W e r e m a i n a t t h e f o r e f r o n t w h e n i t c o m e s t o L e t t i n g s 1996 Trusted by over 2000 Landlords for over 20 years
2 About 3 About us "Oakfield have been letting property for over 20 years and we are experts in our industry" Since opening the doors of our first branch in Hastings in 1996 Oakfield have strived to set new standards in Lettings and Property Management to put us ahead of our competitors. We offer a personal service tailored to our clients and go that extra mile to ensure every clients experience with Oakfield is a positive one. We have High Street branches in Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings as well as a Head Office in St Leonards. Oakfield have been letting property for over 20 years and we are experts in our industry. Our experience in lettings and management combined with the outstanding infrastructure we have in place sets us apart from our competitors and means Oakfield is often the company both Landlords and Tenants turn to. We pride ourselves on communication with our Landlords and Tenants and believe this combined with the fact we employ the very best staff is why we continue to be so successful.
4 5 What makes us different? With high streets full of letting agents the decision when it comes to choosing the company to entrust the management of one of your most expensive assets to is getting harder and harder, especially as it seems like all agents offer the same service. There are many property agencies out there, but there aren t many who consistently, as an integral part of their business practice, go the extra mile for their clients. At Oakfield we believe that our enthusiastic, experienced and professional staff are one of the many factors that set us apart from our competitors. No matter who you deal with, all our staff within the branches are committed to ensuring that the experience you have with Oakfield is a positive one. As a company we take great pride in our staff and invest a great deal of time in them to ensure they are the best they can be. Our bright, vibrant and modern high street branches are very welcoming environments for our Landlords and Tenants alike. Always talk to us prior to purchasing an investment property, our team are always on hand to offer honest and experienced advice. When it comes to the management of your property we believe we offer an outstanding service unlike any other. We have a dedicated accounts team based at our Head Office, their sole role is to ensure that all rents are collected on time and paid to our Landlords. Our property managers based in the branches are on hand to deal with any issues that may arise throughout the tenancy as well as carry out inspections on your property to ensure that the Tenants are keeping the property to the standard we would expect. "our team are always on hand to offer honest and experienced advice" Different
6 7 11 Steps Step by step guide to letting your property 1 2 3 4 Rental Valuation Oakfield offer a free, no obligation marketing proposal meeting. One of our Marketing Consultants will visit the property to discuss our services and establish a property valuation based on current market conditions, the size and condition of the property and its proximity to local amenities. We have an in-depth knowledge of what Tenants are looking for when renting a property. Our valuations are based on our knowledge of the local market trends and we use this information to guide how we market the property. Select Your Service Level As a Landlord, it is important to consider how much involvement you want to have. Getting involved in day to day maintenance and monthly rent collection my affect your current lifestyle in a way you do not want. We offer four levels of service from basic Let Only, to a more comprehensive Rent Collection and the most popular Fully Managed to make your property investment hassle-free. If you are looking for complete security and peace of mind select Collect and Pay where Oakfield will pay the rent, even if the tenant doesn t on the same date every month. OUR TOP TIP: In our experience, corporate tenants often opt for properties fully managed by agents to ensure their maintenance needs are looked after by professionals so if you are aiming to attract a corporate tenant, consider our fully managed service. Landlords Responsibilities All gas and electrical appliances including central heating boilers should be in working order and comply with health and safety regulations. Your annual Gas Safety record must be up to date and be given to any new tenant. All properties are required to have an Energy Performance Certificate. Landlords must supply tenants with a Government issued How to Rent Guide before the commencement of the tenancy. All private Landlords letting property in England must also comply with the Right to Rent legislation. Some Landlords in Hastings are also required to have a Selective Licence. Make sure you are fully aware of all your legal requirements. Marketing Your Property At Oakfield as soon as we receive your instruction, we ll prepare the property particulars, which can include professional photography, floor plans, a location map and Energy Performance Certificate. Your property will be marketed on our website where potential tenants can sign up to our online account service which alerts them when rental properties become available. We also use Rightmove and Zoopla the two largest property portals in the UK and other online portals to market properties. In addition, Oakfield s local market knowledge, large database of potential Tenants, in-branch visibility, and open house viewings, will ensure that your property will soon be seen by thousands. