Our Lettings Services

We offer landlords two different levels for the letting and management of your property.

1. Full Management Service

This is our most comprehensive and popular service and includes the following:

  • Rental assessment
  • Extensive marketing
  • Full particulars
  • Accompanied viewings
  • Comprehensive referencing
  • Tenancy documents
  • Tenancy deposit
  • Move-in service
  • Inventory with colour photographs and full annotation
  • Inspections
  • Safety regulations
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Rent collections
  • Production of landlord statements
  • Full check-out service
  • Utilities
  • Rent guarantee option
2. Tenant Find Service

This service includes the following:

  • Rental assessment
  • Extensive marketing
  • Full particulars
  • Accompanied viewings
  • Comprehensive referencing
  • Tenancy documents
  • Tenancy deposit
  • Move-in service
  • Safety Regulations
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Rental Assessment

A free rental assessment will be provided with quoted rents, exclusive of all domestic services and Council Tax. Once a market rent has been agreed Julian Marks will circulate property details by means of a comprehensive marketing campaign in local media and major internet search engines – Rightmove, Zoopla etc. We contact all suitable tenants on our current waiting list and your property will also appear on our website.

Viewings

Julian Marks Estate Agents accompanies all viewings at your property and it is advisable to supply a spare set of keys to allow us to gain access as, and when, required to ensure a fast, efficient service. All of our keys are security tagged and locked away.

Tenants

All tenants are vetted by Julian Marks and our independent referencing agency. We usually receive a response within 72 hours enabling us to confirm the tenant’s suitability quickly and efficiently. The referencing, where applicable, includes:

  • Bank or financial reference
  • Employer reference
  • Previous landlord reference
  • Credit search and score
  • ID check and fraud score
  • ‘Right to Rent’ check
  • Guarantor if necessary
Tenant Conditions Of Entry

Following acceptable references for all the tenants moving into your property tenants will be required to pay a deposit and one month’s rent in advance. We will arrange and co-ordinate the tenants’ occupation of the property. On a Tenant Find instruction, unless otherwise negotiated with the landlord, Julian Marks’ involvement will cease following the tenant taking possession of the property. The landlord will be responsible for all collection of rent, serving notices, maintenance requirement, the arrangement of annual safety certificates and their own tax liability if moving overseas.

Property Visits (Managed)

Julian Marks Estate Agents will carry out a visual check every six months to ascertain whether the tenants are maintaining the property as per their contract. We check for any visible defects that may require attention. Should any defects be noted these will be reported to you together with suggestions for replacement, repairs or maintenance where appropriate.

Safety Inspections (Managed)

Each year of our agreement with you we will arrange for our fully-qualified gas engineer to carry out gas safety inspections on your behalf. It is recommended that electrical checks are carried out at least every five years

Repairs And Maintenance

Our management and maintenance team is on hand to deal with all aspects of more serious work. We will firstly obtain your permission and authorisation prior to the execution of any work, except in cases of real emergency. Any repair work that is required as a result of misuse or negligence by the tenant is payable by the tenant but in all other cases the landlord is responsible. All invoices will be paid direct from your rent and accounted to you on your monthly statement.

If you are in receipt of any guarantees or service agreements it is essential that you supply full details in advance so that the service provider may be contacted for repairs.

Utilities

As the tenants will be responsible for the payment of all utility bills and Council Tax we advise incoming tenants of the procedure for registering the appropriate utilities and Council Tax into their name for supply during the tenancy. It would be your responsibility to notify the relevant utilities of a change of occupancy. It is beneficial to supply us with the name of the service providers for gas and electricity.

The Tenant Deposit

Julian Marks Estate Agents is a member of the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS).

Inventories

In line with legislation regarding deposits, Julian Marks Estate Agents takes photographs which tenants view and sign on occupation of the property. These photographs will then comprise an integral part of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement and provide a detailed record of the contents and condition of the property. This is invaluable should any dispute arise at the end of the tenancy. It must be noted that Julian Marks Estate Agents cannot be held responsible for any dispute arising from missing items or errors carried out by third parties. We will co-ordinate the tenant’s occupation and vacation of the property.

