Prior to signing a tenancy agreement it is a legal requirement for landlords to have an up-to- date: Electrical Safety Certificate, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and Gas Certificate for their property. If the landlord owns the freehold for the property they must also have building insurance. Each certificate has its own validity period and must be renewed upon expiry:

Electrical Safety Certificate: Up to 5 years (Subject to electrician’s discretion)

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): 10 years*

Gas Certificate: 1 year

Building insurance: Variable depending on provider

*If the EPC is part of a Home Information Pack (HIP) then the EPC must be less than 3 years old when the property is first marketed.

Having your property managed provides you with enough space from your tenant to maintain a professional relationship but keeps you close enough for you to monitor all matters related to your property. It takes away potential awkwardness and ensures that any issues are not clouded by a personal relationship that can develop between landlord and tenant via direct contact.

Find out more about our management service and what benefits you can enjoy when you become part of Edward Lloyds

In the private rental accommodation industry, there is undoubtedly a stigma attached to tenants who receive housing benefit. Whether this stigma is justified, is upon an individual’s discretion, which is why we always ask landlords whether they would consider a tenant receiving housing benefit before marketing their property.

At Edward Lloyds we assess a potential tenants’ ability to cover the cost of the rent for the duration of the intended tenancy. If a potential tenant is not in full-time employment then a guarantor is necessary. We require the guarantor to be a homeowner or be in full-time employment earning at least four times as much as the annual rental value of the desired property.

The rumour that all tenants who receive housing benefit do not look after a property is a myth; all potential tenants deserve to be assessed on an individual basis. At Edward Lloyds we require good references from the previous landlord of the potential tenant in
order to consider them for a property on our portfolio. This goes for all tenants.

We perform a comprehensive credit check on all potential tenants. We only consider tenants if they can provide the following documents:

Compulsory for all potential tenants

• Proof of income (Wage slip, Work contract)
• Photographic I.D. (Passport/Driving License)
• Written Reference (Previous Landlord)
• Proof of previous address (Utility bill, bank statement)
• Bank Statement

Additional Requirements

• Signed guarantor declaration (Housing benefit tenants only)
◦ Guarantor needs to provide photographic identification
◦ Guarantor needs to provide proof of homeownership and/or evidence of annual earnings at least four times the amount of the annual rent cost

• Evidence of enrolment at academic institution attendance (Students only)
• Proof of valid Visa and/or Letter from Home Office (Non-EU citizen)

Landlords are legally required to keep deposits in an accredited deposit protection scheme.
We submit all of the deposits we receive for our management properties in to the Deposit Protection Service (DPS)

If you opt for our let only service then we transfer the deposit to you upon you signing to declare responsibility for the deposit.

In most cases the tenants are liable to pay council tax, although notably the landlord is liable to pay council tax for a property that houses multiple occupants e.g. a ‘house share’.

You can find more details about council tax liability from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Click here to learn more

Income received from a rented property must be declared; this applies to both landlords living in the UK and abroad. You can find out more about income tax by clicking here

Generally landlords are responsible for maintenance issues that occur at their property except for cases where deliberate damage by the tenant is apparent. However landlords are not responsible for any items or furnishings that belong to the tenant.

In the case of a tenant wanting home improvements or redecoration, they must always seek the landlord’s approval before making any amendments. It is not unusual for a landlord to partially subsidise home improvements if the improvements add value to the property.

Garden maintenance is usually the responsibility of the tenant. However if the landlord expects the tenant to keep the garden well maintained then they must provide the tenant with the appropriate equipment to use.

The way that you rent your property is entirely up to you. Whether a property is furnished or not does not necessarily have an impact on the rent value of a property however furnished properties tend to be slightly more popular with tenants in the rental market.
Here are some basic guidelines for each type of furnishing provided by a landlord:

Furnished

Usually comprises of all essential white goods (oven, fridge freezer, washing machine), bedroom furniture (bed, wardrobe) and seating in the reception room (if applicable)

Part-Furnished

Usually comprises of white goods only (oven, fridge freezer, washing machine). Alternatively the part-furnished property may not include white goods but have other items of furniture included (e.g. bed, table, settee)

Unfurnished

Contains no furnishings or appliances

If you rent your property as furnished it is advisable that you have contents insurance for your furniture, especially if you feel it potentially exceeds the amount given by the tenant as a deposit.

If you intend to rent your property to multiple occupants then you may require a HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) licence. You will need a HMO licence if your property has any of the following:

• Three or more stories in height
• Five or more people forming more than one household

Landlords who offer large student houses usually require a HMO licence. To obtain a license, the landlord must apply to the council.

For more details or to apply for a HMO licence from your local council please click here