Renting Your Property

Our Services

If you are looking to rent out your property Webbs can offer you one of three services:

Finding a Suitable Tenant

• We have a database of clients waiting for properties to become available.
• We advertise on several property websites including our own.
• Your property details will be displayed in our window.

Once you have accepted a tenant, if they are in employment we will

• Write to the prospective tenant(s) employers and previous landlord(s) for references.
• Request to see the last six months' bank statements.
• We will carry out a credit check and make sure that they have no CCJ's.

Lodging the Deposit

All private landlords and letting agents taking deposits for assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs). In England and Wales are required to safeguard them with a government-authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme.

Webbs Estate Agents will lodge the deposit with the DPS and the details will be held with us until the tenant vacates the property. Should there be any disputes as to how much should be repaid to the tenant the DPS will investigate.

Landlords Rent Guarantee Insurance

To ensure that you receive your monthly rent payment from your tenant you may like to take out a rent guarantee insurance.

Webbs are an Agent for Rent4Sure and the policy can be taken out instantly as long as the tenant passes a credit check and their affordability can be verified. Webbs can advise landlords on requirements the tenant(s) need to meet to validate the policy. This may require a guarantor in some cases.

The cover will ensure that should your tenant default on the payment, Rent4Sure will pay the rent and cover legal costs. Contact Us for more information.

EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)

An Energy Performance Certificate is required for properties when constructed, sold or let.

Landlords must ensure their property meets an E rating to legally rent it out.

The Energy Performance Certificate provides details on the energy performance of the property and what you can do to improve it.

Webbs can organise for our EPC inspector to carry out the inspection and provide the certificate. Contact Us

Residential Letting Guide 

Placing your property on the market:

At the point of placing your property on the market you will have a choice from one of our services, ‘Finders Service’ ‘Rent collection’, and ‘Full Management’. Our fees are laid out within our terms and conditions.

Mandatory Requirements for Rental: 

Energy Performance Certificate - You are required by law to have a current EPC when placing the property on the market For Sale or For Rental. Webbs has its own inspector if you require us to obtain one for you. This will be at incur an additional cost. These costs are within our agreement. From the 1^st April 2020 no properties with an ‘F’ rating or lower can be marketed.

Insurance - It is the Landlords responsibility to continue the building insurance and to inform the insurance company that you are now letting the property.

Tax for Oversea Landlords - If you are living abroad or going abroad, we are required to deduct basic rate of tax from rent received by the Tenant. We would recommend you seek advice direct from the Inland Revenue. If you obtain an exemption certificate or will be paying the tax direct, we will need evidence of this.

Furnished/Unfurnished - Webbs can offer your property furnished or unfurnished.  If furnished you are required to provide information and prove that soft furnishing meets the fire regulations. You are also required to have all portable appliances tested by a qualified electrician.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) - From the 1^st July 2020 you are required by law to undertake a Landlords Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Webbs can instruct a NICEIC/NAPIT electrician to carry out this test.

Gas Safety Certificate - By law you are required to provide an up to date Gas Safety Certificate before the tenant moves into the property.  All Gas appliances are to be tested (Boiler, hob, gas fires etc).  There is an extra cost for this. This is an annual requirement.

Alarms - it is mandatory for a Landlord to have a smoke alarm on all floors and a CO alarm close to all gas appliances, in case of any carbon monoxide leakage.  It is also recommended a heat alarm is also put at the property.

Inventory Under the deposit regulations - It is highly recommended to have an independent inventory carried out just before the tenant moves into the property. If there is a discrepancy at the end of the tenancy, you will need to provide proof of the condition of the property when the tenant moved in. Within the inventory the inspector will take photos and list all the contents and condition. The tenant will be asked to sign the agreement at the point of moving in.

When you are ready to market the property 

Webbs will place your property onto the market and advertise it on all websites and portals.  We will undertake the viewing either by prior arrangement with yourself or via Webbs accompanying the viewing. Once we have found a suitable tenant, we will let you know and agree it with you. Once agreed we will start by obtaining a credit check from the tenant. This will show whether the tenant has any credit issues or any CCJs. Once we have this information, we will then obtain a few months bank statements to see how the tenant deals with their personal finances. We will also write to their employer and previous landlord for a reference. Following receipt of all this, we will contact the landlord and set a date for the tenant to move in. Webbs will prepare the tenancy agreement, and all the other documents that are required by law.

Deposit - It is recommended that a deposit is taken from the tenant, this is usually one month’s rent, or a maximum of 5 weeks rent. Webbs will lodge the deposit within a government deposit scheme.  The landlord can lodge the deposit in their own Landlord deposit scheme, but evidence will be required before we can release the deposit to the Landlord.

Keys - Webbs will need a full set of keys for each tenant including any parking permits for the property at the point of signing the tenancy agreement.  The Landlord should retain a set of keys for emergencies. All window keys can also be given to Webbs, so we can ask the tenant to sign to say they have received them, as often window keys seem to be lost at the end of the tenancy.

Rent Protection Policy - Webbs can offer a Rent Protection Scheme, which will protect the rent payments.  This is only available if Webbs are Full Management or Rent Collection. This will protect the rent payments and cover any court costs associated. This is at an extra cost and must be discussed with Webbs before the tenancy is signed.

During the Tenancy 

Webbs Estate Agents will collect the rent on the rent due date and pay this over to the Landlord. We will deduct our fees and any other costs incurred, e.g., plumbers, electricians.  An invoice and statement will be provided by email on a monthly basis.

Full Management - Webbs will engage with the tenant ensuring the property is in good order. If the tenant has any issues, we will contact yourself and then deal with these issues.  In the event we are not able to contact you, we will deal with any emergencies. We will also collect the rent and pay it over to you once the payment has been made in full. If the payment does not reach us by the due date, we will pursue the tenant and report back to you. Webbs will endeavour to pay the rent on the due date but this could take up to 3 working days. If you have any preferred contractors to carry out your gas safety or repairs, we would be happy to deal directly with them on your property. Webbs have an agreement with our contractors to pay them, within a 30-day agreement. This is would be deducted from the rent payment and will appear on the monthly statement.  We will also attach the contractor’s invoice for your records.

Inspections - Under our full management agreement Webbs will carry out a 6-month inspection on your property. We will check the condition of your property, smoke alarms and CO alarm and we will report back to you with any issues found.

Rent collection service - Under our terms we will collect the rent and pursue the tenant if the payment is not made. We will not pay the rent to you until the tenant has paid the rent over in full.  We will however keep you informed if this is not paid.

 At around 10 months we will contact you confirm that you would like to rent the property for a further 12 months and discuss a possible increase in the rent. We will then contact the tenant and agree this with them. Under our full management agreement, Webbs will draw up a new tenancy agreement or discuss a periodic tenancy with you, explaining the benefits and non benefits. 

Checking out - At the point of the check out the inventory is checked either by yourself or a full report is obtained from the inventory clerk who checked them in. Charges for this will be provided. Webbs will arrange for the deposit to be returned to the tenant at the end of tenancy once an inspection has been carried out. If there is any damage or late rent payments a claim can be put to the deposit protection service. This can escalate to their dispute resolution department if required.

Termination of the Tenancy - Webbs Estate Agents can give you some advice as to how and what notice to give the tenant, we also work in conjunction with a solicitor who will help you and give you legal advice. If Webbs are required to attend court, there will be a charge for this.

Under Finders Service - It is the landlord responsibility to collect the rent and deal with the tenant direct with any repairs that might occur.

Clients Protection Money Scheme With With Propertymark.