It is becoming more difficult by the year, for a landlord to comply with government, or local council regulations relating to letting out their houses.  Each year, new regulations are introduced, which landlords are expected to comply with, though they are often not well publicised.

Here at Lota Properties, we make every effort to ensure that you comply with ALL regulations.  Here are a few that you may (or may not) be aware of:-

EPCs

If you advertise a house or flat to let in England, you must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your property; this was introduced in 2007.

This has now been made more complicated; since 1st October 2015, you are no longer allowed to issue a Section 21 (eviction) notice, unless you have given the tenant a copy of the EPC.

EPC 2018 (MEES – Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards)

EPCs show how energy efficient your property is, on a scale of A to G (best to worst).  As of 1st April 2018, you will be breaking the law if you rent out a house or flat which has a rating of F or G.  We will attempt to upgrade the property, using the most cost effective methods possible, starting with the government sponsored ECO scheme, which offers free insulation, and sometimes free boilers or electric storage heaters.

Right-To-Rent Checks

Since February 2016, landlords must check whether a new tenant has a legal right to rent a property in this country.  The fine for not doing this can be up to £3000, or even a prison sentence.  Lota Properties will perform these checks, to ensure that you avoid these fines, and that you avoid any issues with discrimination*.

* These checks need to be performed regardless of whether the person appears to be British or not.

Deposit Protection

Any tenant who wishes to move into a house or flat which we manage, must pay a deposit, which is usually equivalent to the monthly rent.  We will not allow any tenants to pay less deposit, or to pay after they have moved in.  Once again, regulations come into play, when dealing with residential property deposits.  It is a legal requirement that all tenant deposits are protected in a government sponsored scheme.  We use DPS (http://www.depositprotection.com), which will cost you no money.

The Right Documentation

We regularly speak to landlords who ask for a “basic tenancy agreement form”; They usually describe a double sided piece of paper, on which they enter the tenants details, property details and the rental amount.  I remember these so-called tenancy agreements, which used to be sold in newsagents for just a few pounds.  A few years ago, they were probably just about OK to use, but with all the new regulations, they aren’t worth the paper they are written on.

Our tenancy agreement states what the tenant is responsible for, and what the landlord is responsible for;  it is regularly updated, as and when new regulations make it necessary.  In short, our tenancy agreement makes the tenancy easier, and protects the landlord and their property.  It also makes it easier to evict a tenant, on those rare occasions when the tenancy goes wrong.

There are a few other documents which landlords are required to issue to tenants, particularly if it ever comes to a legal eviction; we make sure that all of these are in order too.

Conclusion – Landlords needs our help

It used to be easy for landlords to earn a living from renting out houses and flats, but successive governments have made it increasingly difficult.  The answer is simple: If you want to rent your house or flat out in leeds, hire property professionals like Lota Properties, to take most of your rental headaches out of your hands.  Contact us to Book a Valuation Now!