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When you have a check-out report done at the end of a tenancy, it should be compared with the inventory done at the start of the tenancy, and it is going to highlight anything that is in the property that wasn’t there before; in other words, it’s going to highlight things tenants leave behind.

From large pieces of furniture to bags of rubbish to lost socks in the dryer, anything and everything that is in the property has to be catalogued.

Yet if there are things tenants leave behind (and it happens in around 52 percent of properties), what is a landlord supposed to do about them? It’s an annoyance at the very least, and if the landlord is searching for new tenants, it becomes even more of a problem. Those things tenants leave behind just shouldn’t be there, but since they don’t belong to the landlord, can they remove them? Dispose of them? Sell them? Read on to find out more.

Steps To Take With The Things Tenants Leave Behind

The very first thing to do – the first thing that you should do in any kind of dispute or area of concern, in fact – is to check the tenancy agreement. Ideally you will have a clause within that document that tells you exactly what you can and can’t do with the possessions and rubbish that have been left behind by tenants.

Remember; these clauses will need to be fair and they will need to be in line with the law. If you yourself have added a clause like this (or any clause) to the tenancy agreement, it’s best to get it checked over by a professional to ensure that you’re not going to have problems if you try to enact it.

What If There Is No Clause?

Not all rental agreements are going to include a clause about what to do with the things tenants leave behind – check yours now; if it doesn’t, it’s wise to add one, just to be on the safe side. Plus it will serve as a reminder for your tenants that they aren’t meant to be leaving anything of their behind when they do move out.

The main clause in a tenancy agreement will state that the property needs to be left in the same condition (or better) as it was when the tenant moved in. This is an easy clause to understand if the tenant has taken something away; a claim can be made on the deposit. But if they have added something, it’s much more difficult to work out.

In essence, the landlord becomes the ‘involuntary bailer’ for the things tenants leave behind, and it is their job to take care of those items. This is the law in the UK, but it’s a huge pain for any landlord, and they’re not going to want the hassle of dealing with it. Yet, without a clause written into the agreement, that’s exactly what they’ll have to do.

How To Act As An Involuntary Bailer

The landlord is going to want to deal with the issue of the things tenants leave behind as soon as possible once they have become the involuntary bailer. Here are the steps to take

Contact The Tenant

The first thing you will need to do about the things tenants leave behind is to contact the owner of those things. Find out what they want you to do with them. If they say you should dispose of them, get this request in writing, and ensure they know you’ll be charging them for the cost of that disposal – it can be taken from the deposit.

If the tenant chooses to come and take the items, you must let them. However, it’s a good idea to accompany them into the property.

Protect From Damage

Until such time as the tenant or their representative can collect the items, it is the landlord’s duty to protect them from damage. They might be things tenants leave behind, but you still need to ensure they are kept safe (even if they are going to be disposed of).

Take photographs of everything; this is your proof that all was well when you found the items. Also make a detailed list of everything that was left.

This can be an arduous task, and it’s what a check-out inventory is for, so even if you hadn’t considered needing one before, it would save you a lot of time and hassle to get one done now.

How Long Do You Have To Take Care Of Things Tenants Leave Behind?

This is a great question. The law says that you need to take care of things tenants leave behind for ‘a reasonable time’, but that is so vague as to be useless. In most cases, 21 days is a sensible time frame – that should give the tenant enough time to either let you know they want you to get rid of it all, or to come and get the stuff themselves.

After this ‘reasonable time’, the landlord can dispose of the items without permission. They can also sell them if they want to, but any funds that come from a sale like this will technically – legally, in fact – belong to the tenant for up to six years after the sale.

If you are intending to dispose or sell the things tenants leave behind because you haven’t had a response from your efforts at contact, you need to give written notice to the tenant telling them exactly what you intend to do. You are legally obliged to return the deposit within 30 days from the move out date. Giving a notice of 21 days for the collection of the items gives you up to a week to claim your loses if you move fast.

Legally the document to refer to is the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. The notice must contain the following:

1.         Date of the notice

2.         The Bailor’s (tenants) name and other details if you have any

3.         The Bailee’s (landlords) name and address

4.         Your intention to dispose or sell the items if the tenant fails to collect them within the notice period

5.         The list and reasonable level of description of the items in question

6.         Instruction about how they can collect the belongings

7.         If you intend to sell, you must include the date and place of the sale. Also include that if items are sold cost for storage and selling fees will be deducted.

