Brian Lack & Co

Letting Advice (view video)

Brian Lack offers an extensive lettings and management service based on over 40 years of experience, skills and expertise of our lettings team. We operate to the highest possible professional standards and work to a strict code of practice. We have a detailed understanding of the lettings and management sector and will ensure that you are given the best possible service. We offer assistance throughout the entire lettings process and all our clients are ensured of regular feedback and advice on how to maximise rental income.

As a company, we give a high priority to the lettings side of our business and it is currently expanding rapidly. We believe this success is based on the quality of service we provide to our clients, helping them achieve an excellent return on their investment year on year combined with the security of knowing their property is in safe hands.

Management Service

Our objective when we manage your property is to reduce to a minimum the time and effort you have to put in, while at the same time keeping you fully informed of all matters of importance. You can be confident that your property is well looked after, and we take care of the problems. Our property management department has a database of reliable and competitively priced contractors, tradesmen and suppliers to ensure that your property is looked after by reliable trades people. We vet our contractors regularly and ensure that they not only remain reliable and competitive, but that they hold the relevant qualifications to carry out work on rental properties.

It is easy to under-estimate the amount of work involved in supervising a tenancy. The duties we routinely perform for our management clients include:

Ensuring the Landlord is complying with all regulations and legislation
Arrange the transfer of utilities and council tax and arrange settlement of final accounts.
Arrange annual gas safety checks.
Carry out periodic inspections of the property and report on its general condition.
Settlement of regular outgoings such as Ground Rent, Service Charges, Maintenance Charges, with your agreement.
Arrange any cleaning and garden maintenance necessary to put the property in order before or after the Tenancy.
Arrange all repairs and maintenance to the property.
Arrange an independent inventory and schedule of your property.
Provide a key holding service.
Arrange to re-negotiate a further rental period or end a Tenancy .
Manage the check-out and deposit negotiation process.
Generally acting as an intermediary for the Landlord and Tenant to ensure that the tenancy runs smoothly.

Safety regulations

There are a number of regulations and obligations on a Landlord with regard to Gas Safety, Electrical Equipment and Fire Safety. It is important that as a Landlord you take these responsibilities seriously as there are large fines and even imprisonment should you fail to comply. We can advise you on all these regulations and ensure that you have peace of mind when you let your property.

The Gas Safety (Installations and Use) Regulations 1998

These regulations came into force on 31st October, 1998. These regulations require that any person letting a property must ensure that all gas appliances and flues in the property are maintained in a safe condition so as to prevent risk of injury to any person by ensuring that all such appliances, and flues are checked annually by an approved (CORGI) engineer. The legislation also requires that a record of the annual check is given to the tenant before occupation takes place, or in the case where a tenant is already in residence within twenty eight days of that check being carried out. A copy of that record must also be held by the Landlord (or his agent) for at least two years and made available for checking upon request.

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) regulations 1994

Although there is no mandatory requirement for electrical equipment to be checked at a property or any requirements as to how often they should be checked, Brian Lack strongly recommend you have all electric and electrical equipment checked before the commencement of the Tenancy and regularly thereafter, especially if you know there could be a fault. However, from 1st January 2005 new rules came into force controlling who could carry out certain works on certain electrical installations in property and the procedures around those works. As your managing agent we would ensure that your property complies with all the relevant regulations and can arrange on your behalf, an Electrical Safety Test should you wish us to.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993:

The Landlord must ensure all the furniture provided complies with the Cigarette test, the Match test and the Ignitability test and has a permanent label. These regulations came into force on 1st March 1993 for any new lettings and 31st December 1996 at the end of the transitional period. The regulations set new levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and other upholstered products and act as secondary legislation under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

Tenancy Agreement

A tenancy agreement is a legal agreement in writing that sets out the rights and responsibilities of both landlord and tenant. It will contain detail such as the length of the agreement, the rent payable and what is and isn't allowed in the property e.g. pets.

Types of Tenancies

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Brian Lack and Co will advise you on the scope and benefits of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy created by the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Housing Act 1996). Here are some of the points covered within the AST.

Company Tenancy

This will be governed by contract law and not the Housing Act 1988. Points to note: the tenancy is to be granted to a bona fide limited company or embassy only, e.g. not to a partnership. It is more difficult and costly to pursue a foreign company not registered in the UK. Benefits: a bona fide company has no security of tenure, the financial status can be more secure than with an individual, a longer term of tenancy is usually requested, and rental payments are often paid quarterly in advance.

Contractual Tenancy

This is a tenancy not regulated by statute and therefore falling outside the provisions of the Housing Act 1988. The most common occurrence is where the rent exceeds £25,000 per annum. The parties are therefore bound solely by the provisions of the tenancy agreement which should have all the necessary provisions incorporated.