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Viewings We carry out all viewings at the property and will liaise with you and/or Tenants where applicable when booking in viewings. We also offer out of hours viewings to make finding the perfect new rental property more convenient for our Applicants. We discuss all feedback from our viewings on a regular basis, however in addition as a Landlord you can view all feedback via our Landlord online account. Negotiating And Agreeing An Offer We will negotiate and submit all offers we receive on your property and qualify all applicants to ensure they meet our, and most importantly your, criteria. We will always achieve the best possible rent and suitable applicant for your property. References, Credit Checks And Right To Rent Checks Thoroughly checking prospective tenants to ensure that your investment will be secure is essential. Oakfield s strict referencing procedures carried out by independent experts give our Landlords a comprehensive understanding of their personal and financial circumstances, including a check on their employment history, credit worthiness and previous addresses. Right to rent checks also need to be carried out in line with legislation, Oakfield do all of this on your behalf. OUR TOP TIP: We believe strict referencing betters your chances of avoiding problems with payments further down the line. The Tenancy Agreement This document outlines the agreed responsibilities of both parties. It is important that both Tenants and Landlords take the time to read this carefully before signing. At Oakfield, we use an online signing system called Docusign for speed and efficiency. The Inventory An inventory is a detailed report agreed and signed by both parties itemising the contents and condition of the property at the time of the Tenant moving in. Oakfield uses an Independent Inventory Service to provide a comprehensive list designed to minimise the risk of any dispute over the deposit at the end of the tenancy. Securing The Deposit This deposit is held against possible damage to the property which can be checked against the inventory at the end of the tenancy. The Housing Act 2004 protects all parties in this regard as the deposit is now required to be held within a government-approved scheme on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. This scheme offers quicker and easier ways of resolving disputes, without the need for court action. The Move In Day Once all the checks have been done, the inventory carried out and the Tenancy agreement signed your Tenants can move into the property. At this point unless you have selected our Fully managed or collect and pay services then the management will be passed over to yourself. OUR TOP TIP: Small gestures will go a long way in building good relationships with your tenants, leave out instructions to appliances.
8 Monthly news Marketing Effective marketing of your property is essential to ensure your property reaches the widest possible audience, it is all about finding the right person for your property. To ensure that you as Landlords are up to date on legislation changes, we send out a monthly newsletter. In the newsletter we include news articles on the lettings industry, information on what has been going on at Oakfield as well full details on any forthcoming changes to legislation that may affect you as a Landlord. We automatically sign you up to this service when you instruct Oakfield. Our experienced and dedicated Marketing Consultants have had extensive training when it comes to taking pictures of properties and preparing marketing particulars to ensure that the property is presented in the best light and that all the key details Tenants are looking for are included. Efficient applicant management is also essential when marketing properties, at Oakfield we have an extensive database of applicants already registered with us, our Marketing Consultants keep in regular contact with the applicants and ensure they are up to date on their criteria. When a property is listed with Oakfield it is emailed out to our database of Applicants looking for a property of this criteria and this is followed up with a phone call to discuss the property. As a Landlord at any time you can visit our website to see how many applicants we have looking for a property like yours visit: www.oakfield-property.co.uk/many-applicants Whilst ensuring the marketing details are the best they can be is essential, this is only half of it, you also need to know that your agent is marketing the property everywhere Tenants are looking for properties. At Oakfield we market all properties on our own website as well as on the UK s leading property portals Rightmove and Zoopla. Oakfield also have an excellent social media presence and promote our properties on our Facebook page. All properties listed with Oakfield will have one of our modern and vibrant To Let boards displayed outside the property to further increase exposure, we get a lot of calls from Tenants wanting to view a property because they have seen a board displayed showing just how essential boards are. OakfieldEA OakfieldEA
