FAQs

• ARLA
  Richard Kendall are members of ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents), ensuring that our staff regularly attend courses and events, keeping them abreast of industry development and current legal legislation and best practice.
• TDS
  With regard to deposits we are members of the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and are also part of the Property Ombudsman redress scheme.

At Richard Kendall we offer either a Let Only service or a Letting and Management service.

• Let Only
  This service provides the more experienced landlord with the ability for us to find, credit check and reference a tenant as well as prepare the Tenancy Agreement and associated paperwork, the landlord then conducts their own management of the property thereafter. Richard Kendall will transfer the deposit to the landlord for them to register with their nominated deposit scheme.
• Letting and Management
  This service covers all aspects of management including inventories, periodic inspections, deposit registration and general day to day services that go towards managing a property on behalf of a landlord.

• We charge 12% of the monthly rent including VAT. An initial instruction from a first time landlord would require a set-up fee of £180 including VAT. There are other costs involved in bringing first time rental properties to the market, please refer to Our Charges and Associated Costs.

• Energy Performance Certificate
  A landlord needs to ensure that an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is in place on the property. The EPC is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.
• Gas Safety Certificate
  If the property has gas supplied to it you are required to obtain a Landlord’s Gas Safety Certificate, which must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered plumber, before the commencement of the tenancy. The certificate needs to be renewed every 12 months when a tenancy is in place.

• If your property is vacant Richard Kendal will carry out accompanied viewings 7 days a week and show prospective tenants around your property. If you wish to be present at viewings then we are able to arrange these with yourself, depending on landlord’s requirements.

• A deposit is taken at commencement of the tenancy and is usually £100 more than the advertised rent. The deposit is registered by us with the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) within 30 days of a deposit being paid.
• Any deposit disputes will be dealt with efficiently with the TDS.

• An inventory is covered in the management fees when choosing the Letting and Management service with Richard Kendall. The inventory will be prepared and carried out at the start of each new tenancy.

• A landlord is responsible for insuring the property. A tenant is responsible for insuring his contents. You are under a duty to mitigate your own losses and any failure on your part to have adequate insurances is your responsibility and not your tenants.
• We would advise checking the scope of cover provided, especially in relation to a leak and flood damage in apartment blocks as it is not unusual for damage to your property (including walls, ceilings, floors and kitchen units) from leaks and floods not to be covered by buildings insurance, but your own contents insurance.
• You are not responsible for insuring your tenant’s possessions. Ensure our policy includes public liability cover. Leaks from one apartment to another are rarely covered by buildings insurance.

• As a landlord you have an important statutory obligation in this regard, especially in relation to gas and electricity within the property. A Landlord’s Gas Safety Certificate will need to be issued and renewed annually.
• Whilst having an annual PAT (Portable Appliance Test) is not a statutory requirement, we recommend this is carried out especially in older properties. Without an annual PAT you would be viewed as having taken reasonable steps to secure the safety of your tenants.
• A smoke alarm must to be fitted on every habitable floor of a property. If your property has a solid fuel fire/burner then you must also ensure there is a carbon monoxide alarm in place. However, we strongly recommended fitting a carbon monoxide alarm in any event.

• No, in most cases we have found there is very difference in rental values between furnished, part furnished and unfurnished properties.
• An unfurnished would require carpets, curtains and sometimes white goods and also cooking facilities.

• As a landlord you have a legal obligation to maintain the structure of the building, the sanitation and the supply of services. In addition, should any item left in the property require replacing or repairing through fair wear and tear then a landlord, under the terms of the Tenancy Agreement, would be expected to deal with this.

• The rent will be paid by the tenant on the same date every month, this is usually on the date when the initial tenancy commenced.
• The rent is paid to Richard Kendall then transferred from our bank account into yours.
• The rent normally takes 3 working days to transfer from our account to your account.
• We ask tenants to ensure that cleared funds are with us on or before their rent due date.

• At the end of the tenancy the tenants surrender their keys to Richard Kendall. We then carry out our final inspection and check-out report on the property, checking the condition of the property against the original inventory we prepared at tenancy commencement.
• We will discuss our findings with you and should any further action be taken against the tenants for dilapidation or repairs we will then carry these negotiations on your behalf.