8.         Specify the amount, if any, which is payable by the bailor to the bailee in respect of the goods, and which became due before the giving of the notice.

What Else?

These are the first steps to take once you have had a check-out inventory and discovered that there are things tenants leave behind in your property. Part two will be out soon which will have some more specific examples of what else you might be able to do.

In the meantime, if you need any advice or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Looksy Inventories.

It’s easy to assume that you need a property inventory when you are letting out a property. Although this is crucial, and it’s certainly where Looksy Inventories spends the vast majority of its time, that’s not the only reason for having an inventory carried out. Read on to find out more.

Before Letting A Property

As we’ve said, the most common reason for hiring a property inventory clerk in Sevenoaks to carry out said inventory is because you have a property that you intend to let out. Ideally, you will already have found a tenant, and the inventory will take place no more than a week (and usually two or three days) before they are due to move in. The longer the time between the property inventory in Sevenoaks and the new tenant’s moving day, the more chance there is that something can change, especially if you’re making upgrades like new carpets or you’re repairing any issues that need to be dealt with in advance.

The inventory will then be passed to the tenant to check through to make sure they are happy with what has been included, and to suggest any amendments that might need to be made (inventory clerks are only human, after all, although we are very proud to say that amendments are a rare thing when it comes to Looksy’s property inventory reports).

After Letting A Property

Technically, this Sevenoaks property inventory is actually a check-out. It’s a home inspection that will compare the original inventory with the state of the property and make a note of the differences. Of course, normal wear and tear is something that should be expected, especially if the tenant has lived there for a number of years. However, big areas of damage and anything that is significantly different – good or bad – from the initial inventory should be mentioned in the report.

Once anything that needs to be made good has been, and once the property is ready to be rented out again, the full inventory can take place.

After A Death

A property inventory in Sevenoaks isn’t just about tenants and landlords; there are other reasons to have one done by an expert. One of these reasons is if you feel you want to protect the property and possessions of a deceased person while the will is being executed. A full inventory of everything within the property, and the state of the property in general, can be a useful tool should you need it.

Although it’s not a pleasant thought, sometimes items of great value (financial or sentimental) can go missing after a death, especially if a variety of different people have keys to the property. Knowing that there is a full list of all these items, confirmed by a professional Sevenoaks inventory clerk, is a great way to keep them safe. It will also help if there are any disputes regarding the will.

After A Separation Or Divorce

This is, we’ll be honest, not something we’ve been asked to do as yet, but our services are here as expert Sevenoaks inventory clerks if required in this upsetting situation. The inventory report will be a record of all the items that the couple owned jointly, ensuring that the assets can be split fairly once the separation or divorce becomes permanent.

Contact Looksy Inventories For Property Inventory In Sevenoaks

Based in Sevenoaks but covering all the surrounding towns and villages – and further afield if required – Looksy Inventories is your expert property inventory service for the area. We can carry out inventories for any reason you need one, and our reports are clear, concise, and understandable. Contact us today for more information and to find out how we can help you.

COVID-19 has changed everything, and that includes the rental market. COVID-19 and lettings are, it turns out, not entirely compatible. With restrictions on evictions firmly in place, landlords – and their tenants – may well be reassessing how things are going to go once lockdown is ended and vaccinations are more widespread.

Landlords in particular may well want to know how they can increase the rental value of a property they know is going to be empty soon. Increase the income from one property by enough, and you will start to make up for any shortfall you might have suffered during the pandemic. Here are some ways it can be done.

Outside Space

Lockdown has meant that we’ve all been indoors a lot more than usual, although in properties that have nice outdoor spaces that will have been at least bearable. With no end in sight to lockdown, as well as the fact that many people are now aware of how important their gardens actually are, you need to make the most of the outside space your property has.

Spend a little money and put in a large patio, replace the lawn, maybe even add some sliding doors to the back of the house so everything can be opened up.

Outdoors is something that might not have been crucial before, but it certainly is now once you look at the impact of COVID-19 and lettings.

