WitLet

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LANDLORDS

WitLet is Witham’s most established agency. Part of a family business trading in Witham since 1938, our office is based in Witham, and specialises in local properties.

Formed as Witham Letting Services, we have steadily grown with a high degree of customer care to both our landlords and tenants.

WitLet constantly seeks quality homes for suitably qualified tenants.

We are small, friendly office who care. We fully appreciate that letting a home can be extremely stressful and we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to pick up the phone to discuss any details, which may be troubling you.

For those letting for investment we can help with any advice you require, we are well experienced and have connections in all aspects.  We can help with advice from decorators to lawyers!  If you want to build an investment portfolio, then we can help.

If you ask us to manage your property, we use the best tradesmen in town.  Most have worked with us for years.  Unlike many agencies we pass their cost straight on to you with no mark up.

We can advise you with insurance needs.  Policies which cover building, contents, maintenance, rent and legal fees are all available. 

WitLet have a very high level of percentage of rent collected with very low void periods between tenancies.

We'll combine our local expertise and the latest market intelligence information with the huge marketing power of the internet, to help you find the right tenant fast!

All our properties are advertised              

on rightmove.co.uk, the uk's favourite   

property website, attracting over 5 million

visits from home movers every month.    

We appreciate every landlord is an individual. We will always find time to talk to you.

What to do first?

You may have already decided that you wish to let your property or you may just be seeking advise - simply pick up the phone and speak to us.

We will be pleased to meet you at your property to discuss your specific requirements and answer any queries you may have. For brief detail of a subject click the link below, alternatively please contact our office for further information:

Finding a tenant                                           Insurance:                                               The Management Service:

                                                                     - Landlords Household Insurance          - Repairs & Maintenance

Your Property:                                              - Rentsure Bronze Insurance                - Re-Letting & Tenancy Renewals

- Furnishing & Fire Safety Regulations        - Rentsure Silver Insurance                   - Ceasing a Tenancy

- Gas Appliances                                          - Rentsure Gold Insurance                   

- Inventory & Schedule of Condition             - Legal Protection Insurance                Charges/Fees:

- Utilities                                                                                                                                     - Full Letting Service Fee's

                                                                      Deposit Laws                                         - Non-Managed Service Fee's

                                                                                                                                              - Finalising a Tenancy

                                                                                             Overseas Landlords

We will also carry out a FREE rental appraisal and advise you, in our opinion, the best way to proceed.

This service is provided at no cost to you and without obligation.

Contact us today to arrange your FREE lettings appraisal!

Finding you a tenant

The success of a good tenancy is carefully selecting a suitable tenant for your property.

WitLet constantly seek quality homes for suitably qualified tenants.

Restrictions concerning pets, smokers, multiple occupancy etc can be incorporated. It is our job to find the tenant which best suits you and your individual property.

All prospective tenants will be accompanied to view your property, we never send prospective tenants to properties without an escort.

WitLet uses the LETsure tenant assessment service to qualify all prospective tenants offering fast and effective comprehensive referencing. Click here for more details.

Our many years of experience have enabled us to build an excellent reputation in selecting tenants for our clients, however, we never forget that it is your property and you have the final word.

Once a suitable tenant has been chosen and approved, the necessary Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements will be prepared and appropriate notices under the Housing Act will be prepared in house.  We will have already asked your permission to enter into tenancy.

Your mortgage company (if applicable) may require a draft copy of the documentation for their records and we will of course be pleased to provide this to the lender.

If a guarantor is required, the guarantor will also be party to the agreement to ensure your protection.

Your property

Furnishing & fIre safety regulations

We would recommend that properties are let with carpets, curtains and a cooker only.

Should you decide to let your property furnished then as a landlord you will have to meet the current Health & Safety regulations. In the case of upholstered furnishings, all appropriate labels must be attached.

A more details explanation is available in 'A guide to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) regulations' from the department Trade of Industry. For details visit - http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file24685.pdf

Gas Appliances

Whilst it is recommended that the occupier of any property with gas appliances connected ensures that they are regularly serviced for safety reasons, as soon as you fall into the category of 'Landlord' you immediately have responsibilities under the law to ensure that your gas appliances are safe and certified.

We can arrange for a suitably qualified engineer to issue a Safety Certificate, on your behalf.

Average prices for an annual gas safety inspection are as follows:

• £79.90 (inclusive of VAT) for the first appliance

• £47.00 (inclusive of VAT) for each appliance thereafter.

You can instruct your own Corgi Registered Gas Engineer if you wish, however, if we do not hold a certificate at commencement of the tenancy, we will instruct our own engineer to carry out the Safety Inspection.

