenants. If you would like more information on insurance products and services that are designed specifically for Landlords, please contact Letsure on 08700 770 880. Are tenants responsible for damage they cause? Yes! At the start of the tenancy we collect and hold as deposit a sum usually approximating to one month’s rent. The tenant is invited to check and agree the inventory given to them at their move in. The inventory is checked at the end of the tenancy in order to identify any dilapidations and discussions held with My Deposits co.uk relating to deductions from the deposit. For further information please visit http://www.mydeposits.co.uk/. Can I get my property back? Will the tenant leave? Both of these questions have satisfactory answers in the terms of the Housing Act 1988 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. Your Tenancy Agreement with the tenant will normally be a form of Assured Tenancy. This ‘assures’ the tenant of the right to occupy for a specified time and ‘assures’ the landlord that the tenant is obliged to leave at the end of the term if given notice to do so. You must give at least two months’ notice and the tenant must give you at least one month’s notice. When a Landlord gives permission for the tenant to have a pet in the property, we now take a double deposit. What should be left in the property? Any property let furnished should have all the basic essentials for living including things like a cooker, vacuum cleaners, irons etc. However, it’s worth remembering that repair or replacement is your responsibility and obligatory during the tenancy. A television aerial and washing machine plumbing are most helpful. DO NOT leave valuable, much loved heirlooms or special ornaments. Beds must adhere to the Fire & Furnishings Regulations and should be clean and mattresses covered with a fitted plastic cover. Linen is provided by the tenant. It is very much your advantage to be flexible. A prospective tenant with their own bed may be put off if they have to find a place to store yours! At the same time if a tenant wants something that is not provided it is worth considering providing it. Please note that furnished and unfurnished properties generally attract the same level of rent and there is no legal advantage to letting furnished property. If possible, we would advise Landlords to let unfurnished. Unfurnished property generally comprises carpets, curtains, kitchen cupboards and bathroom fittings. What if I want to sell the property? This is best done at a time when the property is empty (although the process could start near the end of a tenancy). We can arrange for the sale or storage of furniture, cleaning of the property, estate agent viewing, legal conveyancing, repairs and generally acting on your behalf. Please ask for details. Remember that tenants sometimes buy the property they are living in! Will my property meet all legal standards required? Probably, although some adjustments may need to be made. Fire regulations require that furnishings should be fire resistant (compliant to the 1988 Fire Regulations). There are Gas and Electricity regulations too; please see further details on page 15. Please note that repairs may have to be made to make a property suitable for letting. These may include repairing the garden fence or adding a stair hand rail. You, as a Landlord, have an obligation to ensure that the property meets health and safety standards. What happens to my property when it is unoccupied? If the property is unoccupied prior to a letting we shall be making visits with prospective tenants and therefore have some oversight of it although we cannot accept any responsibility unless we are instructed under our Home Service service. If, at the end of the tenancy the property is not to be re-let we can offer our Home Service service. Certainly! Fisher Management will arrange this with you towards the end of a twelve month tenancy period. We will advise on current market rents and re-letting prospects. Please note that we generally increase the rental by 5% p.a. Should I disconnect the telephone? If the tenant wants the use of the telephone you should both contact your service provider. You must ask them to close your account. The tenant must ask to take the line over from the conclusion of your account (to avoid reconnection charges). Unfortunately we cannot make arrangements with the telephone service provider on your behalf. Can I keep the telephone number to get it back when the tenant leaves? Yes! You will, however, have to contact your service provider before closing your account. They can then, for a fee, hold your number for you and will issue another number to the tenant. What if the tenant doesn’t pay? We pursue the debt, and usually succeed. If we cannot obtain payment you may need to take court action and instruct a solicitor. If the garden is exceptionally large, offering a gardener may help tenant. If the garden contains rare plants or requires extraordinary maintenance again it may be a good idea. Please note that it is impossible to take an inventory of a garden! For example, how much a shrub is pruned or left to grow is usually a matter of opinion. Little usually happens that cannot be changed to your preference at the end. Are there always problems with tenants? In our experience, no! Provided tenants feel that they are getting a fair deal and the property is properly managed, there are usually no problems. Our service is designed to stand between you and any day to day problems that may arise. We need two full sets of keys for your property including internal and external doors and other locks in use. One set is given to the tenant and one is retained in the office for emergencies. If you do not have sufficient keys we can get extra keys cut for you. Keys are not released to the tenant until move in. For your peace of mind and the peace of mind of your tenant there must be an inventory. The inventory will give clear definition to the property and its contents, the condition of the property and contents and will form part of the contract between you and the tenant. It will assist in the resolution of any issue relating to missing or damaged property, wear and tear and cost of restitution. It is against the inventory that damage or loss is judged at the end of the tenancy. For these reasons, we would highly recommend that an inventory is made of your property and contents. Landlords should be aware that the law requires a tenant to be allowed fair wear and tear on the property. This means that there will inevitably be marks on paintwork and walls etc after a letting. Items missing or damaged beyond repair will be assessed on the basis of new value divided by the anticipated life span, less the percentage proportionate to their age |
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5 Barbican Parade, Barbican Road, Looe, Cornwall, PL13 1EZ |
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Fisher Management Ltd Registered in England and Wales No: 06344139 |
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WesternWeb Ltd |
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