Good reasons to choose a licensed managing agent
AS a landlord, whether a new ‘first time' one or an experienced ‘portfolio' landlord your main concern when letting your property is that your property is let in a timely manner to good quality professional tenants that will pay the rent on time and look after the property and then leave at the end of the tenancy without any need for any legal intervention.
Well, once upon a time that was all that you needed to be concerned about! With the raft of recent and upcoming changes in legislation affecting the lettings industry you could be forgiven of thinking that the government has a score to settle with the industry!
Philip Bennett, managing director of long-established estate and letting agents Bennett Residential, a prominent company in the area since 1988, is still very much involved in the day-to-day running of the busy agency located at 10 High Street Uxbridge and says it is a job in itself keeping abreast of the constant stream of new changes affecting the lettings industry.
Recent changes include the introduction of the ‘How to Rent Guide' which must be provided to all new tenants and the smoke and carbon monoxide regulations bringing in the need to install smoke detectors on all floors of let properties and CO alarms where there are ‘high risk' gas/ solid fuel appliances.
There is also the Deregulation Act 2015, which has brought in new regulations covering retaliatory evictions and a new form of Section 21 notice.
The immigration bill will include further checks that must be made to investigate a prospective tenant's ‘right to rent' coming in early in 2016.
“Non-compliance with many of the changes could result in hefty fines for landlords/agents and even criminal convictions,” said Philip.
“The lettings team at Bennett Residential ensure they keep up to date with all of these changes so they are able to advise our landlord clients accordingly.”
Letting manager Bradley Smith has seen an increase in the number of clients opting for a ‘fully managed'
HIGH STREET OFFICE:
Call in and see the team at Bennett Residential, 10 High Street, Uxbridge.
service so as to avoid falling foul of legislative changes.
He said: “It can be very much a falsese economy for a landlord to opt to use e an unlicensed or inexperienced agent nt who is not up to date with current legislation, who invariably offer much h lower fees. Some are tempted to ‘selff let' or ‘self manage' their property to save costs, but both approaches couldld lead to large legal bills if correct procedure is not followed or a landlord could end up with tenants are unable to be evicted!”
If you are a landlord with a property to let and want the assurance of using a licensed ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents), long-established agent who is up to date with all of the latest and
constantlyl changingh i l legislationil i then look no further than Bennett Residential! Either call in and talk to one of the experienced team at 10 Hi Highh S Street UxbridgeU b id ( (open seven days a week); call 01895 812244 or email reception@bennettresidential. co.uk.