The penalties for any infringements of this regulation are extremely high.  WitLet will not permit entry into a tenancy without holding this certificate in our office. 

Inventory & Schedule of Condition

Prior to occupation by your tenant we will attend (if instructed) to produce a full inventory and schedule of condition, which will detail the contents, condition and decorative order of each room and any specific defects which exist at the commencement of the tenancy including condition of garden and glass.

We consider this an important document, which is duly checked and signed by the ingoing tenant as a true record of the original condition of the property. The tenant is asked to make all the amendments they require at this point.

It is on the basis of this document that the tenant is checked out of the property at the expiration of the tenancy and any charges levied upon them for remedial works found necessary e.g. window/general cleaning, gardening, missing/damaged items.

 
Landlords wishing to provide their own inventory should ensure that it is not simply a list of contents, which could be open to misinterpretation at the end of the tenancy leading to disputes and unpleasantness.

Utilities

When taking a tenancy it is the responsibility of the ingoing tenant to take over the utility services connected to the property, (unless specifically included in the rental).

These may include:

• Water
• Electricity
• Gas
• Oil
• Council Tax
• Telephone

Immediately before any tenancy commences it will be necessary for the utility bills to be finalised and a forwarding address given to each provider for the final invoice. This can in most cases be dealt with over the telephone, providing details and final meter readings etc.

This course of action will ensure that the utilities do not remain in the landlord’s name during the tenancy and ensures there is no responsibility on the landlord for services used by the tenant.

Where oil central heating exists, we recommend that either a full or and empty tank of oil is provided and detailed on the inventory.  Part tanks can not be inventoried.

Tenants are required to provide proof that utility accounts have been setup for each supplier before their deposit can be released at the end of the tenancy.

Further details can be found in our Landlord's Information booklet, alternatively please contact our office.

Insurance

While letting your property we consider it essential that your building, its interior and any contents are fully insured during the term of the tenancy.

For peace of mind WitLet are able to arrange a variety of insurance policies to suit every need.

WitLet is an appointed representative of Lumley LETsure Ltd, Hargrave House, Belmont Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6TB, which is authorisated and regulated by the Financial Services authority whose FSA register number is 313817.

We realise how difficult it can be to arrange insurance cover for rented property. Often cover is either very restrictive or provides more cover than is normally required, premiums and policy excesses can be prohibitive.

Your exiting insurance may well offer excellent terms for owner occupation, please enquire whether the policy permits letting. You will probably require a landlord's policy.

There are many insurance policies available to landlords - we can arrange:

Landlords Household Insurance

Rentsure Insurance (summary)

Rentsure Bronze Insurance

Rentsure Silver Insurance

Rentsure Gold Insurance

Legal Protection Insurance

Tenant Assessment Service

Why not call use today to get a quote?

All our tenants are required to take out tenants’ contents insurance, either through this office or provide a copy of their own policy of a similar quality, policies must include cover against accidental damage to landlords fixtures and fittings.

Landlords’ must provide buildings insurance.  We recommend that landlords’ take Legal Protection – Rent Protection insurance is also available – details upon request.

All policies available through this office are underwritten by a major insurance company. No charge is made to our landlords’ for arranging cover on their behalf.

Deposit Laws

As of 6th April 2007 new regulations have been imposed by the Government to protect deposits.

All deposits taken (up to the level of £25,000) by landlords and letting agents for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales, must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme.

   
There are three schemes available to both private landlords and letting agents - for details visit www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/DG_066391
     

WitLet are members of the The Deposit Protection Service (DPS);
     

The DPS is the sole Custodial scheme - the running costs of this scheme are funded entirely from the interest earned on all the deposits held by the scheme. The Custodial scheme is run by Computershare who have administered similar schemes for some years in other parts of the world, particularly Australia and New Zealand. For more information visit the website www.depositprotection.com or call the DPS Helpline on 0870 7071 707.

If you are a non-managed landlord, you can register yourself with the Deposit Protection Service who will issue you with a Landlord’s ID number. Once we are provided with your Landlord’s ID number funds can be transferred from our DPS account into your DPS account. Alternatively you may wish to be insured in order to hold deposit monies, in which case we can forward funds directly to you.

    
To find out more information about how this may effect you, please contact us for advice or click www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/index.htm

Overseas Landlords

Whilst you are based in the U.K you will be responsible for your own tax affairs, declaring rental income and claiming relief for your expenditure (including our letting & management fees).

Many of our clients have arranged an appointment with the local Tax Office and have been pleasantly surprised with the help and guidance given in minimising their tax liability from rental income.

