The ultimate landlords guide: Navigating the complex world of property lettings

At Streets Ahead, we understand that letting your property can be a daunting experience. That’s why we believe that the initial stage is crucial in providing you with the best possible service. We take every market appraisal and enquiry seriously because we know that each landlord has unique circumstances and reasons for letting their property. Whether you’re a first-time landlord or a seasoned investor with a large portfolio, we offer a tailored service that provides up-to-date rental values, current trends, and regulations.

During the initial assessment, we’ll visit your property and present you with evidence of recently let properties that are similar to yours. We take many factors into consideration, such as transport links, local amenities, the condition and furnishings of your property, and local trends that could impact the rental value. Additionally, we’ll provide you with detailed advice on the type of tenant likely to let your property, how long they’re likely to stay, and the occupations of tenants who have let similar properties.

Our goal is to make sure you feel confident that we’re experts in letting your type of property, providing you with peace of mind throughout the letting process.

As a landlord, it’s essential to be aware of the latest legislation to ensure you’re complying with all the rules and regulations. At Streets Ahead, we’ll guide you through the current legislation, including your EPC (energy performance certificate), gas and electric regulations, and the requirements for furniture, fixtures, and fittings.

We’ll answer any questions you have about carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, legionella, and the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) under the Housing Act of 2004. We’ll also advise you on your obligations under sections 11-16 of the Landlord and Tenants Act 1985. With our help, you can ensure that you’re always protected. It’s worth noting that many landlords seek our advice on insurance, liability, and their tenants’ obligations. We’re here to help and advise you on all these matters.

At Streets Ahead, we believe that finding the right tenant is key to a successful and stress-free tenancy. To achieve this, we utilise a comprehensive marketing strategy that ensures your property receives maximum exposure to a wide audience, including local, national, and even international renters. In fact, over the past year alone, we have successfully arranged 141 tenancies for international corporate clients.

We will market your property on all the major property portals, including Rightmove, Zoopla, and Primelocation, as well as our own website and 16 additional portals, and our multi-linked office displays. This provides high-profile exposure for your property and attracts a large pool of potential tenants.

However, we don’t just rely on online marketing. Our award-winning service is also focused on actively seeking out and finding the best tenant for your property. We maintain an extensive tenant database and carefully match potential tenants to your property’s specific requirements, ensuring that you find the perfect tenant for your investment.

At Streets Ahead, we understand that presenting your property in the best possible light is crucial to attracting high-quality tenants. We’ll advise you on how to maximise the appeal of your property, such as decluttering, creating a neutral and spacious environment, and providing a blank canvas for potential tenants.

During viewings, we provide prospective tenants with a wealth of local knowledge, including access to transport links, local amenities, schools, and leisure facilities. We also provide information on the likely outgoings, such as utility bills, council tax, and cable/Sky Digital costs.

Our team accompanies all viewings, and we’ll keep you informed of any prospective tenants who are viewing your property. We pride ourselves on providing feedback to landlords on the same day as the viewing, so you can make informed decisions about your property.

At Streets Ahead, we’re committed to finding the best possible tenant for your property. When we negotiate an offer, our priority is to secure the best rent and terms for you, while also taking into consideration other important factors, such as the tenant’s background, rental history, and suitability for your property. Our award-winning service is built on our rigorous screening process, which goes above and beyond what many other agents do. We ask detailed questions and conduct thorough background checks to ensure that we only recommend tenants who meet our high standards.

Once we’ve identified a prospective tenant who meets our criteria, we’ll present their offer to you for consideration. We’ll provide you with all the relevant details, including the proposed rent, the length of the tenancy, and any other terms that the tenant has requested. We’ll also give you our expert opinion on whether we think the tenant is a good match for your property, based on our experience and knowledge of the local rental market.

