Letting Services for Landlords We make it personal
We understand that every customer is an individual and that every property is different, which is why every property rental we undertake is tailor made to fit your personal requirements. Contents Welcome to our lettings service Letting your property In safe hands legislation and accreditations Why now is a good time to invest in property Rise of the renter in the private rented sector Rental appraisal and service levels What is included in each management level Marketing your property The Jones Robinson Lettings Team Contact information Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Back cover Paul Sievers, LRPS, photographer We asked Newbury-based photographer, Paul Sievers to come up with a series of images that capture the beauty of our local towns and countryside. Combining near Ridgeway. Front Cover: Donnington Grove
Welcome to our lettings service Letting your property requires careful planning so you will need a professional agent you know you can trust. Jones Robinson will look after your interests and make your life as stress free as possible. We started in 1998 and now have over 30 dedicated staff in four offices. We are completely independent, offering impartial, honest advice and only work in property. Our sole aim is to sell, let or manage property better than anyone else. We understand that every property and landlord is different and landlords let a property for a variety of reasons. Jones Robinson are able to cater for all situations and will work with you to ensure your property is looked after throughout the duration of a tenancy. Property remains a popular long-term investment option and many career landlords trust us to manage their properties and find them tenants. We enable a large number of people to rent out their family home if they have to relocate for work, and help accidental and first-time landlords who didn t plan to be letting their houses. A successful tenancy is driven by quality tenants and our strong local presence attracts tenant applications from all over Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and further afield. We ll present you with qualified, vetted tenants and work hard to avoid void periods. We also specialise in Block and Estate management. If you have a block of apartments or properties that needs managing or are a developer looking for an agent before a block is complete, we are able to assist with this. We currently manage over 25 blocks consisting of more than 600 units in the area, and we re adept at managing blocks of flats, converted houses and privately run residential estates. The Crab at Chieveley 3
Letting your property Whatever the circumstances, letting your property requires careful planning and you will need a professional agent you know you can trust. Jones Robinson will look after your interests and make being a landlord as stress free as possible. Our dedicated and qualified staff will use their experience and expertise to deliver a first class service and support you at every step. We are responsible for more than 1,000 properties in the Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire area and work with landlords both in the UK and living overseas. We are on hand to deal with or advise on any aspect of letting your property and are committed to delivering a personal, handson service to all our landlords. We will work with you every step of the way to ensure our service fits with your needs and personal requirements from simply finding a suitable tenant, to our no hassle fully managed service. The Old Mill in Aldermaston
In safe hands legislation and accreditations Letting a property and keeping up with current legislation can be a minefield for landlords. Jones Robinson is fully accredited and able to advise on all aspects of letting. We are a licensed member of ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) the industry s leading professional body who have a strict code of practise and membership conditions covering for example, money protection, professional indemnity insurance and training. We are members of the TDS (Tenants Deposit Scheme) and adhere to their strict code of practise concerning holding and registering all tenant deposits ensuring all deposits are fully protected throughout a tenancy. All of the contractors we use are regularly audited to ensure they are qualified and competent to complete any works required including the required annual gas and electrical certifications. We work with local and specialist landlord and tenant solicitors to regularly review any changes in legislation. This means you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your tenants and property are being protected and are compliant with everchanging UK laws. 5
Why now is a good time to invest in property With more young people entering the private rented sector than ever before tenants are staying longer, more tenancies are being renewed for further terms and rents are increasing year on year. This means lower void periods and greater returns over time for landlords. More professional and long-term tenants are renting property as a lifestyle choice and therefore happier to pay premium rentals for premium properties. Longer term tenants are better educated on the responsibilities of a tenant during a tenancy meaning the landlord can rest easy that the property is well looked after and their investment is being protected. There are many options open to landlords and property investors such as Buy-to- Let, Let-to-Buy and Let-to-Let. A member of the Jones Robinson team will be happy to discuss your personal situation and objectives and work with you and a financial advisor to explore the options available to you. Now is a great time to be a landlord and there are a number of options open to people to take their first steps into property investment, expand their portfolio or plan a retirement income for the future. Snowdrops at Welford House
Rise of the renter in the private rented sector The face of the private rented sector is changing with more new households choosing to rent a property than buy. Recent changes include: From 2010 to 2011, an extra 262,000 new households became private tenants in England. This represented an annual increase of 7.8% in this sector. Meanwhile the number of people owning their own homes fell by 75,000 during the same period. More significant however, is the fact that 51.7% of people within the private rented sector are under 35. If the growth of the past 5 years continues at a similar rate, by 2017 more than 1 in 5 of all households in England will be in privately rented accommodation. It is considered that currently in the UK, the private rented sector is the default place for young people to go when moving out of the family home. From the years between 2002 and 2010, the percentage of 25 to 34 year olds renting privately rose from 21% to 36%. Donnington Grove 7
