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Residential Letting Services
house keysOur residential lettings and property management services have been designed to make the responsible position of being a landlord as stress free as possible. Our services differ from our competitors as we provide an ‘All Inclusive’ package; we have found that this approach significantly reduces the surprises of additional fees, our landlords know exactly what deductions will be made in respect of our fees every single month of the tenancy.

Our letting manager has been both a tenant and a landlord himself so is well positioned to view rentals from both parties prospective. He has over 5 years local experience in the rental sectors, ranging from managing single bed roomed apartments through to prestigious luxury detached homes. Additionally our letting manager has set up and purchased portfolios for investors away from our main area of operation.

Initial Rental Valuation
We will visit your property to assess the viability of renting it to members of the public. The rental value is based on a number of factors including; location, supply, demand, quality of presentation amongst others. In most cases we will be able to give you an indication of the potential rental income during our visit, this is of course our opinion and we will always be guided by the property owner’s instructions.
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Advice on how to prepare the property for rental purposes
During our initial visit to the property we will make recommendations regarding the current presentation of the property, this advice is given free of charge and is provided to ensure that the maximum rental value is achieved. It is entirely up to the individual whether the advice is acted upon, however it issued based on our experience and we have found those property owners who act on the advice tend to rent their property quicker and for a higher premium.
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Marketing the Property for Rental Purposes
Your property will be marketed in a new of different ways dependant on how we as a company feel would achieve the best results. Methods currently adopted are; within our branch as a wall or window display, on a register of available properties, on our own website occasionally it is necessary to enter an advert into the local press. In most cases however we refer to our register of awaiting tenants that is updated daily, upon instruction of management we cross reference the property details with the register to obtain a match. All matching applicants are then informed of the property details and subsequently viewings are arranged and normally a tenancy is created using this method alone.      
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Placing of an Advertising Board at the Property
Unless otherwise instructed we will place a ‘To Let’ board at the property, this traditional approach is still a very useful tool for generating potential interest.
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Locating Suitable Tenants
Anybody at some time or another may become a potential tenant; due to this point it is necessary to market your rental property to the broadest market possible. The aim is to achieve a list of prospective tenants that will hopefully be suitable for your property.
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Tenant Referencing
It is necessary to conduct an in depth investigation into the suitability of all applicants for any tenancy. At Crofts we use an independent referencing company to assist our decision in putting forward a tenant to a landlord for their property. The reference normally takes the following basic form: financial stability assessment, previous rental history, references from previous landlords, accountants reference if necessary, credit checking, personal references and proof of identity. As we said the rental manager only uses the result to help with the decision making process, an additional interview is conducted with the applicant to verify the facts presented and a cross examination is also performed. Only once satisfied will the lettings manager propose a tenant.
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Preparation of a Full Tenancy Agreement
Most agents make an additional fee for drawing up any tenancy agreement (even renewals) this is included within our fee, generally the agreement will be an ‘of the shelf legal document.’ Whilst this type of document is legally binding there can be weak points, or it may favour the landlord over the tenant. The Tenancy agreement used by Crofts has been written to be ‘fair and balanced,’ it is very comprehensive (at 22 sides of A4 text) but worded so as to be understandable by most people. The document is amended regularly and has developed over the last four years, any change in legislation or personal experience with particular issues are utilized to ensure the agreements is fully up to date. On the few occasions we had found it necessary to go to litigation the agreement has stood it ground in court, with one judge actually commenting on the thoroughness of the content!
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Preparation & Administration of a Photographic & Digital Inventory
Up until nearly two years ago we used to do the same type of written inventory as our competitors, experience showed us however that it is quite possible for a tenant to dispute the written word. The example we usually provide is: a written inventory states that there is a stain on the lounge carpet, the tenant agrees to the statement. However the stain was 2 inches in diameter at the start of the tenancy, but is 12 inches in diameter at the move out point. The tenant argues that the inventory said there was a stain, they do have a case and it would be hard to make a deduction as such. If a photograph of the stain were taken no dispute could possibly be made.

Due to this ‘loop hole’ Crofts only do photographic inventories, the average terrace property inventory will consist of approximately 140 photos, so as you can imagine it is very comprehensive.