10 11 This is a full breakdown on what is included with each service... LO RC FM CP Visit the property and establish a rental valuation High profile marketing online via our website, Rightmove, Zoopla and social media as well as in our branches Send details out via email to all registered applicants Organise and accompany all viewings Provide regular feedback following all viewings Pass on ALL offers that have been made on your property Once an applicant has been found Oakfield will take up suitable references, carry out a credit search on each applicant as well as right to rent checks Prepare the initial tenancy agreement * Our Services Deciding how involved with the Letting of your property you want to be can be a difficult decision, some Landlords like to be completely hands on instructing an agent to find them a Tenant but dealing with all other aspects of management themselves, compared to others who choose to instruct a managing agent to deal with everything on their behalf. At Oakfield we cater our services to all Landlords offering four different levels of service depending on how involved you want to be, we will happily tailor our services to suit your specific requirements, this is something you can discuss with your Marketing Consultant, we always do our best to meet your expectations. Our four levels of service are; Produce an inventory detailing the condition of the property * OPTIONAL Register the deposit with the TDS * Collect rents, process and make payments to the landlord Keep files of the signed current tenancy agreement or lease and other documents relating to the property that have been supplied to Oakfield Property inspection after 3 months then annually throughout the tenancy Arrange any required repairs/maintenance Arrange annual inspections to ensure the property complies with gas safety regulations 24hr emergency contact service for both Landlords and Tenants Organise the renewal of the tenancy when the fixed term period is coming to an end* Carry out a check out report once the Tenant has vacated, report to the Landlord and Tenant and deal with the returning of the deposit The Landlord will receive rent on the due date every month regardless of whether the Tenant pays or not. We will pay the rent direct to the Landlord as agreed Let Only (LO), this is the most basic of our services, where we simply find you a Tenant see the process through to move in then you take over. Rent Collection (RC), which offers the same as Let Only but we collect the rent on your behalf, all other areas of management are dealt with by yourself. Our most popular service is Fully Managed (FM), where we deal with all aspects of the letting of your property on your behalf and lastly our Collect and Pay (CP) service, where we offer everything included with Fully Managed but in addition we guarantee the rent, this is not an insurance policy, it is a guarantee. Pays up to vacant possession Should the Tenant default, Oakfield will manage the situation including evictions OUR TOP TIP: In our experience, corporate tenants often opt for properties fully managed by agents to ensure their maintenance needs are looked after by professionals so if you are aiming to attract a corporate tenant, consider our fully managed service. * Further services and fees do apply please speak to a member of our staff for more information.
12 13 Our Services continued... Full Management is our most popular service for so many reasons but the main one is that we take the stress and any inconvenience out of letting your property. By instructing Oakfield on our full management service all aspects of the letting will be dealt with by us from collecting the rent to liaising with your Tenants should a maintenance issue arise. Another way that we make letting and management convenient for our Landlords is with our online Landlord portal. This unique service is simple, secure and convenient, and allows our Landlords to access their records and edit their essential information with just a few clicks 24/7. Information that can be found on the Landlord portal includes Landlord rent statements, viewing feedback, a log of all maintenance relating to your property and essential documents such as the tenancy agreement, inventory, deposit registration certificate, mid-term reports and gas safety certificates. For those Landlords that do not opt for our Collect and Pay service we can offer a Landlord rent guarantee insurance provided by a third party. The key to efficient property management is our experienced, professional and knowledgeable Property Managers. Our Property Managers work in our High Street branches meaning they personally know the properties we manage, we believe local Property Management is the key to success. We understand that reporting maintenance issues can be an inconvenience for our Tenants so we make it as easy as we can, we ask that all maintenance is reported via our online property and customer care portal. The portal can be accessed from a PC, smart phone or tablet, all at your Tenant s convenience 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The portal allows your Tenants upload pictures and videos of the issue as well as a description of the problem which is all sent through to the Property Manager, an email is also sent to the Tenant so they have a record of the reported issue. "our team are always on hand to offer honest and experienced advice"
