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An inventory will be supplied. Two copies will be given to you to check and amend where needed. Both copies must signed and dated by you, one returned to us as soon after moving in as possible, one copy kept for your records.
If we do not receive a copy of the inventory from you within 1 week of your tenancy start date, we will assume that it is correct and therefore, you will be liable for any errors and irregularities that may be on the inventory when you vacate.
If any items in the property belong to you, it will be your responsibility to insure them, neither the landlord nor the agents can accept responsibility for damage to them, however caused, during your stay.
It is strongly recomended that you take out contents insurance to cover your personal possessions, some policies will also cover a limited amount of the Landlords fixtures and fittings as well.
Please check out the insurance companies listed on our LINKS page, they may well be able to offer some very competitve rates for your specific insurance needs.
If more than one person is mentioned on an Agreement then each person is responsible for each other and their actions, and if they decide to leave the property, then our advice is available for how this will affect the other tenants.
Please contact our office for further advice on your specific situation.
Pets are generally not allowed in any of the properties we manage unless written permission has been granted by the landlord and if they are found to be on the premises without permission you may be asked to re-home them.
If pets are accepted, an extra deposit amount will be required.
Any damages to the property will be paid for from the deposit on your departure, and we will look to you for any further payment needed to make up the deficit if required.
Providing your account is up to date, the property is not damaged, you have complied with all the terms of the lease and clearance has been given by the Landlord, the deposit will then be sent to a forwarding address (that you must provide) within fourteen days of the date you vacate the property, simultaneously allowing us access.
Failure to adhere to the above conditions may result in a delay in payment.
The general maintenance of the property is the responsibility of the landlord and if any work needs doing during your stay you must not instruct builders etc. without obtaining our or the landlord’s permission (unless it is an emergency such as a burst pipe). Instead, you must ring our offices stating your name, address and telephone number and the nature of the problem and we will take whatever action is needed to rectify the situation.
However, we look to our tenants to inform us if problems persist after a repair has been made, or work is started and not finished. We also expect the tenant to advise us of any damp or mould problems the property may have and to provide sufficient ventilation to prevent mould growth around windows and window frames etc. If this growth does occur, wash affected areas with a proprietary brand of mould remover after informing us.
The cleanliness of the property and its furnishings are the tenants responsibility and these must be kept in good condition during your stay and carpets etc shampooed if needed, especially before the property is vacated.
We carry out property visits of all the properties we manage on a regular, normally quarterly, basis during the tenancy and when you receive our letter concerning this it would be appreciated if it could be answered as soon as possible so that a convenient time for the visit to take place can be arranged. However, spare keys are held in case the tenant is unavailable on the appointed day.
Rent for the property is due on the same day of the month as the day you signed your Tenancy Agreement on.
We will supply you with a standing order mandate for you to take to your bank and they will then set up direct payments from your account to ours.
Please also note that under the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement all late payments may well attract additional charges.
It is a good idea that when you leave the property you arrange with the Post Office for your mail to be redirected.
They do this for a small charge - we cannot guarantee mail sent to the property after your departure is sent to you.
Please use the link on our Links page to visit the Post Office's website.
The importance of using a professionally qualified agent
During times of significant financial changes, almost everyone is tightening their financial belts.
It is often seen as an easy way to save a few pounds, by entrusting your most valuable asset to the agents who give you the cheapest deal. Be very careful though, your property is worth a lot of money, surely you want to protect that asset as much as possible by using an agent who actually holds professional qualifications within the industry?
It's all very well going for agents who are members of 'this and that' trade body, but which of these do you actually need to be qualified to join and which ones do you simply buy your membership???
ARLA - the Association of Residential Letting Agents - is THE leading authority in the country within the letting industry. Membership has nothing to do with how much you pay them to join, membership can only be achieved by passing professional qualifications to ensure the highest level of competency is achieved and maintained, giving landlords security that an agent who is a member actually knows how to look after their most valuable asset. Members are also required to maintain and operate separate designated client accounts where your money is held completely separate from the operating funds of the firm.
Membership also ensures member agents are updated regularly with the latest legislation and information relevant to providing the highest level of service to both landlords and tenants.
Client money protection, professional indemnity insurance and yearly accountants reports are all compulsory parts of membership to ARLA.
We at Torbay Property Management have been members of ARLA for over ten years. Although the government has not yet made it a mandatory requirement for letting agents to be professionally qualified or be professionally regulated, it is something that the industry requires, with many agents opening and closing regularly with little or no experience or knowledge to safeguard the landlords or tenants.
With lots of information being printed and offered to landlords regarding new legislation and with the health and safety of tenants at risk, it’s worth asking the questions, is the information accurate or years out of date, putting you as the landlord or even your tenants in not only financial but also legal jeopardy
Most trade bodies available nowadays encourage agents to follow a set of 'guidelines' provided for a fee - please do not be drawn into thinking membership means an agent holds any professional qualifications, because it doesn't. For a simple yearly fee and completion of a form you can become a member and start trading. I encourage you to check with these trade bodies as to what their requirements are for membership.
If the agent you are using or thinking of using cannot provide you with the assurance of knowing they are a member of ARLA or at the very least hold some form of qualifications within the industry - - the question you need to ask is why not?
Then decide if saving a few pounds on an agent looking after your most valuable asset is a good idea???????
For more information please visit http://www.arla.co.uk/about-us/why-use-our-members/
Whilst we are committed to providing a quality service, we acknowledge that on occasions things can go wrong. If we do not meet your expectations and you are dissatisfied in some way, then we wish to know. Most complaints stem from a lack of communication, in that either we misunderstand your instructions or customers misunderstand the service we provide.
In the first instance, we would encourage you to discuss any problems verbally and informally with your contact in the office. If this does not resolve your concerns, then the Company’s formal procedure can be invoked.
We have adopted a formal two stage procedure to ensure that any complaint is dealt with fairly and that anyone with a grievance is aware of the procedure to follow, thus avoiding any additional frustration.
If the verbal and informal approach does not satisfactorily deal with your concerns, we ask that you put your complaint in writing to the Manager. We advise you to keep copies of all correspondence sent to us and notes of any conversations or telephone calls.
In order that we can help resolve your concern as quickly and efficiently as possible, we ask you to provide the following information in the letter of complaint:
Your name, address and a daytime telephone number on which you can be contacted.
Your letter will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt and you will be advised of the timescale for sending a full reply, which will usually be within 21 days. An internal investigation into your complaint will be undertaken and, following completion of the same, you will be provided with a full response with details of what actions we have taken or will take. It is hoped that this response will resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction.
If you remain dissatisfied with any aspect of our handling of your complaint, then it may be appropriate for the matter to be referred to an independent third party (Please note you have to first send your complaint to us):
The Property Ombudsman
Milford House,
43 - 55 Milford Street,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP
Tel No: 01722 333306
Fax No: 01722 332296