You can argue with the written word but the old adage ‘A picture paints a 1000 words’ certainly comes into play, you can’t argue with a photograph!
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Preparation and Uploading of Information to our Website
We don’t always find it necessary to market rental property on our website as generally we have tenants waiting for properties without the need to market them externally. If we deem it appropriate we will add the property details to our own site to gain further interest.
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Arrange Transfer Details for all Services & Council Tax
Have you ever tried getting through to your gas, electricity or water supplier? If you have you will probably be diverted through a range of automated services placed on hold then if your lucky you may eventually speak to a human being! When we manage your property we will arrange transfer of all services providing details of the person responsible and meter readings where needed, so you don’t have to.

We will also notify the local council of the change in responsibility for council tax purposes, again taking the pressure from you.
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Collection & Holding of a Full Security Deposit
As a matter of course we will take and hold a deposit as security against all tenancies, these funds are held (in accordance with the National Association of Estate Agents guidelines) in a separate non-interest bearing client’s account. As a minimum we will secure at least one full calendar months deposit, usually we aim for two months, this is normally substantially higher if the property is let furnished.
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Arrangement of Gas Safety and Electrical Appliance Safety Checks
It is a legal requirement that any residential rental property that has gas supplied to the dwelling must have a periodic safety inspection carried out. The typical cost per annum is between £50 and £100 depending on the number of appliances installed. Failure to carry out this check can carry a prison sentence, not to mention the health risk to the resident tenants, carbon monoxide poisoning kills a number of people in the UK every year caused by faulty gas appliances. We can arrange this check on your behalf, you will also benefit from our reduced charges due to the volume of work we provide to our Corgi registered engineers.

Electrical safety checks, these are not currently a legal requirement but at Crofts we recommend than all properties are checked periodically to ensure the electrical safety and integrity of the installation, we can also arrange these if you require. Ultimately the landlord is responsible for the safety of the property and the tenant.
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Access to Specialist Landlord Insurance Services
Insurance is often overlooked by landlords especially those new to the business, but this is a critical consideration that must be fully investigated. Did you know that you must gain permission from both your mortgage lender and your insurance company before you can rightfully let a property. If you do not gain such permission you can invalidate your insurance and thereby you will not be covered for loses.

The landlord must provide adequate buildings insurance for rental property, but most normal policies will only cover a dwelling if it is vacate for a period up to 30 days. It is sometimes possible that a property may be vacant for periods longer than this so you will need to check with your insurer. We can offer access to specialist insurers who have a full range of products for the professional landlord from buildings insurance to rent guarantee policies. Call us for more details.
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Collection of Rent from the Tenant
Typically we require all tenancies to set up monthly standing orders to pay their rent directly into our clients’ current account. We make payments on a regular basis (not every 2 weeks or once a month like some agents,) generally we receive cleared funds within 3-4 days of the rent due date. We endeavour pay the net rental amount to our clients within 3-4 bank working days of the clearing date. Occasionally tenants will insist that they make the payments in cash to our offices, we do try to discourage this, however some tenants retain the right, in this case payment is the same to the landlord via electronic transfer into the nominated account.
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Dealing with all Tenant Enquiries
Some tenants can be very demanding and the last thing a landlord wants is calls in the middle of the night saying ‘the bath tap is dripping and keeping me awake’ (and it does happen!) We will deal with all tenant enquiries so you don’t have to, acting as a mediator between each party.
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Arrangement of Routine Maintenance & Repairs on Rental Property
It will probably be necessary during the term of most tenancies to carry out some type of maintenance or remedial repair to your property. To alleviate your personal involvement regarding such matters Crofts can arrange for such works to be carried out on your behalf. At the contract agreement stage of the professional relationship with the landlord we will agree a fixed price for any maintenance or repairs that we are able to authorise without having to gain authority directly from the landlord. By having this agreement we will not have to bother you for every small, but necessary, activity to be carried out at the property. As a guide the amount agreed is usually between £100 or £200. Fees in respect to this aspect are deducted from the gross rental income after the commission has been deducted.

If the cost of any maintenance goes beyond the agreed amount we will contact you to ascertain your authority before work is commenced. However, if we are unable to contact you for any reason and the nature of the problem is considered by us to be detrimental or unsafe for the property or tenant we reserve a right to instruct a contractor without your direct authority. Such an occurrence would only come into effect in extreme situations.

We have a dedicated contractor who has over 40 years experience working in a multitude of property related trades. We consider him fully trustworthy and he is able to undertake most aspects of repairs and maintenance. The fees for any works beyond the agreed authorised limit will be payable directly by you to the contractor involved. Before instruction to the contractor we would first require you to acknowledge the estimate or quote and accept financial responsibility in writing. If you do not pay the contractor directly we reserve the right to deduct any fees due to the contractor from the gross rental income after our commission has been deducted.

Local specialist contractors known to us will undertake any repairs or maintenance to be carried out that is beyond the expertise of our usual contractor, such as gas servicing etc. Competitive quotes will be obtained and the most competitive estimate will be employed, we will endeavour to employ contractors that we have employed ourselves previously or those that come highly recommended by fellow professionals.

Occasionally we have found that the landlords prefer to arrange any work themselves, this is your prerogative but if we can help we would be more than happy to do so.
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Regular Visits to Check the Schedule of Condition of the Property
It is important to ensure that your property is being cared for as you would expect, to verify that this is the case we visit each property on a regular basis. Initially (soon after the tenancy commences) we call at the property usually ‘ad hock’ to make sure the tenant has settled in OK, it is as this time we can determine the performance of the tenancy. After this point we will be able to assess the regularity of future visits, we do not like to call these visits ‘inspections,’ we have found that this approach can intimidate some tenants and have a negative effect. We like all involved to bear in mind that the house or apartment is the landlord’s property but it remains the tenants’ home, and we feel this must be respected also.
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Regular Checks of a Property that is Vacant
Something Crofts will do for you at no extra charge is to check any property we are managing that is between tenancies, i.e. vacant. We feel that this is an essential service as this is a time that a property is at its’ most vulnerable to damage and unwanted visitors. We will aim to visually check vacant properties weekly to ensure all is well.
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Annual or Monthly Statements of Account
We generally will provide an annual statement of account for the financial aspects of each property we manage; this is timed to coincide with thegovernments requirements for personal annual tax returns. If you would like monthly statements this is no problem and we can accommodate your wishes.
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Modern Fully Computerised Management & Accounting System
We have invested heavily in what we believe is the market leading Property Management Software supplied by CFP Winman. The technology employed reduces our own administrative costs which we are able to reflect in our value for money management fee of 12.5%.
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Preparation of Notices for Possession of the Property
At Crofts we will prepare the necessary notices required for possession within the legal capabilities of our employees, these include Section 8 & Section 12 notices. As a matter of course we now serve the Section 21 notice shortly after the commencement of all tenancies. A Section 21 is required to inform the tenant that the landlord will require possession of the property at the end of the tenancy period; this is done for obvious reasons and has proved very successful. If you are unsure of the implications of not doing so please contact our lettings manager for more details.
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Preparation of a Renewal Tenancy Agreement for Resident Tenants
As previously stated there is no charge for this event, if your existing agent or other agent makes a charge you need to question why? Generally all it will involve is simply changing the dates for the period in question on a computer and simply printing of a new agreement (some local agents will charge up to £50.00+ we don’t think this is justifiable, do you?)
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Full Inventory check of the Property at the Tenancy Termination
At the end of each tenancy we verify that the property is returned in an acceptable condition in accordance with the inventory in force. Occasionally this can be a very time consuming process as it means compared several hundreds of photographs with the property at the time. (All included in the fee)

We will also take all meter readings and notify the service providers and council with changes of responsibility.
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Refunding & Accounting the Tenants Security Deposit
Any deposit deductions are made as we deem appropriate to cover rental arrears or omissions/ damages and these are fully accounted to the tenant. Only once we are satisfied everything is in order and we are in receipt of all keys issued will we refund the deposit balance to the tenant.
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Carrying out any Additional Specific Landlord Instructions
Your individual, your property is individual, so why shouldn’t the service you receive be any different. If you have any special requirements we will do our utmost to accommodate them, these can be discussed with you at the time and any additional fees that may be due can be negotiated.
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