14 15 Professional bodies and Qualifications Letting and Property Management at Oakfield is overseen by Neil Newstead CEO of Oakfield. With over 20 years in the industry and membership as a Fellow of arla Neil is considered to be an expert when it comes to Lettings. Alongside Neil is an experienced and knowledgeable management team based in both the branches and our Head Office who work closely with our Marketing Consultants in the day to day lettings processes. As a Landlord, you want peace of mind that the management of your property is in the best possible hands, you get that assurance from Oakfield not only are we fully regulated by governing bodies but our staff are qualified in their respective fields. We pride ourselves on ensuring the staff Oakfield have are the best they can be, it is very hard to earn a good reputation, but so easy to lose it. Not only do our staff sit formal exams to gain qualifications in the industry but we also carrying out regular in house training when new changes are introduced to the industry and staff regularly attend conferences and seminars put on by organisations such as arla propertymark. Oakfield are fully accredited by arla propertymark (The association of residential letting agents), this is the regulatory body for letting agents in the UK, their policies develop and maintain the highest possible industry standards. arla propertymark is seen as a benchmark for professionalism that both Landlords and Tenants can have full confidence in. When making the decision of which agent to instruct to let your property no matter what agent you decide to use, ensure it is an arla propertymark regulated agent. Regulated by Safe Agent and members of The Property Ombudsman Being a Safe Agent member denotes that Oakfield protects our Landlord s and Tenant s monies through client money protection schemes. In addition to this Oakfield are members of the Property Ombudsman and have been for many years, the Ombudsman is a regulatory body with strict codes of practice that letting agents must follow which have been approved by the Trading Standards Institute. By using an agent that abides by the Property Ombudsman codes of practice you can be sure your agent is working to the highest professional standards.
16 Landlord Compliance When letting out a property all the legislation requirements can be seem like a minefield, our Marketing Consultants are experts in this and can talk you through and help you organise everything you need. Brief details on the paperwork and checks needed are as follows; Deposit Registration Any deposit taken from a Tenant must be registered in one of three recognised government schemes. At Oakfield we are members of the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) the benefit of using the TDS is that Oakfield hold the money so when the Tenant comes to vacate should the deposit be needed for repairs we can access this money immediately. As well as registering the deposit to be compliant Tenants must be issued with a leaflet explaining how and where their deposit is registered, prescribed information and a certificate of registration. Where you instruct Oakfield to register the deposit on your behalf we will issue all the relevant documentation too. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) From October 2008 all rental properties are required to have an EPC, this measures the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the property on a scale of A to G. A copy of the EPC must be provided to your Tenant at the start of the tenancy, we will always provide this. Selective Licence Certain wards of Hastings require for a selective licence to enable you to let your property, if this is applicable to you our Marketing Consultant can give you all the details, and we can make the licence application on your behalf. GAS Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors There needs to be a working smoke alarm on each floor of the property and a carbon monoxide detector is required in any room where solid fuel is burnt such as wood, coal or biomass and includes any open fires. The smoke detectors must be tested on the day the Tenant moves in, where Oakfield carry out an inventory we will test these on your behalf. Gas Safety Certificate All tenanted properties with a gas supply must have an annual gas safety inspection carried out at the property. On our managed and collect & pay services we will organise this on your behalf. Right to Rent There is an obligation on Landlords and Agents to ensure that anyone over the age of 18 moving into a property has the right to rent a property in England. Oakfield will carry out the initial checks on your behalf, where follow up checks are needed these are provided as part of our Fully Managed and Collect & Pay services. Electrical safety As a Landlord you need to be satisfied that the electrics within your rental property are safe. A lot of Landlords choose to have an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) carried out at the property to test that everything is safe. This is not a requirement by law but something we highly recommend. Legionella Risk Assessment We recommend that as a Landlord you should have a risk assessment carried out at your property prior to any letting to assess the level of risk of Legionella in the property. More information on Legionella can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/symptoms.htm How to Rent Guide At the commencement of any tenancy your Tenants must be provided with a copy of the Government issued How to Rent Guide, this provides helpful advice for Tenants to guide them through every step of the letting process.
