Kings Residential

I have furnished my apartment that I am about to pass to my agent to market. Is a TV required and if I provide one will it get me more rent…?

In most cases, when an apartment is advertised fully furnished a TV is not usually expected. It is seen more of a bonus as most people have their own anyway. Depending on the property and its location a TV will sometimes help secure a tenant a little faster or may be a deal clincher as most landlords will not bother. If you are aiming at the more corporate client then their expectations are a lot higher and they will most probably ask for one as part of the deal. In these cases we can achieve slightly higher rents. It is advisable to state to your agent from the start that you are flexible and that should a prospective tenant request a TV then you are willing to provide one based on certain conditions. You could use this to negotiate a longer tenancy or slightly higher rent but be careful not to scare the tenant off. But remember, if a TV is provided and it breaks down you are obliged to fix it or provide a replacement.

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 My tenant has asked me to pay £124.99 for a BT line. Am I, as a Landlord really required to pay for the installation of a telephone line…?

This is totally at your discretion. Most short-hold tenancy agreements require the tenant to seek the landlords permission before any work is carried out on the property but I have never come across a landlord that has rejected the proposal. Some landlords offer to pay the full amount. Some offer to pay half. Unless the tenancy clearly states that you are obliged to supply a telephone line then the decision is totally up to yourself . You will probably only have to pay this charge once as it usually only applies to new properties that have yet to have a phone line activated. There is a moral argument that a landlord should pay it as the benefit remains with the property well beyond the first tenant but there is no obligation to do so. Our advice is to pay it in the interests of good relations.

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My agent mentioned a break clause. What exactly is this..?

A break clause is sometimes added to a fixed term tenancy agreement. This is usually requested by the landlord or tenant if the initial fixed term is for a year or more. A break clause will most commonly allow either the landlord or the tenant to give notice at an agreed interim stage.

For example, a 12 month tenancy may have a 6-month break clause which means that the tenant or landlord can give notice to terminate at the 6-month stage.  Notice cannot be given prior to this date nor can it be given after the break clause stage has expired. When timing the notice it is important to bear in mind how much notice is required and when this has to be served.  For example, some tenancy agreements state that one month notice must be given by the tenant to coincide with a rent due date. Notice just one day after the rent due date can equate to nearly 2 month’s notice because it is not effective until the next rent due date.  The notice for the break should be given to expire at the 6 month stage in this example.

Landlords normally must provide 2 months notice whereas tenants should provide 1 month notice.

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My current agents are saying that the current tenant will not allow access. The current tenancy ends in 1 week and I am getting worried I will not find another tenant quick enough. Can the tenant refuse access..?

The law states that a landlord or his agent must give the tenant at least 24 hours  notice in writing (unless there is an emergency). In most shorthold tenancies it states that the landlord/agent will require access for viewings once they enter the final month of the tenancy. In past experience the tenant will allows access if they are contacted over the phone as long as they are given 24 hours notice. Your agent should hold a spare key so that if the problem arises  the tenant is unable to refuse access as long as the correct procedure is followed.

It is also possible that the other agent is trying to hinder the new agent. But your old agent would never do such a thing would they?

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If the Tenancy Agreement makes no provisions for the landlord to make a rent increase, then you have two options to increase the rent :
 

1. Renew the contract at the end of the fixed term but at an increased rent.

2. At the end of the fixed term, serve a Section 13(2) Notice of the Housing Act 1988, proposing an increase in rent.

The rental increase should be considered in relation to the rental to that of other similar properties in the same area. If the increase puts the rent well above the current market value, tenants can apply for the rent to be assessed by a Rent Assessment Committee. If they then reduce the rent, you are bound to this figure for 12 months.

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I think my property for sale in Urmston is worth more than the estate agent thought it was, they put it on the market 14 weeks ago at the price I wanted and it’s not sold. I instructed another agent as a joint agent 8 weeks ago and still no offers and only a few viewings. The feedback has been they thought it was too expensive.I think it’s just the estate agents trying to get the price down. What do you think?

Sam

I think you are right. The agents are trying to get the price down becaue you ignored their initial advice and your house is unlikely to achieve the price that you desire. Remember, your agent sells houses and he knows what he is talking about. He can look at your house objectively without any emotional involvement to gauge the appropriate price at which to market your house. Remember, more than one agent has given you the same advice.

You should take on board what the agents have said. Reduce your price. After 3 months on the market your property is a stale instruction to the agent and if you are unwilling to reduce the price and the price is unrealistic then the agent probably won’t bother doing anything with it. If you were my client and were not taking my advice and after 3 months you were still unwilling to drop the price then I would have dis-instructed myself as you would be costing me money in advertising and marketing costs. The property market is a buyers market at the moment and if you are unrealistic in price then your property will remain unsold. Check with the landregistry on www.mouseprice.co.uk or www.nethouseprices.com and by putting your postcode in you can see what properties in your road sold for over the last 5 years, if yours is well over the highest then you are trying to push the price up on your street and this only works in a strong sellers market.

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My Estate Agent in Stretford wants me to leave him with a key whilst I am on holiday so that he can do viewings. I don’t like the idea of the agent snooping around my house while I am not there.George

Estate Agents see far too many properties to have a particular interest in ’snooping’ around yours. I would suggest that you hand the agent a key and let him enjoy unhindered viewing access while you are away and unable to get under his feet and mess the place up. Simply tidy up, hand over the key and enjoy your holiday while your agent gets on with his job

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I need a Letting Agent in Manchester. I have a two bedroom apartment in Manchester. I have just discovered that the initial 6 month tenancy comes to an end in one week!!! I just totally forgot as I was away on holiday. I need a tenant fast can you help…?

It is so important for a landlord to get the property back on the market as soon as your tenants give notice. This way you are giving yourself one month or is some cases two months to market the property, carry out viewings and reference the tenant so that you have a new tenant lined up and ready to move as soon as your previous tenant moves out, thus cutting your void periods.

You have now lost nearly three weeks of extremely valuable time which will most certainly result in a void period. This means every day the property is empty you are losing money.

At Kings Residential we strive to make sure all managed properties are placed back on the market one month prior to the tenancy ending or as soon as notice is received. This way our viewings agents have more than enough time to secure the next tenant which results in a happy and void free landlord.

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My flat in Manchester City Centre is rented to a tenant who is not paying the rent. He seemed such a nice boy when he handed over the 1st month’s rent. I am based in London and I am getting very frustrated as every time I call I get his answer phone.

I would be interested to hear how you found this tenant being such a long distance away.

Landlords sometimes think they can save a few quid on the agent fees by finding their own tenant. Sometimes this works out OK but I hear too many stories just like yours.

Bad tenants will purposely seek out private landlords as the checks that they carry out are minimal. The long distance landlord is even better (for the rogue tenant) because it is a long journey to the North West and when you get here they may be out or on holiday.

If you don’t handle things properly you can end up in court for harassment and then getting an eviction is almost impossible. To do things properly you need to make several visits and really need to be on the spot.

My advice is to talk to a solicitor to get this guy out as soon as possible and then use a reputable agent next time. A lot of the real rogue tenants just don’t apply in the first place as they don’t want to lose their application fees when they are rumbled.

At Kings Residential we would take care of this situation for you on our Fully Managed service. We have a strict protocol for handling arrears and the tenant knows from the outset that we will make promises regarding charges and eviction and we will keep those promises.

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