Full Property Management
This is the service that most landlords require and once set up is based upon our being paid a percentage of rents received. Further information is shown on the Fees page. The following services are included:
Management services provided within Commission fee:
Advertising – When available for letting we will advertise the Property on Rightmove and/or OnTheMarket and/or Zoopla websites/portals or such other public property advertising websites/portals as we subscribe to and will advertise property lettings generally
Check In – On the commencement of a tenancy we will arrange to:
Take utility meter readings
Check in tenants and issue keys to the Property
Check smoke (and if relevant) carbon monoxide detectors
Issue tenants with a copy of the EPC, Gas Safety Certificate and Inventory for the Property, DPS Information, Collier Property Management Tenants’ Handbook and the Department of Communities and Local Government How To Rent Handbook.
Notify the Local Authority Council Tax Department
Check Out – At the end of a tenancy we will:
Take utility meter readings
Notify the Local Authority Council Tax Department
Notify you if any maintenance is required prior to re-letting
Dealings with Tenants and Prospective Tenants – We will deal directly with all prospective tenants and tenants of the Property on your behalf
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – If an EPC is required for the Property, we will arrange for an energy assessor to visit the Property, carry out an assessment and issue the certificate. You will however be responsible for payment of the energy assessor’s fees
Inspections of Tenanted Properties – We will arrange regular visits to the Property and take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the provisions of the tenancy agreement relating to the Property
Inspections of Vacant Properties – Provided that we have not advised you that repair or refurbishment work is reasonably required to enable the Property to be let, we will arrange regular visits to the Property if it becomes vacant check its condition until it is let again or for a period of up to three months. Thereafter we will charge a fee per visit as set out on our Fees page
If we have advised you that repair or refurbishment work is required to enable the property to be let and the work is not in the course of being undertaken within three months we will arrange visits to the property and charge a fee per visit
Legionella – We will carry out a basic legionella risk assessment prior to a letting of the Property
Letting Advice – We will visit the Property and advise you on letting generally, including on current gas, electricity and fire safety legislation as well as legislation affecting landlords generally
Letting and Re-letting – We will negotiate letting of the Property and the re-letting should it or they become vacant
Non-Resident Landlords – If you are absent from the UK for a period of 6 months or more (whether working or otherwise) H M Revenue & Customs (HMRC) class you as a Non Resident landlord. Where Non-Resident Landlords have nor provided to us a letter of authority from HMRC permitting us to make gross payment of rents collected we will deduct and pay over to HMRC from rents collected the relevant tax to enable us to comply with HMRC regulations
Rent Arrears – We will advise you if any rent arrears occur and agree appropriate action with you to deal with them e.g. agree a repayment plan with or serve a notice to quit on the tenant
We are however not authorised to act as a debt collection agency nor to issue court proceedings on your behalf
Rent Collection – We will collect rent and remit it (less our Fees and any other payments due to contractors) to your nominated bank account via BACS. A statement will be sent to you whenever a payment is to be made
Rent collected will be paid into our client account and kept separate from our own funds
Rent Review – We will negotiate rent reviews if appropriate
Rental Advice – We will visit the Property and advise you on the level of rent to seek for it and agree with you a rental asking figure per week or month. We do not however provide formal valuations as part of the management service
Repairs and Maintenance – We do not receive any payment from contractors for referring work to them and will seek to utilise contractors that we believe provide a competent level of service at a reasonable price
We will agree a level of authorisation for and arrange day to day maintenance and minor repairs and notify you of them with your monthly statement. For arranging repairs or maintenance items costing under £300 no charge will be made by us
For repair or maintenance items or projects costing more than £300 we will notify you in advance to give you the opportunity to arrange your own contractors or agree a budget for us to instruct contractors on your behalf. If we arrange contractors on your behalf for items or projects costing more than £300 we will make an administration/project management charge of 12% (including VAT at 20%) of the value of the works. We will notify you of this on your monthly statement
We reserve the right to utilise rents collected should you not make prompt payment direct to tradesmen/contractors where we have made the arrangements even though contractors may have been instructed to remit their accounts direct to you
We also reserve the right in emergency to organise and authorise works if necessary, though we will always try to notify you either in advance or as soon as possible after
Right to Rent – On lettings and re-lettings we will undertake checks and retention of documents to comply with the provisions of the Immigration Act 2014 and Home Office guidance on compliance unless you advise us that you wish to deal with this yourself
Safety Regulations – We will arrange for Gas Safety inspections and the issue of the appropriate certificate when required. You will however be responsible for payment of the contractor’s fees. We will notify you of them on your monthly statement
Security Deposits/Bonds – At the commencement of a letting:
We will collect a “bond” as security to cover breakages and rent arrears.
