THE LETTING PROCESS
We understand that moving home can be an exciting yet stressful experience. Our friendly and empathetic team is dedicated to making it as stress-free as possible. We prioritize taking the stress out of your home move. Our goal is to listen to your needs, help you find the right property, and guide you throughout the process. We pride ourselves on offering a professional and efficient service.
Below is a guide to the letting process, which aims to provide you with tips and assistance when considering renting out a property. We hope you find this guide useful. If you’re ready for the next step or prefer a face-to-face discussion, we’re here to assist you at your convenience. You can arrange this through our website, email, phone call, or by visiting our branch.
1
CHOOSING AN ESTATE AGENT
When choosing an Estate Agent consider what kind of marketing your property will receive, their high street presence and their opening hours. If your agents advertising is limited, so will your letting potential. Also make sure there’s no extra cost for additional advertising and more importantly there isn’t an upfront cost for any work your agent carries out.Â
2
ACCURATE VALUATION
Your goal as a landlord should be to let your property for the highest price in the shortest time, remember, an empty property loses money so it’s important to get the pricing right. We value thousands of properties every year and we’re at the very centre of the local property market which gives us unrivalled knowledge of pricing property locally.
3
INSTRUCTION
When you instruct your agent they should book an appointment to come and take photographs and arrange for an Energy Performance assessment in order to start marketing the property.
4
AGENCY AGREEMENT
If you like a place you’ve seen, the next stage involves getting a let agreed. Begin by putting down a holding deposit in order to state your intention to rent the property and have it taken off the market.Â
5
PROPERTY PRESENTATION
Even if you’ve received valuations from local estate agents, you may opt to sell your home through a different method. If you decide to sell through an estate agent, be sure to compare their fees and negotiate for a better deal, including the fee, tie-in period, and notice periods. After selecting the company to work with, you’ll sign a contract that outlines the terms and conditions for selling your home; this is commonly referred to as ‘instructing’.
6
MARKETING
We will place your property on the market within 2 working days after the instructions. We will upload your property immediately to our website, match with our database, contact prospective tenants, place your property on Rightmove, Zoopla and various other website.
7
VIEWINGS
To maximise viewing opportunities, ensure your agent is open when potential tenants are looking to view properties. Also make sure your agent has tenants to contact prior to adverting.
8
NEGOTIATING AN OFFER
It is a legal requirement that all properties in England and Wales are marketed with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which gives your property an energy efficiency rating. An EPC is a report detailing the energy efficiency of a property. It gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years.Â
9
REFERENCING PROCESS
If an agreement is reached we will start the referencing process immediately (it usually takes about 7 working days) and it covers credit history, employment history, previous landlords and any reference guarantors if required.
10
TENANCY AGREEMENT
Once the references have passed the Tenancy Agreement will be drawn up and sent to you. Sign the agreement and return to us or give written permission for LLHÂ to do so on your behalf.
11
DEPOSIT
Tenants are required to pay a deposit prior to the start of the agreement. As from 2007 all deposits under an Assured Shorthold Agreement, which is the majority of agreements signed, must be registered and proof of registration will be provided
12
INVENTORY
We will arrange for an inventory of your property and deal with any compliance issues e.g. Landlords Gas safety certificate.
13
TENANCY RENEWAL
2 months prior to the end of your fixed term Intercounty will contact you to discuss your future plans. We will assess the current market position and advise accordingly and then contact your tenant to discuss their plan
14
SERVING NOTICE
If you wish to serve notice we will advise on the necessary steps given the circumstances – e.g. whether fixed term (as above) or periodic and serve the necessary notices.
