Landlords
Please see our fees page.
Our agency agreement is not publicly available to minimise the risk of plagiarism. However, you will be provided with ample time to review it prior to signing any paperwork or paying any fees.
Yes. We agree the law regarding renting out your property can be confusing and it can vary depending upon your local council. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. If we manage your property we will ensure you are fully compliant.
You have a legal duty of care for the safety of your tenants. This can broadly be broken into:
Gas: Each year a gas safety test must be carried out by a GasSafe registered engineer proving the property safe. A copy of the certificate must be provided to your rental tenants. You must provide the most recent gas safety certificate to the tenants at the start of a tenancy.
Electrics: All electrical installations and equipment in the property must be safe. Any electrical installation work carried out will need to comply with Part-P Building Regulations. We advise a suitably qualified electrician carry out a portable appliances test (PAT) at each change of tenancy. We also advise a suitably qualified electrician carry out a fixed appliances check every 5 years so that a ‘satisfactory’ electrical inspection condition report (EICR) is achieved.
Furniture and furnishings: Any furniture and furnishings provided must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended 1993). We strongly advise all furniture and furnishings supplied in your rental property are manufactured after 1993 and was were made in the UK to ensure this is the case.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: Your property must have a smoke alarm for each storey where there is at least one room used wholly or partially as accommodation (including bathrooms). Your property must have a carbon monoxide alarm in every room used wholly or partially as accommodation (including bathrooms) and which contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance. They must be in good working order and tested on the day the tenancy starts.
Legionella: A risk assessment must be carried out ensuring the risk of legionella is sufficiently low. If our risk assessment highlights a risk then you should instruct a legionella test to be carried out before the start of the tenancy.
General Safety: It is your responsibility to ensure your property complies with The Housing Act 2004 and its rating system – The Housing Health and Safety Rating system (HHSRS). It covers areas such as damp, excess cold or heat, pollutants, space, overcrowding, security, lighting, noise, hygiene, pests, refuse, sanitation, drainage, water supply, falls, electrical hazards, fire, structural collapse and entrapment. An assessment will take into account the severity of any hazard and the effect it could have on the most potentially vulnerable user of the property, based on age, even if such a person is not living in or visiting the property at the time. If the local authority believe your property is below the required standard, or if a tenant complains to the local authority, then it may issue an improvement notice requiring you to carry out the necessary work.
We undertake a thorough reference check to ensure any tenant we rent your property to is in stable employment, does not have an adverse credit history, has good references from prior landlords, has the legal right to rent in the UK and does not have a criminal record or any County Court Judgements against them. If we are in any doubt, we will contact you and fully inform you of the tenant’s credentials. You will have the final say as to whether the tenant is accepted.
We are sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with the service we provide. Please view our complaints procedure page.
No. We only accept landlords who wish to rent out their property on contracts of six months or more.
Our tenancy agreement is not publicly available to minimise the risk of plagiarism. However, you will be provided with ample time to review prior to signing any paperwork or paying any fees.
The vast majority of residential tenancies are Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) and are usually for a minimum of six months. Many landlords will not accept less than six months. At JA Management, we only use ASTs or Corporate Lets. Our usual tenancy is for 12 months, although if a property is available for long term rent it is likely the landlord will offer a further 12 months if the tenancy has gone smoothly. This may continue year-after-year and gives both landlord and tenant the opportunity to review the arrangement annually.
Yes, we frequently take on new clients who already have sitting tenants.
We will ensure all contractors are appropriately qualified and insured to carry out any works in your property. However, if you have your own preferred contractor(s) then so long as they are suitably qualified and insured we will be happy to use them for works in your property.
It is not a requirement you obtain landlords insurance. However we recommend you consider taking out a policy which includes the property itself and the contents that are included within the tenancy agreement.
Most likely yes. If you have a mortgage or a loan against the property you wish to rent then you will need the permission of the lender. If your property is leasehold, then you will most likely need the permission of the Freeholder (depending on the terms of your lease). You may require the permission of your home insurer who may put you onto a new lettings specific policy. You may require consent from the local authority if they run a licensing scheme and/or if your tenancy will make your property a House in Mulitple Occupation (HMO).
If you let your property to several tenants who are not members of the same family, it may be a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’ (HMO). Your property is an HMO if both of the following apply:
at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than one household
toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared
A household consists of either a single person or members of the same family who live together. It includes people who are married or living together and people in same-sex relationships.