Room For Home Working

Maybe everything will go back to ‘normal’ once COVID-19 is no longer such a threat. For the most part, that’s a good thing. However, the home working revolution has definitely begun, and it’s unlikely that this is going to change. Now that employers and business owners have realised that they can save money by not having any office space to pay for, and now that employees know that their job is perfectly doable from home, why would it go back to the way it was?

That means, of course, that renters are going to be searching for a home in which they can work. When there’s a spare bedroom, an actual study, a dining room they’re not going to use, perhaps even a conservatory, they’ll be happy. But if your property doesn’t have any of these things, you’ll need to try to make space. Can you split any rooms into two to create a study? Can you add an outside room or any kind of extension? You’ll be able to rent the place out for more, so you should be able to make your money back.   

Allow Pets

If you don’t allow pets in your property, you’re missing out on some fabulous tenants, and you’re limiting your market. To get the place rented, you might have to reduce your asking price or accept an offer.

If you allow pets, you’re effectively doubling your tenant pool and you can ask for more money because of it, despite the issues that have come about because of COVID-19 and lettings.

During lockdown, many people have decided that they need a little company, and a dog or cat – or whatever – has come into their lives. Now they’re looking for somewhere they and their pet can live, so be a little more flexible, and you’ll make a lot more money.

Most properties are in good condition and are safe to live in, but sometimes things go very wrong…

Read more here: https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2021/1/property-let-out-in-dangerous-condition-by-rogue-landlord

A landlord who failed to improve his rental property, leaving his tenants in dangerous conditions, has been fined.

Haroon Karim from Nottingham has pleaded guilty to two offences under the Housing Act 2004, failing to comply with Housing of Multiple Occupancy licence conditions and failing to comply with an Improvement Notice. 

Nottingham council officers visited the landlord’s property in the city and a number of category 1 and 2 hazards were found. 

This included dangerous stairs, structural collapse, excessive cold, damp, mould, fire hazards, issues with food safety and sanitation and drainage

Karim was then served an Improvement Notice, which he failed to comply with, exposing the tenants of this property to these hazards for an unacceptable level of time.

In addition, there was a breach of the HMO licence conditions in that the landlord had failed to provide adequate amenities within the kitchen that were suitable for the number of tenants living in the property. This included failing to provide a microwave oven or an additional cooker; failing to provide an adequate number of electrical sockets and failing to provide sufficient amenities for food preparation and washing up by not providing an additional sink or dishwasher.

During sentencing, Nottingham Magistrates Court ordered Karim to pay a fine and legal costs totalling £1001.42.

A spokeswoman for the local authority says: “We will only take legal action as a last resort if a landlord doesn’t work with us to improve their property. Most landlords are good landlords, but there are some, like Mr Karim, who give others a bad name. I would urge tenants to contact us if they have issues with their home, that aren’t being sorted.”

If the current tenant’s agreement is about to end and they are going to move out of your rental property, it’s a good idea to give them some useful information about what’s going to happen during the check out process. After all, this will save both you and them from worrying, make things much smoother, and it will help you to decide whether or not to hire a professional for the pre-check out.

What Is The Check Out Process?

The check out process is a simple one, but not something that all landlords are happy to conduct themselves. Lettings agents are busy and can’t always be on hand to conduct the process either, and this is where inventory professionals will come into their own; the check out (and pre-check out) is all part of the service.

The check out process technically begins with the notice to leave, which will either come from the tenant or the landlord, depending on the situation. At this time, the pre-check out service can be implemented.

Next, the tenants will need to return the property to its original condition. Remember, a landlord should never expert any betterment (although it is sometimes the case that this has happened – a great bonus) but they should receive their property back in at least the condition they let it in. Again, another reason to have a full inventory report carried out; that original condition will be clearly stated and matched against what the property looks like when the tenants leave.

On the day the tenants move out, the check out itself should take place, and a check out report completed for the landlord. The tenant will also be able to see the report and will be able to either accept it or challenge it. The deposit return can be negotiated and then released.

The Pre-Check Out Process

We’ve mentioned the pre-check out process a number of times now, and although it’s not something that every landlord requests, and it’s not something that every tenant is going to demand, it can be useful in terms of ensuring everyone is aware of their duties at the end of a tenancy. Plus it gives the tenants the time needed to put the property back the way it is meant to be, if that is something that needs to be done.

