RENTALVALUATION

Your

Lettings specialists

Charters Letting Agents

With forecasts for the lettings market remaining strong in 2023, you may well be thinking of renting your property and maximising your income.

Charters has a team of expert lettings specialists who are ARLA Propertymark qualified, the UK’s foremost professional and regulatory body for letting agents and the biggest and most influential body in the sector.

The lettings industry is full of regulatory and compliance standards which have to be met, many of which can be time consuming and worrying for landlords, such as ensuring your property is fire compliant, has the correct electrical certification, and that you are carrying out your legal responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of your tenant by keeping the property safe and free from health hazards, to name just a few.

We take care of these for you. Letting your property out has become a minefield but at Charters we have a team of letting experts who are experienced, qualified and can see you through the maze of legislation.

There has never been a more important time to choose the right lettings agent.

Top of your list of reasons why you should talk to Charters is the dedicated, proactive Property Manager who will be appointed to help you throughout your tenancy and who’s supported by a team of property managers when required. An emergency 24/7/365 out-of-hours service is there when you need it too.

Our systems and processes are regularly audited to ensure we are fully compliant with the industry’s rigorous regulations. That includes our high quality, in-house inventories and inspection reports and our in-house accounts department. We are also committed to paper-free processes (unless you need a printed document) so we are looking after the environment too.

Above all, it is our people who really make the winning difference.

From our experienced valuation teams who will help you prepare your property for rental and optimise your income potential to the pre-tenancy department that will ensure your property is fully compliant before the tenancy begins, Charters really has you covered.

Everyone is here to help and we all work together, communicating seamlessly to keep everything in check. So, if this sounds like the kind of letting service you would like to trust your investment property with, get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

We take the stress out, so you can relax, while we do all the work.

If you have a Property Management query please call 02380 631940 for our Southampton office property management team or 02382 358577 for all other areas.

If you would like to speak to Lettings Account team, please call 02382 358579.

If you are looking for a property to rent, please click here

SELECT YOUR PREFERRED LANDLORD SERVICE

To help you decide the level of service which you may require from us we have summarised our core services below to help you clearly identify the key differences. The below table is not designed as an exhaustive list of the services as this can be found within our preceding terms of business. If you require any further information regarding any of the services, please contact the branch manager who will be delighted to discuss these with you in more detail.

 

LETTINGS REGULATIONS

To find out more about Charters Lettings Regulations, click here.

Click here to view Charters Landlords Terms of Business.

Click here to view Charters Propertymark Client Money Protection Membership Certificate.

Click here to view Propertymark Conduct and Membership Rules.

What our clients say about us

CEA Reviews

When letting a property in the UK, it’s likely that you’ll have some questions about the procedure and your responsibilities. As experienced estate agents, we’re here to help. To get you started, we’ve put together a list of our FAQs. However, if you’ve still got questions or would like to talk, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

I want to let my property, what do I need to do?

If you want to start letting your property there are many things that you must do. We can help with/take care of most of these steps and guide you along the way to ensure that your property is compliant with legislation at all times.:

  1. If you have a mortgage, inform your provider you intend to let. You may need to change your mortgage.
  2. If your property is leasehold you may need to get consent to let from the head leaseholder.
  3. You will need to make sure the property is safe e.g. install smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors, check electrics, check appliances, undertake a legionella risk assessment, obtain a Gas Safety certificate. The property must also comply with Health and safety legislation
  4. Get suitable landlords’ insurance
  5. Get an EPC (Which currently must be higher than an F rating)

Is my furniture suitable for a rental property?

To comply with legislation you should check that all furniture you intend to include complies with furniture and furnishing regulations and display the correct safety standard labels.

How much can I charge for my rental property?

There are a number of factors that can affect the value of your property including size, location and standard. Our team will be able to provide you with up to date advice using their extensive market knowledge to help you achieve the best possible price.

How will I receive the rent?

If you choose either a managed or rent managed service, we will arrange for your tenant to pay us the rent in line with the rental period. We will then transfer the money to your account (minus commission, outgoings or fees e.g. maintenance).

What if the tenant doesn’t pay?

At the commencement of the tenancy, subject to satisfactory references, we can offer you a rent guarantee insurance policy which would pay the rent in the event that your tenant stopped paying. Our accounts team also have a robust process for chasing arrears in line with legislation.

How do I conduct referencing?

When using the services of Charters lettings you don’t have to personally carry out referencing: this is done by a specialist third party company and we can organise this on your behalf. It will include information about the tenant’s including:

  • Details of guarantor (if required)
  • Employment
  • Address history
  • References from employers and previous landlords
  • Three months’ worth of bank statements
  • Tax return (if self-employed)
  • Letter from accountants (if self-employed)
  • Any adverse Credit

How long does a credit check take?

This can be almost instantaneous.

Do I pay for referencing?

At Charters we cover the cost of up to 3 references within our fees.

What fees will I have to pay?

In the past, landlords passed on a number of fees to their tenants which are now banned since the introduction of the Tenant Fee Act 2019.

Some initial costs could include

  • Inventory fees
  • Check in fees
  • Check out fees
  • Admin fees

Additionally there are likely to be costs for compliance inspections and cleaning.

What can I deduct from the security deposit?

The tenant will pay a security deposit at the beginning of their tenancy which is registered with a government approved scheme. You can potentially apply to withhold some or all of this at the end of the tenancy to cover:-

  • Damages
  • Cleaning
  • Poor maintenance of the property and/or garden
  • Unauthorised changes to the property
  • Unpaid rent
  • Unpaid utility bills
  • Removal of extra items that are left without written agreement
  • Loss of items

However fair wear and tear will need to be taken into account and you cannot expect to claim for anything that would improve the property on how it had initially been handed over to the tenant.

How much I charge the tenant for cleaning?

You cannot charge a fee for cleaning but you can withhold money from the security deposit to return the property to the condition it was in when the tenancy began (minus fair wear and tear).
Contact us
Find out more
What else

is of interest to you?

Top-10-benefits-of-using-a-letting-agent-in-Hampshire.jpg
Guide to letting a property

FIND OUT MORE
Top-10-things-to-consider-when-relocating.jpg
10 top tips for attracting tenants

FIND OUT MORE
LET-BOARDS.jpg
10 benefits of using a letting agent

FIND OUT MORE
BUY-TO-LET-PROPERTY-BLOG-IMAGE.jpg
Buying property to let

FIND OUT MORE
AREA-GUIDE-SERVICE-BOX.jpg
Area guides

FIND OUT MORE
SERVICE-BOX-MEET-THE-TEAM.jpg
Meet the team

FIND OUT MORE
SERVICE-OUR-OFFICES.jpg
Our offices

FIND OUT MORE
SERVICE-BOX-TESTIMONIALS.jpg
Testimonials

FIND OUT MORE