This money will be held separate from our own funds as it is repayable to the tenant at the end of the letting unless forfeited and we will lodge it with The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) or another approved tenancy deposit scheme within the prescribed period
At the end of a letting:
If there are no reasons for deductions we will arrange for the return of the ‘bond’ to the Tenant. If we believe that there is reasonable cause for deductions, we will notify you
Tenancy Agreement – We will arrange for completion and signature of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) agreement in respect of any letting and if appropriate completion and signature of a form of guarantee agreement
We have a standard form of AST agreement that we will use unless you have a specific agreement that you wish us to use
Likewise we have a standard form of guarantee agreement that we will use unless you have a specific agreement that you wish us to use
Tenancy Renewals – At the end of the fixed term AST period we will write to both you and the Tenant to ascertain if you wish for a further fixed term letting, a periodic tenancy to fall into place, or notice to be served for the Tenant to leave
If you and the Tenant wish for there to be a further fixed term letting we will arrange for completion and signature of an AST agreement, issue tenants with a copy of the EPC, Gas Safety Certificate and the Department of Communities and Local Government How To Rent Handbook
Viewings – We will arrange viewings of the Property by prospective tenants. All prospective tenants are accompanied on viewings unless agreed otherwise with you
Management services chargeable in addition to our Commission fee:
DPS Adjudication on Bonds – Where a claim is required against a tenant’s bond held by the DPS the additional fees as set out on our Fees page will be payable
Inventory – We do not prepare inventories ‘in house’
We recommend that an inventory showing the condition of the Property (and if relevant its contents) and photographs of the Property is taken both at the start and end of a letting
We will advise you of the cost of using an independent contractor, which will vary depending on the size of the property and extent of furnishing. A guide as to fees is set out on our Fees page
If you wish for professional inventory reports on check in and check out report we will obtain details of the actual cost
Notices – We will if required and agreed with you serve notices on tenants to end tenancies under the provisions of Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988
Our fees in respect of this service are set out on the Fees page
Tenant Applications Tenant (and Guarantor) References – We will arrange for prospective tenants to complete our Collier Property Management Application form and if relevant a Middlesbrough Council Tenancy Referencing Service Form
We will carry out credit checks with a credit checking agency direct or via a referencing agency
We will seek the following references:
Former landlord(s)
Employer(s) (where applicable)
For tenants taking properties in a Selective Licensing Area in Middlesbrough – Middlesbrough Council Tenancy Referencing Service anti-social behaviour check prior to letting the Property
If we deem it appropriate, we will also carry out similar checks on Guarantors prior to letting the Property
Our fees for these services are set out on our Fees page
We will also do more for you if required (Fees may Apply)
Purchase of Property for Letting
We can advise on the suitability and location of properties if you are thinking of buying to let
Refurbishment
If you have recently purchased a property to let in need of improvement we can advise you on works needed by bring the property up to a lettable standard and how to furnish and decorate to make your property more attractive for the lettings market. We will agree a fee with you in advance for this service as indicated on our Fees page
Finally…
A few more useful links: