We aim to offer our clients a high quality of service from start to finish. All our lettings properties will be marketed with high quality photography and floor plans which will set your property apart from the competition and ensure it is let quickly escaping costly void periods.
As we are open 6 days a week and will always ensure you are informed of any constructive feedback on a regular basis. We offer a range of services from fully managed where we will take control of the entire tenancy including any maintenance right through to a simple tenant introduction. Due to us being an independent agency we are happy to cater to individual needs and requirements of our landlords.
Our basic packages are as follows;
Tenant Find Only –
2 Weeks Rent + VAT and a £150 + VAT Set Up Fee
Rent Collection
8% + VAT and a £150 + VAT Set Up Fee
Fully Managed
10% + VAT and a £150 + VAT Set Up Fee
Optional Extras (all are inclusive of VAT)
|
Professional Inventory Studio / 1 bedroom |
£120.00 |
|
Professional Inventory 2 bedrooms |
£132.00 |
|
Professional Inventory 3 bedrooms |
£144.00 |
|
Professional Inventory 4 bedrooms |
£156.00 |
|
Professional Inventory 5 bedrooms + |
£168.00 |
|
Check Out |
£120.00 |
|
E.I.C.R Arrangement Fee |
£30.00 |
|
Tenancy Renewals (inc. Rent Reviews) |
£120.00 |
|
Gas Safety Arrangement Fee |
£30.00 |
|
Legionella Risk Assessment |
£144.00 |
|
EPC Certificate |
£60.00 |
Things you need to know
Property Inventory / Check-in report
An Inventory is a written representation of a property, it’s fixtures and fittings and any furniture or appliances inside. It also reflects their condition and defects. This is essential if you are to have any comeback at the end of a tenancy for any wear and dear or damages that may have occurred.
Check out report
At the end of the tenancy we advise you to carry out or arrange for a check out report to be produced. This is a final report for the current tenant. When they leave they will expect their deposit back and to help avoid any disputes we take them through the inventory that they signed agreed at the start of the tenancy.
Legal Requirements To Let
Energy Performance Certificate
It has been a legal requirement, since 1 October 2008, for all landlords to have a valid EPC for their property before it can be let. An EPC assesses the energy performance of a property, from “A” representing the most energy efficient property to “G” representing the least energy efficient property. It must be carried out by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor and will also show a building’s environmental impact by indicating its carbon dioxide emissions.
From 1 April 2018, all rented property (both domestic and non-domestic) which is to have a new tenancy must have an EPC rating of at least “E”. This requirement also applies to all renewal tenancies to the same tenant for the same property on or after 1 April 2018.
Gas Safety Certificate
An annual gas safety check must be carried out on every gas appliance/flue in order to rent out a property by a registered gas engineer. A gas safety check will make sure gas fittings and appliances are safe to use. Failure to have an up to date gas safety certificate can have serious implications on the tenancy including invalidating the landlord’s ability to issue notice to their tenant.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
From 1 July 2020, all new private tenancies in England will need to ensure that electrical installations are inspected and tested by a qualified person before the tenancy begins. The landlord will then need to ensure that the installation is inspected and tested at least every five years – and more often if the most recent safety report requires it. For existing tenancies, an electrical safety test will need to be carried out by 1 April 2021, with regular tests following this as outlined above.
The regulations will apply to all properties across the private rented sector, including houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), although lodger arrangements where the tenant shares accommodation or amenities with the landlord or their family are excluded. These regulations will replace the existing requirements for HMOs regarding electrical installation testing and inspection.
A ‘qualified person’ for the purposes of these regulations is a person competent to undertake the inspection and testing required and any further investigative or remedial work in accordance with the electrical safety standards.
Local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000 for a breach of the regulations. Where there are multiple breaches, the local authority can impose multiple penalties.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
The government announced regulations which came into force on 1st October 2015, requiring landlords to fit smoke alarms in all privately rented homes. The same regulations also require Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms to be fitted in all rooms where solid fuels are burnt. Landlords will also be required to check that alarms are working at the start of every ‘new tenancy’.
Right to Rent
From 1 February 2016, all private landlords in England will have to make right to rent checks. This means checking that tenants have the right to be in the UK.
Deposit Registration
By law, in England and Wales all landlords must protect their tenants’ deposit with a nominated government approved scheme within 30 days of a new tenancy commencing.
Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO’s)
Within Brighton and Hove “Houses of Multiple Occupancy” can be subject to two types of licencing; City Wide National Licencing and Additional Licencing for smaller HMO’s which is split into 12 wards.
In summary, if there are three or more unrelated persons renting, the property may require a HMO licence, as well as requiring inspection and approval from the local planning office. Changes will potentially need to be made with regard to layout and fire precautions. For more information we are happy to discuss and assist if required but recommend looking at the Brighton and Hove council website.
Client Money Protect
Porter Property Services are a member of Client Money Protect. This means that we are regulated in the way client money is held and used and our clients’ money is safeguarded whilst in the custody of us as an agency. For more details on the scheme please visit the website below where you can also verify our membership;
https://www.clientmoneyprotect.co.uk/
Client Money Protect (CMP) is a government approved Client Money Protection Membership Scheme that protects any money held by its Members on behalf of their clients should the member misappropriate it. The business was formed in 2014 – originally as the UK’s first voluntary client money protection scheme outside of the traditional agent trade body organisations – and is also recognised in Scotland (under the Scotland Lettings Code of Conduct) and in Wales (under Rent Smart (Wales)
PRS
Porter Property Services are a member of the Property Redress Scheme. The scheme are authorised by the Department for Communities and Local Government to offer redress to Lettings and Property Management Agents and the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (formally the OFT) to offer redress to Estate Agents.
The Property Redress Scheme is a trading name of HF Resolution Ltd which is a wholly owned subsidiary of HFIS PLC. HF Resolution Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative of HFIS PLC for Financial Conduct Authority purposes.
Complaints Procedure
If you have a problem or grievance relating to the service, you have received from Porter Property Services please discuss this at the earliest opportunity with one of our members of staff. Our aim is to deal with your problem sympathetically, fairly and quickly.
If you feel that the matter is not being resolved to your satisfaction, please ask to speak to the Owner of the company. The Owner will try to resolve the matter as soon as quickly as possible after you raise your complaint, although whether this is possible will depend on the complexity of the complaint.
Alternatively, you can email mike@porterproperty.co.uk
An acknowledgement email will be sent to you within 3 working days. It will also:
Set out our understanding of your complaint and state when we will be able to reply in greater detail.
You may also be asked for additional information if this is required to assist resolving the matter.
Your letter should state why you are still dissatisfied and what further action you wish Porter Property Services to take to fully resolve your complaint. The owner will fully investigate your complaint as quickly as possible and provide a formal written outcome of our findings, this will be provided within 15 working days of your written complaint.
If you remain dissatisfied you are welcome to request a detached review of your complaint, this will be undertaken by staff not directly involved in the transaction and a final response will be provided within 15 working days of your request.
If you are still not satisfied with the steps taken by Porter Property Services, you can write to:
Property Redress Scheme
Premiere House,
1st Floor,
Elstree Way,
Borehamwood,
WD6 1JH.
0333 321 9418
www.theprs.co.uk