The pre-check out visit is conducted by an inventory clerk who can look at each room and make a report as to whether any action needs to be taken. The original inventory is crucial at this time, otherwise the clerk is not going to know what the property was like initially, and won’t be able to say one way or another whether anything has or hasn’t been changed.

What Are The Benefits for Tenants?

The tenant will absolutely benefit from a pre-check out. They will be given all the information they need, written down and explained, regarding the tasks they need to carry out before the day they move out. In other words, they will be told exactly what they need to do in order to have their deposit returned to them with no quibbles.

The tenants do have a number of responsibilities when they come to check out. These will depend in part on what is written in the tenancy agreement, but usually include:

• Cutting the grass
• Disposing of rubbish
• Conducting a thorough clean
• Defrosting the freezer
• Removing all personal items
• Repair any damage (over and above normal wear and tear)
• Replace any items that were removed during the tenancy

Knowing this information in advance will make it more likely that the work is done.

Benefits for Landlords and Letting Agents

The pre-check out isn’t just useful to give tenants the heads up on what they need to accomplish before the day they move out; it’s also useful for landlords and letting agents. It makes the check out process a much quicker, smoother one. It also means there is going to be less maintenance required before the next tenant moves in, saving time and money and keeping the new tenant happy because there are no delays. Plus it helps to keep communication channels open between all parties, with the inventory clerk as the mediator/facilitator.

What Next?

If you need an inventory report, check in, check out (or pre-check out) or interim report, please get in touch with us at Looksy Inventories. A friendly, family run business with a positive, professional attitude, we can make sure everyone in the process is happy.

Buying your first rental property so that you can be a landlord is something that works for a wide variety of people. It’s a neat way to make an additional income, and it’s even better if you have a portfolio of properties

It sounds like a dream.

But of course, if it was that easy everyone would be doing it, and there are plenty of challenges to consider and obstacles you’ll need to overcome to do it successfully.

The very first hurdle to get over is finding the right property to rent out. Just because you would live in it, or it’s in a popular location, or the house next door rents out for a nice amount of money, that doesn’t mean the property you have your eye on will work out. Here are some useful tips for buying your first rental property so you have an idea of what to look out for.

Research The Location Of Your Rental Property

Location, location, location, as they say, and as Channel 4 likes to remind us on a daily basis (you’ve got to love a bit of Phil and Kirsty), and it’s true. Location is the single most important factor you’ll need to consider (after budget, of course, but that goes without saying) when you’re buying a rental property.

However, the surface isn’t enough; you’ll need to scratch well below it and find out as much as possible about not just the town or village, but the road itself. Don’t think that, just because you won’t personally be living in the property, any additional building works that are slated to start, or any neighbour disputes, or any problems with the local schools, and so on, are not your issue. They very much are because savvy tenants are going to be doing this research and finding something untoward is going to put them off signing on the dotted line. They don’t want the hassle, and neither do you.

You Will Need Landlord Insurance

Once you’ve found the right house for the right price in the right location and you’re marketing it at the right rental money, you’re still not home and dry; you need to get landlord insurance.

Most of the time, thankfully, the tenants you have in your property will take care of it; it’s their home, after all, even if it is your house. But sometimes, they just won’t. They’ll make mess, they’ll cause damage, and they’ll stop paying rent. Landlord insurance will cover all of this and more, ensuring that even the most difficult of tenants are only going to be a headache, not a blinding migraine.

It Will Cost More Than You Think

If you think that the monthly mortgage payments are the only cost you’ll need to consider, think again. We’ve already mentioned landlords’ insurance, but there are still more potential costs that a rental property might incur, and it’s vital you have money put aside to cover them.

As a landlord, you are responsible for the maintenance of the property, and if something needs to be done – a plumber is required, there’s a problem with the roof, a fence blows down, and countless other things – you need to be able to pay for it. Your tenant isn’t going to be impressed if they have to fork out themselves.

Looksy Inventories is based in Sevenoaks, and we work within the Sevenoaks District carrying out property inventories for landlords and letting agents. Being so familiar with the area (we live here as well as work here) means that we are aware of all the peculiarities (those country lanes, oil heating, even listed buildings), as well as being completely familiar with the geography of the town and its surrounding villages too. But why else is it a good idea to use a local company for your inventory needs? Read on to find out.  

