Help/advice wanted

Re: Help/advice wanted

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:38:29 GMT

Thanks Sarah and Lindsay. The costings there are a help as l was thinking of rent at about 450 so is a useful baseline. I have heard of gumtree but never dealt with them just been mentioned in passing but will be wary.

What l will probably do with animals is say that l want an interview with the people and their animals before l decide which l think is a fair way of doing it.

Re: Help/advice wanted

Lindsay Ward — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:28:17 GMT

Just a note regarding gumtree, I have personally been scammed through gummtree for quite a large amount of money but also a few friends have and our uni told us of a scam with renting on their where they were getting money up front and no house even there

I have also unfortunately been scammed through a landlord renting an apartment (we had it for 6 months) leaving the property we got messed around a lot and eventually found that our landlord had done a runner with thousands of pounds from peoples deposits. for this reason make sure you go through the deposit scheme so you are all protected.

Whilst currently seeking for a house to rent in Kent we are finding that as we have dogs it is a little bit of an issue but it is looking up as a few of the agencies are saying either a higher deposit or pet deposit is all that is required with some properties.

If there is any more advice I can offer give me a shout and Good Luck I am sure it will all run smoothly

Re: Help/advice wanted

Sarah Cahill — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:16:42 GMT

Hi Caro,

I'm currently renting out my flat and am using Your Move, they've been really good and I've had no hassle at all, I chose their Comprehensive service which basically means they deal with everything, inlcuding inventory, repairs etc etc, they hold back £200 (or so) from your first months rent and keep it as a deposit towards any repairs, they arrange any repairs and will only contact you if it is going to cost more than £150 (I think!)

I charge £450pcm to the tenant and each month I receive just under £400 from Your Move, so although it is a little more costly than other options I literally don't have to have any involvement! They credit check the tenants and "interview" them before hand, can't think of anything else off hand at the moment! Oh except I am insured with LetSure who gave me the best amount of cover for the best price, I'm £38 a month for landlord insurance.

http://www.your-move.co.uk/landlords-information/

The Comprehensive Service

Gives the maximum level of service allowing you, the landlord, the minimum of involvement in the routine management and maintenance of the property. We’ll manage the letting of your property from beginning to end and keep you informed every step of the way. Eliminating the hassle and worry.

This service is ideal if you’re unable, for whatever reason, to have a hands-on involvement in the day-to-day running of your property. This service contract includes all the benefits of The Premier Service detailed above.

In addition, we will:

Ensure an inventory is prepared on the property’s content and condition
Have our highly trained Property Management Co-ordinators undertake specified Routine Visit checks to ensure the property is kept in good order.
Organise any necessary repair work, using our panel of qualified and approved contractors
Our experienced Property Management Co-ordinators will visit the property at an agreed time and date to check the tenant out of the property and assess any damage and unreasonable wear and tear once they are ready to leave or you require your property back
Process the tenant’s security deposit upon satisfactory settlement of any damage and unreasonable wear and tear

Re: Help/advice wanted

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:03:40 GMT

Umm good points made and l would be keeping a close eye if only for the reason the house is about 500yds away and l go past it several times a day at times as it is on my main route out to wherever.

Didn't know about the legal thing Polly thanks. Lou l agree about the good tenants l think l am paranoid that's the problem.Don't want to be a pain over the tenants shoulder but maybe take pre-photos and have tenants sign it as how the place was found and if any problems when they go or during have those to refer to?

I am leaning more to the diy side of things although to be fair l haven't looked into agents closely apart from one quick phone call to an agent 6months ago and l need to go into it carefully.

Re: Help/advice wanted

Polly P — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:49:23 GMT

Caro, letting agents try to keep the actual owner away from the tenants as much as possible, because they don't want you finding out they got good tenants in and then making a private deal with them- if you do do that they'll probably try and slap you with a legal 'finders fee' of anything up to a grand or more!

Re: Help/advice wanted

loopylou711 — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:53:00 GMT

As a student private letting is the only way really. Because apparently as a student at 20 years old we destroy places and don't look after them! Hmm I go out once a month if am lucky but anyhooo....

We have stayed in our wee flat 2 years, signed up for a 3rd few weeks ago. Our landlord,,,, well he is awesome! We pay the rent once a month, deposit was only £400 when we moved in aswell. The guy never checks the place, which means we dnt need to worry too much. Infact in the 2 years that we have been here, he has been up once because of a leaky pipe! he has contacts so obv that saves him money! He is an agency tho sort of, he owns 20 properties but still an awesome guy!!We have pets, although rule 4 says no pets!! But we havent been caught ... YET!!

Anyways, my point is this caro, avoid a letting agent if you can, the cost i would say is crazy! Take the first months rent as a deposit or even a month and a halfs rent. Pets and kids, go for it, you have their deposit if they reck the place. If your still worried then right it into the tenancy agreement that you will do checks every month 2 months 3 months or whatever!

At the end of the day you have a deposit to pay for any damage done!

oh and gumtree is great for advertising!!!

Goood luck!!!!

Re: Help/advice wanted

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:36:20 GMT

I am worried about the pet child angle in finding responsible people. I know they are out there but l also know to many are horrendous that isnt to say married couples are great.

There is a several letting agency's in the area and l spoke to one some time ago and they have their own internal fix it service which l am a bit wary of due to being stung by cost but they tend to make it a pushing point.