Rental appraisal and service levels A thorough rental appraisal allows us to realise your property s true potential and market it to tenants at an attractive price. We carry out a rental appraisal on every new property we take on even if it has been let before or has been managed by another agent. The initial rental process is likely to include the following stages: Property and market appraisal Drafting and issuing tenancy agreements Selecting the level of management service required Marketing the property Accompanying viewings and providing honest feedback Negotiating offers and agreeing tenancy terms Completing financial employment and landlord references Taking a complete inventory Collecting first month s rent and deposit Ensuring the tenants move in runs smoothly Deposit protection within the Tenants Deposit Scheme s code of practice Jones Robinson management service commences or landlord takes over. Completing gas and electrical safety certificates as required by law Littlecote House
What is included in each management level Tenant Find Rent Collect Full Management Initial visit to assess your requirements and appraise your property and the current marketplace Advice on the legal aspects of letting a property Comprehensive marketing to attract the best tenants for your property Accompanied viewings Regular updates on marketing activity and viewing feedback Comprehensive references of prospective tenants including a credit check Preparation of tenancy agreements Arrangement of professional inventories (additional costs apply) Collection of the first months rent and deposit Bonding the tenant s deposit with one of the government approved schemes Transferring the utilities to the tenants name Rent collection on a monthly basis Monthly rental statements Annual statements of account (available upon request) Rent and legal protection (additional costs apply) Specialist management team to deal with maintenance issues and repairs Regular property inspections with photographic reports Deposit return process and negotiating any dilapidations 9
Marketing your property When you instruct the specialist lettings team at Jones Robinson to find tenants for your property you will have a dedicated team working with you to ensure the right tenant is secured for your property and that the best rental possible is achieved. We invest heavily in marketing and run weekly advertising in the leading local property newspapers, we are able to offer professional photographs and floor plans to help maximise your properties exposure. All of the properties we market are displayed on our website as well as Rightmove.co.uk, Zoopla.co.uk and all of the leading major property portals. Our team will advise you on how best to market your property and by understanding your timescales we can set a marketing plan accordingly, this may involve an open house marketing plan which can help to achieve a higher rental when your timescales are critical. We understand that communication is key and as well as each person within the company having their own e-mail address and direct telephone number, we are conscious that the communication preference of a lot of people is changing. We are leading the way in the local areas with social media and integrating our communications within our website, Facebook and Twitter. Shaw House
The Jones Robinson Lettings Team 17 2 25 9 years years years years Paul Broomham marla has worked in lettings since the late 1990s. With his experience and local knowledge, he is able to advise on any aspect of the industry. Sian Cockerell, having worked in retail before joining us in 2014, always has customer service at the forefront of everything that she does as a lettings consultant. Karl Gay has worked in property for over 20 years, his diverse property background gives him an excellent understanding of all things property. 2 1 3 3 years year years years Anna Lyons brings an unrivalled local knowledge as a property manager assisting landlords and tenants on a day-to-day basis. Alex Harrison has a retail and customer service background and now specialises in property management working with landlords and tenants every day. Poppy Watts has a customer service background and specialises in matching the right tenant to the right property. Toyah Leonard graduated with a first in Graphics but it was owning her own property that drew her to the property industry and helping others achieve home ownership. 20 28 40 24 years years years years Laura Davenport joined us in early 2013 following a career in education. She loves helping tenants find the right home, delivering an outstanding level of customer care. Chloe Morey has a meticulous eye for detail and manages the accounts team, overseeing all our client accounting. Charles Robinson marla was brought up in the area and now lives in South Newbury. He has helped people sell their homes for over 30 years. David Jones frics has more than 35 years experience in the local property market and is passionate about the local area. Paul Hodgson started in marketing and brought these valuable skills to property sales when he became an estate agent in 1991. Excellent local knowledge 174 years of experience in letting property An average of 14.5 years with Jones Robinson 11
Sales Lettings Newbury 118 Bartholomew Street, Newbury Berkshire RG14 5DT T 01635 35010 E sales@jonesrobinson.co.uk Lambourn Market Place, Lambourn Berkshire RG17 8XU T 01488 73337 E sales@jonesrobinson.co.uk Didcot Church Robinson, The Old Post Office 6 Foxhall Road, Didcot OX11 7AA T 01235 816222 E sales@churchrobinson.co.uk London Fine & Country 119-121 Park Lane, Mayfair London W1K 7AG T 020 7839 0888 Newbury 118 Bartholomew Street, Newbury Berkshire RG14 5DT T 01635 581991 E newbury.lettings@jonesrobinson.co.uk Lambourn Market Place, Lambourn Berkshire RG17 8XU T 01488 73337 E sales@jonesrobinson.co.uk Didcot Church Robinson, The Old Post Office 6 Foxhall Road, Didcot OX11 7AA T 01235 816222 E lettings@churchrobinson.co.uk Property Management Centre 118 Bartholomew Street, Newbury Berkshire RG14 5DT T 01635 523707 E property.management@jonesrobinson.co.uk To discuss how we can tailor our services to your needs and make it personal, get in touch. jonesrobinson.co.uk We make it personal