If you are to be a resident OUTSIDE of the U.K, WitLet is liable to retain 22% of the rental income unless you receive Non-Resident Landlord Scheme notification and have an approval number from the Inland Revenue instructing us that no tax deduction is to be made.  

As your managing agent we would be responsible for declaration to the Inland Revenue unless you claim non-resident landlords’ exemption (which you will be required to arrange with the Inland Revenue). Further details concerning the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme can be found at - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/nr_landlords.htm

Details of NRL approval is available in our office. Alternatively you can complete a NRL 1 form available from Inland Revenue or click http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/nrl1.pdf

The Management Service

Many landlords like to detach themselves from the day to day stresses of managing their own properties. Once the tenancy has commenced and you’ve chosen to take advantage of WitLet’s full management service (our full management service is usually essential for landlords leaving the area or going abroad) the following will be provided:

Rent will be collected from your tenant. You will receive a monthly invoice showing the rent received and any agreed deductions made (e.g. management fees, repairs etc.) along with the balance of the rent.

Throughout the tenancy, the property will be regularly inspected (approximately every three months) to ensure that the tenant is maintaining the house/flat, contents and garden to a high standard.

WitLet’s management package is comprehensive and inclusive; there are no extra surprise costs at the end of the tenancy.  We will attend to check out the inventory, receive the keys and instigate and supervise any final cleaning, gardening, etc. as necessary.  We will ensure that the property is ready for re-letting or handing back to you if you are re-occupying.

Our management fee is currently 10 % of the monthly rental + VAT. For landlords with more than one property we are able to offer special rates and will be pleased to discuss your particular requirements.

Repairs and Maintenance

Included in our management service is supervision and organisation of any approved repairs and maintenance to your property. Most of our contractors have worked with us for many years.

As soon as a fault occurs and the tenant contacts our office, we will seek your instructions before arranging estimates for the work to be done.

You may have specific contractors that you wish to use for your property, then you will simply need to advise us of your chosen plumber, heating engineer, electrician, builder, etc.

Alternatively we are able to recommend suitable contractors to you, if required, who regularly undertake work on behalf of our clients and consequently do so at reasonable cost.

Re-Letting and Tenancy Renewals

Towards the end of any tenancy term we will contact you to establish whether you wish to re-let your property for a further period.

If instructed to re-let we will enquire with the existing tenant whether they would like to re-new for a further period and if so produce the new tenancy documentation and statutory notices (if requested) for the new agreed term.

If your existing tenant is moving, then the property will be re-advertised and in most cases a new tenant will be found to take occupation from the end of the previous tenancy and ideally keeping the property permanently occupied, preserving your rental income.

At each tenancy renewal or re-let, the rental value will be reassessed and increased if appropriate.

The procedures for new tenancies are followed as for an initial letting, however, re-letting and tenancy renewal costs are at a reduced rate, as shown on the charges section.

Ceasing a Tenancy

At the end of each tenancy a member of staff will attend the property to receive the keys, check the inventory and schedule of condition and make arrangements to finalise the tenancy in readiness for any new tenancy, or hand the property back if you are intending to re-occupy.

In the event that there is any final cleaning, gardening, repairs or missing items to be replaced, then our staff will arrange appropriate estimates and supervise any remedial works, the cost of which will be charged to the outgoing tenants.

If you decide to undertake your own rent collection and management, then it will be your responsibility to check the property at the end of the tenancy, and instruct us accordingly to release any deposit monies.  We will still be pleased to provide the tenant check out service on unmanaged properties if you prefer. The cost of this service is quoted on the basis of size of the property.  

Please ask for fee details.

Charges/Fees

Full Letting Service Fee's

Initial Let   -   £375.00 + VAT

10% of a calendar month's rent + VAT each month thereafter

- Please ask about discounts for multiple properties, sole agency, etc. We may also be offering special offers at the

time of your instruction (sole agency may be required).

Re-Let fee (for new tenants)   £195.00 + VAT

Renewal fee (for existing tenants)   -   £85.00 inclusive of VAT

Non-managed Service Fee’s (Tenant Introduction Only)

Initial Let   -   one months rent + VAT

Re-Let fee (for new tenants)   -   one months rent + VAT

Renewal fee (for existing tenants)   -   £85.00 inclusive of VAT

Finalising the Tenancy

Checking the tenant out of the property and finalising the tenancy are included in our management charge. Checking tenants out of unmanaged properties are quoted individually based on the size of the property and location.  Please ask for a free quotation.

We aim to provide a friendly flexible service. If the service you require is not detailed in our introduction, or you require any extended services, please do not hesitate to ask. We will try to accommodate your specific requirements.