Apparently it is a minefield under the law to let so l was told last night although new gov. has apparently "scrapped many stupid laws involved in the letting process"? not sure what ones though.

I am wondering about letting an agent do a short term let for me and see how it goes and take it from there sort of a cowards way out. Mind you l would end up sorting things if l let it and the hours l work do not help with running around for people.

I do worry about costs as l want max. money to go to my mum to help her out. If l went through a letting agent then l would stipulate a lot of any problems sorted by my husband as first contact and if he wasn't around then whoever the letting agent suggested.

I hate decisions! Please keep comments coming the more l have the more useful. ....many thanks

Re: Help/advice wanted

Polly P — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:25:07 GMT

Fair do's, I am sure it's different for everyone or maybe even just it's very different in other parts of the country?

I have actually never had a problem getting a place to rent with pets (which I am very grateful for and always dread having to search again) but in London seems no agent will touch you with animals, but for one agent that wanted six months rent up front!

One of my landlords actually said to me he almost preferred a tenant with pets as to him it indicated that you were looking for a home rather than a crash pad, ie, you'd take care of the place and stick around.

Re: Help/advice wanted

Steph Worsley — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:13:05 GMT

I have to disagree Polly, in my neck of the woods I wouldn't have been able to get a flat/house with my animals without going through a letting agent plus I found their prices on a par with the private lets

I didn't have to have a credit check for this place (for which fact I am truely grateful) however they always always ask for a guarantor (sp) on paper just in case. so that might be something to think about esp if you take on first time renters/young people

I agree with their "special" contractors I have had to complain bitterly on several occasions when trying to arrange someone to come out as they either havent turned up or turned up so late that i've had to cancel other arrangements/take unpaid leave

Re: Help/advice wanted

Polly P — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:52:21 GMT

Ps, slightly funny story- My friend in New York rented and when she moved out, she cleaned the place top to bottom and as a nice gesture left a loo roll in the loo for the new people- and got charged $500 by the agency for 'leaving personal effects in the apartment!'

Re: Help/advice wanted

Polly P — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:49:29 GMT

I'm a renter, I have only ever rented privately, for many reasons.

First of all it is practically impossible to find a letting agent who will allow pets, also they often have multiple ridiculous rules on things like (in furnished places for instance) not being allowed to change any of the pictures on the walls or the curtains!

Also going through an agent, properties seem to be more to rent than the equivalent with a private landlord... Not to mention the £100 or so a tenant has to pay (or £100 each for joint tenants!) for the agency to run their checks... Non refundable if they don't like what they see.

Also when you have a direct point of contact to the landlord, things tend to get done faster when there's a problem!

I know there are a lot of plusses for a landlord to go through an agent, credit checks for clients and also rent guaranteed, but a lot of minuses too. I think a lot of people who let through letting agents aren't looking for a long term place, so gaps in tenancy or finders fees can prove expensive.

Also I am a perfect tenant (if I do say so myself!) and have always kept my place nice and paid my rent on time, every time, and look for places in terms of years rather than months... and yet I would never pass a credit check, ergo never be able to get into a lettings- run place.

One place I lived in years ago I was there while a letting agent came to see it in order to value it for rental (my housemate who owned it was getting married, I was moving out etc) and they charge such high rates, I really can't remember what it was but do remember that she had a reasonable mortgage on it (ie, not over the going rate or anything) and after the letting agent's cut, the mortgage wouldn't even have been fully covered, never mind any profit, and they also take the whole of the first months rent as their initial fee!

Also they charge an arm and a leg for any maintenance they do on your behalf, as they use their own 'special' contractors who always seem to be three times more costly than anyone else!

Re: Help/advice wanted

Cat Woman — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:19:43 GMT

We used agents to let our property. It did take all the hassle away. However you do have to pay for the luxury! of it. You can get extra insurance to cover any problems with non-paying tenants.

However, whatever you choose to do, once the tenant is in, the law is on their side. Two people I know who have let their properties privately, ended up loosing several thousand pounds due to non-payment & having to go to court. The court ruled (in both cases) that the tenant owed the money, but had no power to actually make them pay!

Re: Help/advice wanted

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:16:49 GMT

Thanks and all info is good l think it will be no pets hard as that sounds but l want to keep it simple. Tempted to say no kids but guess that's a bit much.

References is a good point never thought about that. Please keep things coming folks.

Re: Help/advice wanted

Steph Worsley — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:51:02 GMT

Hey Caro

I'm in rented accom, if you go through a letting agents be prepared to pay for it, if you do it yourself the best advice i can offer is get references (ive always been asked for these) get your deposit and 1st month up front.

From a tennants point of view, there is nothing more frustrating than reporting a problem and it not being sorted.....if it was my house then i would be able to sort it out straight away right?

my flat is through a letting agent and of course no one is there 24/7 so any problems I get have to wait till office hours to report, even when i had rain pouring through my ceiling i had to wait, so being on the other end of the phone so major probs can be sorted there and then (or as close to) is always good

think about if you are going to allow pets (obviously from my point of view pets is good!) there are a lot of landlords out there who dont allow pets and you are actually missing out on a huge market, you can always ask for 1.5x the months rent for a deposit.

Re: Help/advice wanted

Royalsuper_fairy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:35:10 GMT

Hey,

My grandad letted his house when he moved to cyprus and did it by himself and had problems with the tenants. I live in rented accomodation with is dealt with by a letting agent and they are really good.

Sorry thats not much help.

Emma