Tenant ready? Church & Hawe's Guide to preparing your home to let

Seasoned landlord or first time renting out your home? Check out our essential checklist for getting your home ready for a tenant.

Legal requirements:

Current legislation for landlords means that it is a legal requirement to have in place the following when renting out your home:

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): You must have a valid and up to date EPC in place when renting out your property. The certificate is valid for 10 years and grade your property on a scale from A-G with A being the most energy efficient. Currently the minimum grade for your property to be rented out is E with anything scoring below that will need to be improved prior to finding a tenant. Or you may need to apply for an exemption. CLICK HERE for the latest government advice regarding EPCs.

Landlords Gas Safety Certificate: Your property's Gas Safety Certificate is another legal requirement. This will be need to be updated on an annual basis in order for you to continue renting out your property.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): The EICR regulation came into force on 1st June 2020, your property will now have to have a valid, satisfactory EICR in place in order for it to be rented out. These reports will have to be updated every 5 years.

Dressing the property:

Remember when a potential tenant visits your property they need to picture themselves living there.

Avoid personalisation: Opt for simple furnishings and neutral colours this should make the property look more appealing and approachable.

Make cost effective improvements: Deep clean the property preparing for a new tenant and undertake simple tasks such as getting rid of grease in the kitchen or any mould in the bathroom.

A detailed inventory is essential:

We are members of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and are therefore able to hold and protect your tenant's deposit. At the end of a tenancy if there are any issues with the property's condition the TDS are able to take of view if property repairs are required (aside from general wear and tear) therefore protecting the condition of your property.

Appointing the right Estate Agent:

At Church & Hawes our priority is to work with you and to find a tenant who matches your requirements as the landlord. We will ask you a series of questions when you list your property to let and then proceed to find you a tenant who meets your criteria. We appreciate that it can take slightly longer to find a suitable applicant but our objective is to meet your requirements and preserve your asset long term. Our tenants are asked to complete a pre-application form prior to viewing a property to allow us to ensure that they meet your criteria.

For more information visit our website CLICK HERE

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