Improve The Local Economy

Using a big chain or a company based in a different area means that the money you pay them for their services doesn’t stay in the local area. In some cases, it doesn’t even stay in the country.

When using a local business such as Looksy, you can be sure that every penny you pay stays local. At Looksy we shop local, we support our community, and we feel this is even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The more you support us, the more we can support others, and the more they can support you. This local usage cycle is a great one to be a part of.

A Face Behind The Business

At Looksy, we’ve never shied away from the fact that we’re a small team. It’s just us, Dean and Lisamarie, husband and wife, building up a business to be proud of. So when you phone, email, get in touch on social media, or when you come into contact with us face to face, it’s us you’ll see. You’ll never be put through to a nameless call centre operator, and you’ll be able to create a great working relationship with us because we never pretend to be something we’re not.

Great Customer Service

If you’ve ever had a problem with a chain retailer before, you’ll know it can be frustrating to let them know about it. Even if you don’t have an issue but you want to ask a question, or you’re curious about how they work, or you need to get in touch with them for any other reason, you’ll often have to wait days (perhaps longer) for a response to an email, and if there is a phone number you can call, you’ll be shoved around from department to department until you give up or the call is disconnected.

With a local company – and certainly with Looksy Inventories – that’s not what happens. If you send an email, we’ll reply pretty quickly (usually within a few minutes on an admin day, and a few hours when we’re out on site), and if you call, we’ll answer (you’ll speak to either Lisamarie or Dean, that’s a promise, but do bear with us – as you know, some areas around Sevenoaks don’t have much reception…).

Contact Looksy Today

If you’re a landlord or a letting agent and you’re looking for a reliable, experienced, fully trained and, importantly, local inventory company, contact Looksy today. We’re here for you.

A business idea that you might have had to make a good amount of income is to be a landlord. If you already have a suitable property, perhaps because you inherited it or you have moved in with a partner and now have a ‘spare’ house or apartment, then the idea might seem even more interesting. Even if you decide to be a landlord and then buy a property in order to make it happen, it really can be a good way to make some money. How much money will depend on the property and the area, but as long as you are making more than you are paying on your mortgage, you will be doing well.

In order to be a successful landlord, you need your property or properties to be occupied more than they are empty – an empty property is a serious issue and will result in a loss of money. Therefore, you need to be a good landlord, to keep your tenants happy. Here are some ways to do it.

Customise The Lease

You can get a standard lease form at many different places; you can even download it online. However, in order to be a good landlord, and one that tenants will be happy to stay with, you should customise the lease. This means ensuring that both you and the tenant are completely happy with everything included within it.

You can take the standard lease form as the basis for your customized lease, and then add certain clauses and take others out. You can make the lease completely unique and personal to the situation. One good thing to include in any lease, no matter what else might be written there, is that your tenants need to have insurance. Then you’ll know your property is protected.

Allow Changes

For the most part, if a tenant asks you for permission to make changes within the property, it’s a good idea to say yes. Not only will it keep your tenant happy, but it will most likely save you money in the long term. If the tenant is willing to pay for a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, or even if they are just happy to do some cosmetic work and make some updates in that way, it means you don’t have to do it yourself, so it’s good all round.

To make sure you are happy with the work, it’s a good idea to have some provisos; you can say that changes can be made, but you want to inspect the work when it’s done, or you want to look at the plans before any work is started. This is your property, after all, and you need to make sure that any changes made aren’t going to make it worth less or be less desirable.

Make Repairs As A Landlord

Although your tenant might be more than happy to make small repairs around the house, they don’t have to (unless the lease says they do, of course, but this is not the usual way that a tenancy works). One of the benefits to renters is that their landlord is responsible for making repairs around the home, so don’t be surprised if you get a call or email from your tenant asking you to do this work.

In order to show that you are a good landlord, you should make any necessary repairs in a timely manner. This will protect your property and ensure your tenants are happy to keep living there.

During the coronavirus pandemic, housing has become something of an issue. Not for everyone, of course. Those who own properties and live in those properties may well have asked for a mortgage holiday, but otherwise things will have continued in pretty much the same way as it always has.

