Letting Agents for Landlords

So, for example, you shouldn’t have draughty windows or doors, leaks around window frames or water ingress through the roof caused by cracked roof tiles or blocked gutters.

Below is a list of some of the key features of our professional and effective approach to property management and some of the questions frequently asked about letting a property in Scotland.

Boyd Letting will carry out all viewings on your property and accompany prospective tenants. If you or your current tenant occupies the property, viewings can be ‘by appointment only’ to ensure minimum inconvenience.

We know how important it is to find the right tenants for your property and so we use an independent referencing agency to check potential tenants’ credit, employment and financial history. Some tenants (e.g. students) will also be asked to provide a parental guarantor.

We will draw up a Private Residential Tenancy as our standard form of lease and all accompanying legal paperwork that needs to be supplied to your tenants.

We’ll collect rental funds from your tenants and send you a detailed statement every month by email or letter. The rental income is paid directly into your nominated bank account.

Tenants must pay a deposit which is equivalent to one month’s rent plus £100 which will be transferred to our designated TDS which is mydeposits Scotland. The deposit will be held with them for the duration of the tenancy and will only be refundable once we’ve completed a full exit inspection and inventory check and confirmed that all conditions for repaying the deposit have been met according to the terms of the TDS. In some instances, an additional deposit is taken if, for example, the tenants are students with no guarantor and if agreed, the tenants have a pet.

We know how important it is to keep your property pristine. To make sure it stays that way, we’ll prepare a detailed written and video inventory and record the condition of the décor, flooring and furnishings. We’ll also carry out an initial inspection 6 to 8 weeks into the tenancy followed by regular inspections thereafter. This will allow us to assess the condition of the property, identify any maintenance issues and get an overall indication of the appearance of the property.

Tenants have a responsibility to set up their own accounts however we will record meter readings for gas and electricity at check-in and exit and contact the relevant utility companies to inform them of the changeover of occupants. Your tenants will only receive their deposit once they have proven they’ve paid any outstanding bills.

With our in-house legal team, we can ensure you’re well equipped to understand the legislation that protects you and your tenants and we’ll keep you informed of any new legislation that might affect you. We guide you through your legal obligations and responsibilities such as gas safety checks, HMO, electrical, landlord registration, overseas status and insurance and will liaise with your tenants on your behalf.

Our teams of reliable and skilled contractors are always on hand. We use a common sense approach, tackling any small problems on your behalf, as they arise and for bigger jobs we won’t carry out work past an agreed amount (unless an emergency situation) without contacting you first.

Our exit inspections are detailed and thorough – we’ll spend as long as it takes and pay attention to the detail.

Much depends on the state of the property market, so it is impossible to predict exactly how long it will take a property to let. However, all our recent property lets have been taken on the first viewings.

We currently manage properties mainly all over Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

We’re committed to being open and up-front about every aspect of our property management and letting services. You won’t be invoiced for any hidden charges and we pass on all discounted costs we command from our contractors direct to our landlord clients. Please get in touch for a full information pack that lists all our fees and services.

To rent out your property, it must first meet the legal repairing standard. This means that your property must be:

So, for example, you shouldn’t have draughty windows or doors, leaks around window frames or water ingress through the roof caused by cracked roof tiles or blocked gutters.

The residence must be structurally stable, substantially free from penetrating or rising damp, have adequate heating, lighting and ventilation, a wholesome water supply, effective sanitation and satisfactory cooking facilities.

The fixtures and fittings that you provide must be working and in a reasonable state of repair, i.e. don’t provide a washing machine/vacuum cleaner that doesn’t work properly.

The property must have interlinked smoke detectors in the hallway, living/dining rooms and heat detector in the kitchen. HMO properties will require ones in bedrooms too. We strongly recommend that a fire extinguisher and blanket are supplied whatever the size of the property.

If there is gas in your property a Gas Safety Check must be carried out annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This is a legal requirement. You will be breaking the law if you fail to do this and could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment. CO detectors are also required in any room where there is a gas appliance and any room the flue passes through.

Hardwiring in the property should be checked every five years (three for HMO properties) by a registered electrician. The electrician will carry out an EICR and a Portable Appliance Test on electrical appliances you provide which are checked annually and a certificate will be issued for both.

Upholstered furnishings must comply with the Furnishing (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988. This applies to furnishings such as couches, chairs, mattresses and padded headboards – basically anything that has been upholstered. We have a wealth of experience in the rental market and are happy to help advice you on the best way to furnish your property for the target rental market you wish to attract.

You will need buildings insurance. Insurers need to know who is living in your property in order to calculate the risk posed to the property. The Financial Services Authority legislation dictates that we can’t deal with any insurance claim on your behalf unless we are a joint-policyholder, but if you have any queries about Building and Content Insurance for let properties, we can advise you. If your property is mortgaged, you must also inform your lender.

Legislation now makes it a legal duty for landlords to ensure that the risk of exposure of tenants to legionella is properly assessed and controlled, therefore a risk assessment will been to be carried out on the property by a competent person, ie trained and qualified to assess the risk of legionella in domestic hot and cold water systems.

If you are a non-UK resident, you’ll need to complete a non-resident landlord form (NRL1) and send it to the Inland Revenue. You need to provide them with our reference number, NA42835, following which we will receive an approval number, giving us the authority to pay you. If you don’t apply, we’re legally required to forward 20% of the rental income after expenses to HMRC on a quarterly basis. If you already have an approval number, you will need to notify HMRC of the change in management and provide our number.

In 2004, the Scottish Parliament passed the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004. This law requires all private landlords to register with local authorities. It also gives local authorities powers to take specific action against landlords who do not take reasonable steps to manage any antisocial behaviour caused by their tenants. These measures took effect from April 2006.

Essentially any private landlord or agent who manages property for a private landlord needs to be registered. There are some exemptions including holiday lets, houses managed by religious orders and houses providing care services governed by Care Commission regulation.

Online at www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk.The application requires to be renewed every 3 years.

If you are already registered, please ensure you inform the relevant council of the change of management and provide them with our Letting Agent Registration number.

A landlord who does not register and continues to let the property is guilty of an offence. A local authority may serve a notice suspending the tenants’ rent payments. Alternatively, a local authority can seek a criminal prosecution against an unregistered landlord who continues to let property.

The name(s) of registered landlords and the contact address(es) given by a landlord, which can be the letting agent’s address.