• As a landlord you will be liable to pay tax on any income generated from letting your property.
• The amount of tax that you pay will depend on your own circumstances.
• If you are overseas for more than 6 months in a tax year you will be regarded as a non-resident landlord and current legislation requires us to deduct and pay tax to HMRC at the basic rate, unless we are in receipt of an exemption letter from HMRC. Once we are notified by HMRC that you are exempt we will no longer need to deduct tax. Where there are joint landlords, including married couples, an exemption letter is required for each landlord. If you have any questions regarding this please do not hesitate to contact us.

• Ensure you have permission from your mortgage lender to rent the property
• Ensure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are in place
• Ensure gas safety checks and Energy Performance Certificates are place prior to letting
• Ensure buildings and contents insurance is in place
• Inform the relevant utility companies of any final meter reads before your tenants take occupation
• Redirect all mail in good time

• If you have viewed a property with ourselves that you wish to take a tenancy on, then in the first instance you will need to complete an application form. This applies to any adult over the age of 18 wishing to occupy the property.
• A copy of our application form is available to download here

• No. Each individual application will be considered by the landlord. Just because your application form is submitted before another does not automatically mean you will get first refusal. All application forms are considered by the landlord and it at the landlord’s discretion whether or not to accept the application.

• If the application is successful the next stage is to run full credit checks and references on each individual person applying for the property.
• The cost per each application is £60 including VAT.
• The credit checks and referencing process usually takes around 5 working days to complete and if all references and credit checks are returned to us satisfactorily we will then organise the next step of arranging a date for you to commence the tenancy.

• If we feel that your income is lower than required for the rent in question then it is not uncommon for us to ask you to have a Guarantor to support your tenancy. This is a serious commitment as the Guarantor will be responsible for all monies due should the tenant fail to pay rent.
• Guarantors must earn sufficient income to cover both their own financial commitments as well as the tenants.
• All Guarantors must complete a separate application form and will be referenced and credit checked in the same way.
• The fee of £60 including VAT is applicable.

• Meter readings are taken at the start of each tenancy and these, together with details of the electric and gas (if applicable) suppliers, are passed to the ingoing tenant. It is the tenant’s responsibility to set up accounts with the utility companies directly and provide them with ingoing meter readings.
• It is also the tenant’s responsibility to pay the council tax and water rates whilst in occupation at the property.
• Likewise at the end of the tenancy, all utilities must be closed down by the tenants and final meter reads provided.
• Richard Kendall will also take utility readings and inform the relevant utility companies, both at commencement and at the end of each tenancy.

• The easiest and most convenient way of paying the monthly rent is to set up a Standing Order with your bank. We do not operate a direct debit facility therefore it will be the tenant’s responsibility to cancel this at the end of the tenancy.
• We ask that the monthly rent is with Richard Kendall in cleared funds on or before the rent due date.

• If you are experiencing difficulties paying your rent you must inform Richard Kendall at your earliest convenience.
• Rent arrears letters will be issued if the rent remains outstanding beyond 5 days, of which you may be charged, and could be charged until payment is made.

• Any notification of the tenant wishing to vacate the property should be served in accordance with the Tenancy Agreement provided by Richard Kendall.
• You must always refer to your latest Tenancy agreement before notice is given, but generally speaking if you are on a periodic tenancy then you are required to provide in writing one full month’s notice, either on or before your tenancy date.
• On a fixed term tenancy agreement we ask that notice is given in writing one month before the end of the fixed term.

• At the end of the tenancy the keys must be surrendered to Richard Kendall. These can be handed in to any of our five offices or alternatively we can arrange to meet you at the property during office hours Monday to Friday to carry out the final check-out with you present.
• Please note, you will be liable for rent on a daily basis until the keys are returned to us.

• Generally speaking, the deposit will be registered with our nominated deposit scheme, the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) within 30 days of it being paid to us. Your deposit will then be protected in line with legislations introduced in April 2007.

• Once we have undertaken the final check-out, if the property has been left to a satisfactory standard and if we have authority from the landlord we will return the deposit to you via your bank account (or cheque if requested) less any agreed deductions.
• This typically takes 10 working days and generally no more than 28 working days.

• An application fee of £60 including VAT is payable with each application submitted.
• Applications are taken for anybody over the age of 18 wishing to occupy the tenancy.
• Upon satisfactory references an administration fee of £160 including VAT (for up to 2 applicants) or £190 including VAT (for 3 or more applicants) will be payable
• We do not charge tenants a renewal fee to renew the tenancy agreement for a further fixed term.