An HMO must have a licence if it is occupied by 5 or more people. A local council can also include other types of HMOs for licensing.
We will not provide any rental tenant your contact details without your explicit consent. We would advise against giving a rental tenant your contact details as it can cause confusion as to who they should contact first. The only information about you the rental tenant will be provided with is your name (which will be on the tenancy agreement)
Any property advertised for letting must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which shows how energy efficient a property is providing a rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient. From April 2018 the energy efficiency rating of the property must be between A – E for any new let or renewal. From April 2020 all privately rented properties must comply with this standard.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions you may have.
Tenants
Our tenancy agreement is not publicly available to minimise the risk of plagiarism. However, you will be provided with ample time to review prior to signing any paperwork or paying any fees.
You will be required to supply satisfactory references. This may vary depending on your circumstance but would typically include proof of identity, proof of stable employment or attendance as a student at a university, proof you earn sufficient income to be able to afford the rent and a reference from a previous landlord to confirm you paid the rent on time and that there were no problems.
If you pass all categories outlined in the previous question but are unable to provide a landlord reference for the above reasons, we will inform the landlord of this property and they will decide whether to accept your application.
So long as your employment is stable and you are earning sufficient income to afford the property, you will pass this section of a reference check. Our third-party referencing company may request audited accounts for the last 12 months.
We require the first month’s rent in advance and the equivalent of five weeks rent to be held as a security deposit which will be registered with one of the government approved schemes.
In addition to paying the rent you will be required to pay personal charges such as electricity, gas, water, telephone, internet and television. You will also pay Council Tax at the rate applicable to your circumstance. All this will be clearly set out in the tenancy agreement.
See our fees page
The balance of the deposit will returned to you within ten working days assuming there are no issues with the check-out, no major repairs required and the payment details you provided us are correct.
A Zero Deposit Guarantee is an alternative to a traditional tenancy deposit by taking out an insurance policy to cover what would normally be paid for by the deposit. The insurance is paid for by the tenant. It theoretically provides the same level of financial protection to landlords while reducing the upfront costs to tenants. With Zero Deposit, tenants will still complete their referencing checks and will be wholly responsible for any financial loss or damage covered by their Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement.
However, if the insurance company goes out of business the landlord could lose all protection that would have been provided by a deposit. Under most policies the tenant is liable for all expenses, not just the five weeks rent usually collected as a deposit. Unlike a deposit, the tenant never gets the money paid into the insurance scheme back, meaning that long term costs will almost certainly be higher than under a traditional tenancy deposit.
As such, we do not offer any properties using a Zero Deposit Guarantee.
In some cases we will agree to a six month contract, but generally we will only agree to 12 month contracts. If a property is available for long term rent it is likely the landlord will offer a further 12 months if the tenancy has gone smoothly. This may continue year-after-year and gives both landlord and tenant the opportunity to review the arrangement annually.
For new tenants we would not accept longer than 12 months. If a sitting tenant wished to renew for longer (say 24 or 36 months) we may be agreeably however this would require the approval of the landlord.
Yes, as a tenant, you are legally required to pay rent until the end of the tenancy agreement or break clause. A tenancy agreement is signed by both tenant and landlord and it is legally binding. The Landlord may agree to end the tenancy early, but will expect you to cover the costs and financial losses incurred.
The landlord is responsible for insuring the rented property to cover the building and any furniture that it comes with. As a tenant, we recommend that you take out contents insurance to cover your own possessions.
No. The management of the property is instructed and paid for by the landlord.
Joint and several liability means that any one of the tenants named in the tenancy agreement can be held responsible for the full obligations under the agreement if the other members do not fulfil their contractual obligations.
As per your tenancy agreement, if the landlord is agreeable to extending the tenancy at the end of the fixed term, we will write to you offering to renew the agreement on the same terms (unless the offer states otherwise) for an extended period, usually another 12 months. The renewal offer may increase or decrease the rent payable. The renewal offer will be served to the tenant in writing not less than 28 days but not more than 90 days before the end of the fixed term.
As per your tenancy agreement, you must provide to us written notice of your intention to leave the property at least one calendar month’s notice before the end of the fixed term.
We are sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with the service we provide. Please be keep in mind that we take instruction from the landlord. Please view our complaints procedure page.