For landlords and tenants, however, COVID-19 has potentially meant something else entirely. Normally, if a tenant cannot or will not pay their rent, the landlord has the means to serve them a section 21 notice of eviction and start proceedings to remove the non-paying tenant from the property.

This all changed during the pandemic. Since work became scarce for some people, rent also became more and more difficult to deal with. However, evictions were put on hold for six months. This was to allow those who were in difficulty to hopefully get back on their feet or to find somewhere cheaper to live. It clearly helped the tenant. But what about the landlord? It would depend. If the landlord relied on the money that came in through rent to pay the mortgage on the rental property, they might have been able to apply for the mortgage holiday as mentioned above. This seems fair.

However, if the money was their income and they suddenly lost it, there wasn’t much recourse.

So it must have been with some relief that the ban came to an end.

Only now, with the pandemic far from over and the government’s furlough scheme winding down, clearly there is going to be more trouble ahead.

The Eviction Truce

The government have stated that there will be an eviction truce between 11^th December 2020 and 11^th January 2021. Essentially, no one will be made to move out between Christmas and new year.

Other housing announcements have stated that:

From 28 August 2020:

• Landlords who already had possession claims in the system – and who would have given a three months’ notice of these – must:

1. Serve a ‘reactivation notice’, informing both their tenant and the court that they wish to resume the action.
2. Provide relevant information about the tenant’s circumstances before the repossession is brought to court including any relevant information about the tenant’s situation with regard to COVID-19, including how their health and finances have been affected.

• Landlords who wish to bring a new possessions claim must:

1. Give their tenants at least 6 months’ notice before they seek to gain possession of their rental property through the courts. This includes section 21 evictions and rent arrears under 6 months. Only in exceptional circumstances i.e. such as cases involving anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse, is this notice period to be decreased as detailed on the government website.

All measures are to be in place until at least the end of March 2021.

If you need to find out more about how this might impact you as a landlord, or tenant, there is more information on the government’s website here. For more advice, contact Looksy.

How to manage your property remotely… Remote working offers a great number of benefits for both employees and employers including better productivity, a happier workforce, and lower costs. It’s something that many businesses are now offering their employees as a matter of course where possible, and although this has been hastened due to the rules around coronavirus, it is something that was always going to happen eventually.

But what about landlords? Can they take care of their properties remotely? Should they? Let’s look deeper into this idea of how to manage your property remotely.

New Tenancies

Before a new tenancy can take place, the property needs to be inspected and any repairs that have to be done before someone can move in must be seen to. Yet if you live a long way from the property, or perhaps even in another country entirely, how can you do this if you plan to manage your property remotely?

The answer is simple; you have an inventory clerk do the inspection for you. An inventory clerk like us here at Looksy will carry out a checkout, full inventory, and then a check-in on your behalf, meaning you don’t have to step foot in the property if you don’t want to.

Of course, if work needs to be carried out you can then choose what to do next. This is where having a trusted team of tradespeople on hand can be ideal – you will see the extent of any damage from the inventory report, and you can instruct your painter, plaster, gardener, carpet layer, kitchen fitter, or anyone else to do the work that needs doing. Simple.

Tenant Relationships

Although a lot of the time the interaction between landlord and tenant ends after the tenant moves in, and the only connection between them will be the monthly rental payment, sometimes more needs to be done. If there is an issue in the property, for example, there should be a clear line of contact and communication so that the problem can be dealt with swiftly before the tenant becomes unhappy (possibly unhappy enough to leave which will then cause the landlord the hassle of finding a new tenant) or the problem escalates into something much more expensive.

Using an agent to help you is a good idea if you want to manage your property remotely. Yes, it will cost you money – often a certain percentage of the monthly rent – but it does mean you don’t have to be dealing with issues when you can’t do much about it. Instead, the agent will be the first port of call and they will have people on hand to fix issues quickly. Agree a maximum price for repairs, and they can organise everything without even having to bother you.

Conclusion About How To Manage Your Property Remotely

It is entirely possible to very successfully manage your property remotely if you are a landlord. The key, however, is to remember you can’t do it alone. You are going to need a good support network behind you to help you, and only then can you really cut the apron strings and be much more independent.

If you want Looksy Inventories to be part of that network, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and chat about what we can do for you.