GUIDE FOR LANDLORDS
WELCOME to smart city rooms
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 OUR SERVICES 7 ASSURED RENT 7 LET AND MANAGED 8 LET ONLY 11 YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A LANDLORD 12 PREPARING YOUR PROPERTY 16 MARKETING 19 DEPOSIT AND TENANCY AGREEMENT 20 MOVING IN 23
INTRODUCTION In this guide, you ll find our tips to help you get ready to let your property or room. We ll also cover our three service options, your responsibilities as a landlord and important legislations. Need to speak to one of our letting experts? Our friendly team are happy to help, and can be reached on 020 7078 0215 or via email at hello@smartcityrooms.com. PAGE 4
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OUR SERVICES ASSURED RENT Each month, you ll receive assured rent from Smart City Rooms whether your property is occupied or not. Our Assured Rent service means that at no extra cost, we ll completely manage your property, as well as find and look after your tenants. Through effective on-going management, we ll take care of your property over a term of 3 to 5 years. Shorter options are also available if that suits you better. PAGE 7
LET AND MANAGED We ll ensure your property is leased to the right tenants, and that your property is professionally maintained to an excellent standard. You ll receive a guaranteed valuation appointment in 24 hours (excl. weekends and Bank Holidays), comprehensive marketing and advertising, and the peace of mind that we ll only find vetted, professional tenants for your property. We ll manage your letting swiftly, and hassle-free, so you can relax in the knowledge that we are only a phone call away. PAGE 8
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LET ONLY Need to rent out just one room in a property? Smart City Rooms Let Only service is for you. With this service, benefits include comprehensive marketing and advertising of the property, accompanied viewings and extensive tenants screening, referencing, and approval processes. This service is suitable for landlords who are comfortable in managing the majority of their property and tenants needs themselves. PAGE 11
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A LANDLORD When letting out a property in England and Wales, there are certain legislations you must comply with, including gas and electrical safety, furniture fire safety and energy performance. A detailed list of some of your responsibilities as a landlord can be found overleaf. If you are in any doubt as to what your responsibilities are or need help, our agents will be happy to assist you. PAGE 12
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Some things to be aware of are: GAS SAFETY A yearly gas safety check must be carried out on every gas appliance / flue. To comply with regulations, a gas safety certificate must be organised every 12 months. ELECTRICAL SAFETY Electrical appliances must be tested by a qualified engineer. This is in compliance with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 legislation. FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS Soft furnishings must also comply with the Furniture and Furnishings Safety Regulations 1988 legislation, and be fire safety compliant. This information can be found on all furniture fire safety labels. EPC (ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE) Every rented property requires an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and should be prepared before marketing the property. This certificate will calculate the energy efficiency of your property, and will be graded by scale, from Grade A (being the most efficient) to Grade G (being the least efficient). The EPC will also advise on the potential efficiency of the property following recommended works. PAGE 15
PREPARING YOUR PROPERTY Making sure your property is well presented is crucial to securing new tenants. We recommend the following: Finish any outstanding DIY jobs Add some personal touches to make the property feel like a home Give the property a deep clean. And, if you re not able to provide furnishings, as part of our Rent Assured package we will be able to do this for you. In addition, we offer a room dressing service to help your tenants feel more at home. You can find out more about this on our website at www.smartcityrooms.com/room-features. PAGE 16
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MARKETING By choosing Smart City Rooms, you ll have full, unlimited access to our marketing package, whichever service you choose. You ll receive: Maximum exposure on our fully responsive website Listing on property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla Full colour property photos Detailed floorplans Professional photography Coverage in local newspapers. PAGE 19
DEPOSIT AND TENANCY AGREEMENT By law, deposits must be registered in a tenant deposit protection scheme. Smart City Rooms are able to do this for you. We are proud to be members of Client Money Protect, mydeposits, Ombudsman Services and the National Landlords Association, and strictly follow their guidelines. To find out more about deposit protection and our services for landlords, give our team a call on 020 7078 0215 or email us at hello@smartcityrooms.com. PAGE 20
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MOVING IN This involves making a list of the property s contents and thoroughly assessing the condition of each item. Make a note of when all electrical and gas appliances / fittings were last inspected and log the presence of all fire safety labels and their location. We work closely with inventory specialists who will be able to do this for you. PAGE 23
Web: www.smartcityrooms.com Email: hello@smartcityrooms.com Head office One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA Tel: +44 (0)20 7078 0215 Mayfair office 1 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8DJ Tel: +44 (0)20 7016 9891 This guide is designed for information purposes only. Whilst every effort has been made to provide accurate and up to date information, it is recommended that you consult us before taking action based on the advice we have provided here.