LANDLORDS

With Park Lane Properties, you won’t find glossy brochures or insurance you don’t need. What you will find is a straightforward and professional management service. It is this personal approach to all our clients that is at the heart of our business.

Our full property management service includes:

• Finding suitable tenants
• Checking appropriate references
• Completion of Tenancy Agreements and S tatutory Notices under the 1988 Housing Act
• Obtaining a dilapidation deposit and first month’s rent (minus our costs and fee)
• Rent collection and monthly payment into your account
• Monthly statement of your account
• Property inspections every three to four months

ENQUIRIES

If you would like a valuation of your property, advice on acquisition and development or information on any of our services, we would love to hear from you! Valuations are free and carry no obligation.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

INSURANCE
You should inform your insurance company that the property is to be let. Failure to do so may mean that the property insurance is invalid.

PROPERTY CONDITION
There is generally a greater demand for unfurnished property and contrary to popular belief there is now no difference in the type of tenancy created .It is therefore in your best interests to ensure that the property is in good decorative order. It will also normally be necessary to provide carpets, curtains and a cooker.

GARDENS
While it is generally the responsibility of the tenant to maintain the garden, we advise that the landlord provides a lawnmower and appropriate garden tools.

ENQUIRIES

If you would like a no obligation valuation of your property, advice on acquisition and development or information on any of our services, we'd love to hear from you!
Give us a call on:

Alternatively, you may write to us using the Contact Form

FURTHER NOTES

Although Park Lane Properties will take care of the administration involved in letting your property, we would like to draw your attention to a number of statutory obligations which currently apply.

LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT 1985

It is generally the responsibility of the Landlord to keep the external structure of the property in good repair. The structure includes items such as drains and gutters and, internally, central heating and the installations for the supply of all utilities: water, gas, electricity and sanitation.

FIRE AND FURNISHINGS REGULATIONS 1988

All new tenancies must comply with these regulations:
(1) all upholstered furniture (e.g. beds, sofas, armchairs) must have fire resistant filling material.
(2) upholstered furniture (except mattresses, bed bases, pillows and cushions) must pass a cigarette resistance test
(3) permanent covers must pass a match resistance test.
Furniture manufactured after the introduction of the regulations in 1988 should have labels attached. There are a few exemptions to the regulations, notably that they do not apply to bed clothes, carpets or curtains.

GAS SAFETY REGULATIONS 1994

All gas appliances within the property must be inspected and generally serviced at least once a year by a qualified CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers) gas engineer who will check not only the appliances but also the integrity of the supply and that the regulations regarding ventilation and flues etc. are complied with. On request, he will issue a Gas Safety Inspection Certificate which should be kept so that it is available to tenants or prospective tenants for inspection.
Please also note that the landlord is responsible for ensuring that Energy Performance Certificates are available.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT (SAFETY) REGULATIONS 1994

These require that electrical appliances and the electrical supply are safe. There is no statutory procedure for checking these items but a periodic inspection by a qualified electrician is advisable.

SMOKE DETECTORS

Smoke detectors are now a legal requirement in a rented property and we strongly advise that two smoke detectors and, for added security, carbon monoxide detectors, are fitted prior to the start of the tenancy.

TENANCY DEPOSIT SCHEME (TDS)

Tenancy deposit law was introduced in April 2007 and provides protection for tenants by preventing landlords and letting agents from unfairly withholding a deposit. The scheme protects all Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales (covering most tenancies since 1997).

Park Lane Properties are members of The Dispute Service Ltd., which means that we will be able to hold the deposits for you. The scheme requires us to register all deposits received and to pay the necessary premiums and membership fees. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord/agent must endeavour to agree with the tenant how the deposit is to be divided. If no agreement can be reached about how much of the deposit should be returned, there will be a service to help resolve disputes, offered by the scheme which is protecting the deposit. There is no charge for this service as it is included in the cost of joining the scheme. The parties are not obliged to use this service as each has the right of redress through the courts if preferred.

If the landlord and tenant both agree to use the service to resolve disputes offered by their scheme provider, they are agreeing to be bound by its decision. The case will then be referred to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) who will make his judgement. We will be working on the assumption that all landlords will wish for us to hold deposits on their behalf. If you do not wish for us to do this then please let us know. We can send the deposit on to you but you will need to register it with one of the schemes yourself. The penalty for non compliance is a payment to the tenant of three times the amount of the deposit.

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme charge us a fee of £35.25 (£30 plus VAT) for their service, which we pass on to you. The fee will only apply when we receive a new deposit on your behalf.
Further information on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme is available at the government website www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/DG_066373