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  • Landlord Inventory

Landlords: Beginning of the tenancy

Inventory

A comprehensive inventory and schedule of condition prepared at the beginning of the tenancy and signed by the tenant is essential. Without this in place it is unlikely that you will be successful in making a claim for any dilapidations or damage the tenant may cause to the property.

We will arrange a detailed professional inventory which will include photographs. We will go through this with the tenant at check-in and ensure that a signed copy is kept on file for us to compare against at check-out.

Our fee to the landlord for preparation of the inventory depends on the size of the property; please check our landlord fees.

You can provide your own inventory, if you prefer, but this must be provided to us in electronic form at least 48 hours before check-in. Please note that we have no liability for any loss suffered if you do not have a fully comprehensive inventory.

Inventory


Tenancy agreement

We use a professionally prepared form of Tenancy Agreement. In most cases we draw up an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement under Ground 1 or Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 for a minimum period of 6 months. Other forms of agreement can be arranged, e.g. for company lets, and we can include additional clauses if required. The tenancy agreement is usually sent to the landlord and tenant a week prior to the tenancy beginning. It is signed by the tenant and by Neil Douglas (on behalf of the landlord) on the day of check-in. If you would prefer to sign it yourself please let us know.

Please see our price list for our cost to draw up the Tenancy Agreement.

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Desposit

We will collect a deposit together with the initial rent payment from the tenant at the beginning of the tenancy. This will be equivalent to five week's rent.

It is a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to protect their tenant's deposits through a government approved scheme. We will arrange this for you.

At the end of the tenancy you are entitled with consent of the tenant to ask us to deduct monies from the deposit for the following:

  • Any damage to the fixtures and fittings caused by the tenant or resulting from any breach of the terms of the Tenancy Agreement by the tenant.
  • Any damage caused by cleaning required resulting from pets occupying the premises, whether the landlord consented to their presence or not.
  • Any sum repayable by the landlord to the local authority where housing benefit was over paid.
  • Any instalment of the rent which is due but remains unpaid at the end of the tenancy.
  • Any other breach of the Tenancy Agreement.
  • Any unpaid accounts for utility bills and telephone charges.

Where deductions are agreed by the tenant these will be paid to you or the contractors we instruct on your behalf to carryout remedial cleaning and maintenance. If the tenant does not agree the deposit deductions we will work with you to try to resolve this or if this is not possible we will refer the case for adjudication. Please see our price list for our fee for preparing a case for adjudication.

tenant deposits


Nil Deposits Schemes

These are insurance backed schemes where the tenant pays for an insurance policy rather than providing the traditional dilapidations deposit at the beginning of a tenancy. At the end of the tenancy a check out is carried out in the usual way and the tenant is asked to pay for dilapidations such as cleaning and for missing or damaged items.

If the tenant doesn’t pay for the dilapidations, or there is rent outstanding, then the landlord (through their agent) can make a claim for the equivalent of up to 6 weeks rent. Evidence of the monies due will need to be provided with the claim i.e. tenancy agreement, inventory, check out report, tenancy agreement and interim inspection reports.

More information can be found in our Nil Deposits leaflet.

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Informing utilities and local authority

On the day the tenancy commences, we will read the meters and include these figures on the signed inventory. As part of our fully managed service we will write to the local authority and the water provider informing them that a new tenant has moved in. Unfortunately Gas and Electricity providers will now only speak to the account holder, so we will inform all new tenants that it is their responsibility to set up a new account within the first few days of the commencement of their tenancy.

You (or your previous tenant) will need to pay any outstanding utilities charges up to and including the date upon which the tenancy commences and any void between tenancies. We must point out that British Telecom plc will not take instructions from a third party, therefore we would advise you to make your own arrangements in respect of the telephone.

Mail

We can take no responsibility for mail sent to the property. We recommend that you arrange for Royal Mail redirection services.


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  • Neil Douglas Lettings Ltd

    The Dutch Barn
    Manor Farm Courtyard
    Rowsham
    HP22 4QP

    Tel: 01296 768395

    Out of Hours Tel: 01296 821665
    (Use only to report serious emergencies requiring
    immediate assistance from Neil Douglas)

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