18 19 Declutter Preparing your property Create more space by moving some furniture into storage, tidy away or remove unnecessary objects, books and knick-knacks, clear out cupboards and wardrobes of non-essential items Before you begin the process of letting your property, you need to be thoroughly prepared. There is a lot to do before you can think about getting your new tenants through the door. First impressions count for everything when it comes to property, so it s vital the property looks its best for potential tenants. Maintaining this condition for all your viewings will give you the best chance of letting your property and achieving the best possible price. So, what preparations should you make? To get an excellent first impression from a potential Tenant the external areas of the property need to be of the highest standard: Lawns & Rubbish All lawns freshly cut and weeded, trim hedges and clear away anything unsightly or any rubbish Patios & Pathways Jet wash any patios and pathways so they look clean and fresh Wheelie Bins If possible tuck the wheelie bins away so they are out of sight, these can look untidy Windows Ensure all windows are cleaned Minor Repairs Fix leaky taps, ensure all light bulbs are working, make sure there is no wallpaper hanging off the wall or any unsightly paintwork Unpleasant Odours Eradicate unpleasant odours like pet smells and cigarette smoke Decorate Decorate any rooms where it is necessary, keep this neutral as it will make it more appealing to potential Tenants Clean & Tidy Make sure everywhere is clean and tidy with curtains open to ensure the property is as light as possible To ensure the excellent impressions continue in the property we would advise the above points to attract the best Tenants and get the property let quickly. In some circumstances the property will already be let out. Prior to our visit please speak to your Tenants to ensure you are aware of any maintenance issues that may need addressing. Ask the current Tenants to have a good tidy round before our visit to take pictures and before any viewings.
20 21 Frequently Asked Questions 1 Why should I use a managing agent? Hopefully by reading this brochure you have seen for yourself the importance of using a managing agent and the benefits of this from a pool of already registered applicants to our 6 When will I receive my rent? We do a payment run to Landlords every Monday and on the last working day of every month. Once the rental payment is received from your Tenant it will be paid to you on the professional knowledge and regulations. following Monday unless the rent is received on a Monday or the last working day of the month in which case the rent will be paid to you that day. Where you have instructed Oakfield on our Collect and Pay service your rent will be paid to you on the due date every month. All 2 3 Who will conduct the viewings and do I need to be present? Our Marketing Consultants and Viewing Guides will conduct all viewings on your behalf, there is no need for you to be present. How will the value of my property be assessed? Our Marketing Consultants will arrive at a rental figure depending on the condition of the property as well as the location and size of the property. More information on this can be found on pages 6 & 7 in our step by step guide to letting your property. 7 payments are made via BACs and will be received by yourself the next working day. Who organises repairs and maintenance work? If Oakfield are instructed to manage your property then we will take full responsibility for the day to day management and deal with any maintenance issues that may arise. As a Landlord you can be as involved with this as you wish, we will always keep you informed should an issue arise but it is down to you as to whether you choose to be contacted before a contractor is instructed or if you are happy for us to instruct a contractor and send you confirmation this has been done. Your level of involvement can be agreed with your marketing consultant. 4 What is the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme? It is a legal requirement for all landlords to place tenant deposits in a government-backed Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. More information on this can be found in the Landlord Compliance section on page 17. 8 What happens if my tenant fails to pay their rent? If you have instructed Oakfield on either a full management or rent collection service, we will chase all late and unpaid rents on your behalf and we are proud of the low rate of arrears experienced by our landlords. 5 Do I have to tell my mortgage lender? Yes. If your property currently has a homeowner mortgage outstanding on it, you must inform your lender that you wish to let it out. Where you have instructed us on our Collect & Pay service you won t even know your Tenant hasn t paid their rent this will be paid to you on the date it is due irrelevant of whether the Tenant has paid or not.
