Letting Your Property In North West London with Salter Rex

We receive a roughly similar number of enquiries for both furnished and unfurnished properties, with many tenants looking for each “type” of property, so we advise landlords to be as flexible as possible to increase the number of potential tenants that the property might appeal to.

In the majority of cases, we advise clients to avoid unnecessary outlay on furniture, prior to a property being marketed, avoiding the landlord having the expense or inconvenience of storing unwanted items.

Usually, it is worth supplying basic items on request, if it enables a landlord to secure a good tenant. We have excellent suppliers able to provide good-quality furnishings and household goods at reasonable cost, where necessary.

Presenting the property in the best possible condition is the most important thing a landlord can do before marketing. This not only makes the property more attractive to tenants, but also demonstrates that you care about your property, which will encourage the tenant to do likewise.

Before the property is marketed, it is important to make sure it is in excellent decorative order. It is not necessary to freshly decorate every room, but it is important to address any worn or tired-looking decor to ensure the overall effect is pleasing.

Cleanliness and tidiness are absolutely vital – Again, before the property is shown to tenants, ensure that it has been cleaned from top to bottom to a high standard, including the inside of the fridge, oven and other fitted appliances. If the property is furnished, minimise clutter – this helps emphasize the space available and assists the tenant in imagining in a positive way what it would be like to live there.

We thoroughly reference all tenants before they move in using a well established referencing agency. The references will be sent to you for approval and will include a credit check, employment reference and previous landlords’ reference.

In most cases you are welcome to meet or speak directly to prospective tenants prior to committing, if you wish to. There is the option of rent guarantee insurance, for added peace of mind, but we very seldom encounter difficulties with tenants as our referencing procedure is very thorough.

Ultimately, the most significant factor in choosing the right tenant, is the experience and recommendation of the agent. At Salter Rex, our lettings staff have many years of experience in sourcing tenants and understand the right questions to ask, prior to the potential tenant even visiting the property. Our team are all mature individuals, working collaboratively to secure the most suitable tenant and best rental value, rather than individually, with the resulting conflict of interests when advising clients.

The difference between a managed and unmanaged (“let only”) service relates to what happens after the tenant has moved into the property.

Both managed and “let only” services include full marketing, securing a tenant and agreeing a rent, provision of a tenancy agreement, referencing, arranging the inventory and registering the deposit (if required).

For a “let only” tenancy, once the documentation is completed, the landlord and tenant are introduced. From that point, collection of rent, arrangement of property maintanance or repair, compliance with legislation are looked after by the landlord (We would recommend leaving an extra key wih us, in case of emergencies and of course, are always happy to answer any questions)

For managed properties, prior to the tenant moving in, they are introduced to our property management team, who will be their point of contact for the duration of the tenancy. We collect the rent, transferring it to your chosen account each month. We arrange for necessary repairs and maintenance and ensure that the property remains compliant with any changes in legislation. In addition, we will arrange the repairs and ensure that all necessary certificates are up to date and that the property remains fully compliant with changing legislation.

The tenancy agreement is a binding contract between landlord and tenant, so the tenant is responsible for the full amount of the rent until the end of the contract. In reality, if a tenant has a change of circumstances and urgently needs to move, the property can be marketed with the agreement of all parties and a new tenant secured, at which point the landlord can release the original tenant from the contract. There should be no cost implication to the landlord in this event.