While we’re always happy to negotiate on your behalf, we believe that it’s important for you to have the final say in the selection of your tenant. That’s why we recommend that you meet any prospective tenants in person before making a decision. This gives you the opportunity to get to know them better, answer any questions they may have, and ensure that they’re a good fit for your property. Many of our clients have found that meeting their tenants in person gives them valuable peace of mind and helps to establish a positive and productive relationship from the start.

At Streets Ahead, we believe that proper referencing is the key to ensuring a successful tenancy. We leave no stone unturned in our credit checks and procedures for checking a prospective tenant’s history. We know that our reputation is on the line and we understand that a thorough reference procedure is essential to ensuring that we only recommend the best tenants for your property.

Our award-winning Property Management department manages an annual portfolio of thousands of properties, with less than 1% of them in arrears. We take pride in our reputation for professionalism and reliability and we are committed to providing you with peace of mind throughout the referencing process.

Full Management

• We extensively market and advertise your property locally and nationally, conducting accompanied viewings to find the right tenant for you and your property.
• Our dedicated team liaises with you and our referencing agents to ensure the suitability of all prospective tenants, assigning you a personal Property Manager who will take care of your needs from start to finish.
• Your Property Manager will handle all legal requirements, regulations, and administration, as well as arranging unbiased inventories before and after the tenancy.
• We inspect your property regularly throughout the tenancy, conducting a review after 3 months and 6-monthly inspections thereafter, as well as promptly attending to any maintenance issues and handling all utilities.
• We proactively monitor rental income for each property, ensuring you receive regular and consistent payments without delay, and follow a robust arrears procedure to recover late or overdue rent payments on your behalf.
• We negotiate and arrange any changes or contract renewals on your behalf at the end of the tenancy, and provide a continuous 24-hour service for landlords and tenants.

Rent Collection

• We extensively market and advertise your property locally and nationally, conducting accompanied viewings to find the right tenant for you and your property.
• We assign you a personal Property Manager who will handle all legal requirements, regulations, and administration from start to finish.
• We arrange unbiased inventories before and after the tenancy, and proactively monitor rental income for each property, ensuring you receive regular and consistent payments without delay. We also follow a robust arrears procedure to recover late or overdue rent payments on your behalf.

Let Only

• We extensively market and advertise your property locally and nationally, conducting accompanied viewings to find the right tenant for you and your property.
• Our Let only Team personally ensures that the move-in process for your tenants runs smoothly and quickly, and are available to help and support you with any enquiries or concerns during the tenancy.
• The Let only Team handles all necessary administration and legal requirements at the commencement of the letting of the property, including transferring the tenant’s deposit into the Tenancy Deposit Scheme on your behalf.

At Streets Ahead, we understand the importance of a thorough and accurate inventory to protect both landlords and tenants. That’s why we have a handpicked team of experienced inventory clerks who will meticulously itemise the contents and condition of the property on the day of occupation.

Our inventory reports are extremely comprehensive and detailed, ensuring that both tenant and landlord are satisfied with the contents and condition of the property. This helps to minimise the risk of any disputes over the deposit at the end of the tenancy.

Rest assured that our inventory clerks are professionals who pay attention to every detail, giving you peace of mind that your property is in good hands.

At Streets Ahead, we take the security deposit very seriously. It is collected at the beginning of the tenancy and amounts to 5 weeks’ rent. This deposit serves as a safeguard for both parties, ensuring that the property is returned in the same condition as at the start of the tenancy.

To comply with the Housing Act of 2004 and to provide further protection, the deposit is held within a government-approved scheme. Our main scheme is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, which is an award-winning deposit protection scheme that covers tenancy deposits in England and Wales. You can rest assured that your deposit is in safe hands with us.

When your tenants take occupation, it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the life of your tenancy. Our award-winning property management team will be with you every step of the way, working hard to ensure a stress-free tenancy. We’ll keep in regular contact with you and your tenant, and keep you up-to-date with any new legislation that might affect your property. At Streets Ahead, we believe that this is the start of a special ongoing partnership that will last until the end of the tenancy.