22 23 How do we compare? Mrs B - Mrs B instructed a What our clients say... With over 1000 reviews from our clients across Google and allagents we are so proud of the customer service we provide and the reputation we have. A selection of our reviews can be found below. To see all of our reviews visit www.allagents.co.uk/oakfield or Google. Michaela - Sue Ridler - Lee was so helpful in every aspect throughout this process. He We have used Oakfield before so returned to them when we had was efficient when replying to us, kept us up to date with all a property to rent and once again the service was second to none, details we asked for, made valid suggestions of properties and everyone involved was courteous, patient, efficient and very was honest in what he thought would and wouldn't work for us. proactive, we were very happy with the service and fully intend to We really appreciate the help and highly recommend asking for use them next time around him if you're able to. Glen and Diane - Gael - Excellent service and very professional, and found our new I received excellent service from Amy she was brilliant. She found tenant in a very short period of time. We are very pleased me the right place for myself and my son and nothing was too with the whole transaction and found Charlotte to be most much trouble. She went above and beyond for me in more ways knowledgeable. than one, she is an asset to this company. Also Amy is friendly, approachable and was very helpful. Happy flat hunter - Mike & Stella - Amy could not have been more helpful both prior to the letting and afterwards. Amy is very professional and it was a pleasure Our experience with Oakfield was positive from the start. They dealing with her. I was constantly kept up to date with progress were professional and efficient, and the outcome was all that we and frankly I don't think she could have done more for me. First wanted. We quickly established a friendly dialogue, and every class agent. point that we raised was quickly dealt with. As a Another great job - result, we are happily Once again Oakfield came up trumps in letting my flat in the very installed in a rented first week at an increased rent, sourcing quality tenants with no house, and have turned it void...all one could ask for as a landlord! Thanks Charlotte and into a home. Chloe! Sheree A - What a brilliant agent Lucy was! She was extremely knowledgeable about the property and could answer all our questions. Lucy has since been very helpful even after us agreeing to rent the property by contacting the owner to sort out other queries. I would highly recommend Lucy to any future clients. Thank you Lucy. competitor to let her property in Eastbourne for over a month before instructing Oakfield who let the property in less than a week! Shaz - Have just handed over three properties to Oakfield Eastbourne for letting. I have to say that so far the service has been amazing, all queries dealt with swiftly, great communication and friendly service. Very impressed, thank you! Mr K - Mr K had his property in Bexhill on to let with another agent but after 6 unsuccessful weeks and still no tenants, the Landlord instructed Oakfield who let the property within 4 days. I was exceptionally pleased with Charlotte. She achieved in less than a week what another rival agency firm had failed to achieve in two months. I wish i had used her earlier. Highly recommend! Diana - I got 100% good customer service, always happy to help. Made finding and renting property very easy. Would never hesitate using them again.
Designed and Produced by The Detective Agency Ltd. www.detective.co.uk Hastings Haig House Station Road, Hastings East Sussex, TN34 1NH Tel: 01424 446 644 hastings@oakfieldproperty.co.uk Bexhill 12 Sackville Road Bexhill on Sea East Sussex, TN39 3JL Tel: 01424 224 700 bexhill@oakfieldproperty.co.uk Eastbourne 35 Cornfield Road Eastbourne East Sussex, BN21 4QG Tel: 01323 723 500 eastbourne@oakfieldproperty.co.uk Head Office 4 Hayland Industrial Park Maunsell Road St Leonards on Sea East Sussex, TN38 9NN Tel: 01424 854 814 headoffice@oakfieldproperty.co.uk OakfieldEA OakfieldEA