Estate Agents Rotherham and Mexborough: Barton Real Estates
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Q. Why let your property?
There are many reasons why our landlords choose to let their properties. We have buy-to-let investors whose very business is the buying of property to let. It might be that simply they are moving out of the area, abroad for example, and intend to move back one day. It might just be that the market isn’t right for a sale and you prefer to let the property instead.
Whatever the reasons, there an increasing number of people choosing to rent as an alternative to buying, and there is a demand for good quality properties.
Q. How much do your services cost?
We have either a let only service or full management service, and our fees depend on which of the two you choose. If you choose the let only service we will charge you a one off fee, if you choose our fully managed service we charge you a percentage of the monthly rental income all plus VAT.
Q. How much rent can I expect to receive?
This will depend on many things such as type, condition and location of your property. We can provide a FREE of charge property appraisal to assess its likely rental value and discuss the lettings package that’s right for you.
Q. What steps do you take to make sure my tenant is suitable?
Before committing to any tenancy we make sure we do everything possible make sure the tenant is just right. We will thoroughly vet each applicant by taking up references including credit referencing, personal references, previous landlord references and employment references.
Q. What if my tenant doesn’t pay the rent?
The close monitoring of rent payments is an important part of what we do. Our systems will alert us to any delayed payments and we will correspond with the tenant at an early stage to establish the reasons. For persistent late payers we will deliver warnings and in exceptional cases an application to the court would have to be made to recover any losses.
Rent Guarantee Insurance is available to protect you in these circumstances, we would be more than willing to obtain a quote on your behalf – please ask.
Q. What is an inventory?
An inventory schedule provides a list of all the fixtures, fittings and contents within your property. It also gives note to their condition at the start of the tenancy and can be compared to at the end of the tenancy to ensure that the property is returned in the same state as you left it.
Q. How do I gain repossession of my property?
If the property is let using an Assured Shorthold Tenancy for a minimum 6-month period, then the tenant has rights of occupancy within the property as long as the rent is being paid.
To regain possession you must provide 2 months written notice to the tenant.
Q. Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance?
It is the landlords responsibility to ensure that the supply systems such as plumbing, central heating, gas and electricity are in full working order. Once a tenancy begins it is the tenant who becomes responsible for the repairs arising from misuse or abuse.
Q. Who is responsible for the utility bills?
It is usually the tenants obligation to maintain the costs of gas, electricity, telephone and water bills.
Q. Who is responsible for the upkeep of the gardens?
The upkeep of the garden is the responsibility of the tenant. For larger properties we would recommend you consider using a gardener.
Q. What do I do if my property is damaged?
As part of our managed service we will monitor the upkeep of your property and gardens. At the end of the tenancy we will inspect the property and where necessary refer to our detailed inventory. If any items are damaged or not working correctly we will report these to you. In the first instance we will give the tenant an opportunity to put right any damages, if this is not carried out however, we will deliver a recommendation that an amount should be deducted from the tenants deposit before we return it to them.