About The Legislation

As part of the Housing Act 2004 the government introduced tenancy deposit protection for all Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) in England and Wales where a deposit is taken. From April 6 2007 all deposits paid under an AST have had to be protected within 14 calendar days of receipt by the landlord.

The legislation aims to ensure that tenants who have paid a deposit to a landlord or letting agent, and are entitled to receive all or part of it back at the end of that tenancy, actually get it.

Gas Safety

An approved gas safety registered engineer must carry out safety checks every 12 months. A written safety record must be supplied to the tenants. This is in addition to the regular servicing of appliances. Failure to hold a current safety record or certificate is a criminal offence and makes the landlord or his managing agent liable to a fine, imprisonment or both. If you require any further information you can contact the HSE Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors And Smoke Alarms

From 1 October 2015 regulations now require smokealarms on each floor and Carbon Monoxide alarms (incertain circumstances) to be installed in rented residential accommodation. Landlords must ensure both are in place where required.

Electrical Safety

Electrical safety regulations have been updated since 1st June 2020 for new tenancies and the 1st April 2021 for existing tenancies. There is a legal requirement for a satisfactory electrical installation condition report to be carried out on all properties. This needs to be undertaken by a qualified and competent person. We can organise this for a landlord if required. Through qualified engineers Julian Marks Estate Agents can arrange to carry out gas and electrical safety inspections (prices on application).

Furniture And Furnishings

All upholstered furniture and furnishings (i.e. mattresses, scatter cushions, loose fittings, permanent and loose covers but not carpets and curtains) manufactured after 1950 are required to be fire resistant.

This means that furniture, which can be shown to be manufactured before 1950, is exempt because dangerous materials were not used in the manufacture of furniture prior to this date. This regulation applies to all let properties. The law relating to the manufacture of furniture is quite clear. All materials used must meet the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) (Amended) regulations 1993. The manufacturer must carry out various tests to ensure their compliance. These are destructive tests and therefore cannot be carried out after the furniture is made up for sale.

Manufacturers are required to affix permanent labels onto their products such that the removal would cause damage to either the label or the product. Furniture suppliers of either new or second-hand furniture must ensure that any item they sell carries the correct label and each item (e.g. three-piece suites) carries the relevant label.

General Information

If the property you intend letting is mortgaged you must apply to your lender for permission first as you may be in breach of your mortgage agreement if you don’t. Some institutions charge for considering your application and for approving its tenancy and some raise the interest rate on your mortgage whilst you are letting. It is also advisable to check that your insurance company is aware of your intention to let your property.

Post

You should advise the Royal Mail of your change of address and arrange for all mail to be re-directed. It is inadvisable to expect your tenant to be responsible for forwarding mail and unfortunately we cannot accept liability for re-direction, nor for lost or returned post.

Leasehold Properties

If the property you intend letting is a leasehold property permission must be sought from the freeholder prior to allowing tenant occupation. If you do not seek permission you may find yourself in breach of the conditions of the lease. Julian Marks Estate Agents requires written
confirmation from your freeholder and/or management company before we can move a tenant into your property. You will also be responsible for any ground rent and service charges levied on the property during the tenancy.

Houses Of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)

Under changes in the Housing Act 2004 if you let a property which is one of the following types it is an HMO. Properties of three or more floors, with five or more tenants belonging to two or more households, by law will require a licence from the local authority. Some local authorities may also licence smaller, privately rented properties or properties in areas with low housing demand or significant problems of anti-social behaviour. For more information on mandatory HMO licencing and to identify whether you have a property that needs licencing, visit propertylicence.gov.uk

In Safe Hands With Julian Marks Estate Agents

If you are thinking of letting your property this brochure emphasises how important it is to get the right professional advice from the very start. We hope it has been both informative and helpful to you. If you would like to discuss your property in more detail why not call and speak to one of our helpful team today and see how Julian Marks Estate Agents can cater for all your property needs?