Our commitment to you as landlord is that we will:

• Aim to provide a management service which represents value for money
• Continually review and improve our procedures to enable us to maintain a first class service
• Place you as landlord at the centre of the management process at all times

Our services include:

Full Management:

• Marketing, advertising and conducting viewings at the property
• Tenant selection, introduction & referencing
• Payment of rents
• Preparation of Tenancy Agreement
• Preparation of Inventory (chargeable)
• Arranging routine repairs & maintenance
• Regular property visits and reports
• Management of property related outgoings from your account
• Notifying utilities at the beginning and end of tenancy
• Checking out the tenants at the end of the tenancy and then continuing with the reletting process with the minimum of vacant periods to ensure that you receive the optimum return from your property.

Part Management:

• Marketing, advertising & conducting viewings at the property
• Tenant selection, introduction & referencing
• Payment of rents
• Preparation of the Tenancy Agreement
• Preparation of the inventory (chargeable)

Tenant Find Only Service:

• Marketing, advertising and conducting viewings at the property
• Tenant selection, introduction & referencing
• Preparation of Tenancy Agreement

We maintain a flexible attitude and are generally able to adapt our service to meet our client's individual circumstances and needs.

Our Fees:

Please call for further information on our fee structure – 01928 735455 or 01244 813616

Guide for landlords

Before a property can be let, there are several matters which the owner will need to deal with to ensure that the tenancy runs smoothly and also that he/she complies with the law. We give below a brief outline of these items which can be discussed further either via a telephone call or when we carry out our rental valuation:

Items that should remain in your property

At the time of the rent appraisal we will advise you of the items that should remain in your property, irrespective of whether you intend to leave the property furnished or unfurnished

If you are considering letting your home furnished, we would recommend those items such as televisions, video's, hi-fi's & expensive or sentimental effects are removed & stored separately.

All available Appliance Instruction booklets relating to the property should be left in a central point to assist the tenants in their operation.

If instructions booklets are not available, we would suggest simple operating instructions are left at the property & a copy is provided for our records.

Insurance

This can sometimes prove to be troublesome for would-be Landlords, especially when renting out your home for the first time.

We are aware of this problem & as a result have been appointed representatives for Homelet Insurance. This association now means that insurance is available to meet most requirements you may have, including building cover, contents cover & legal protection.

The Landlord is obliged to maintain Buildings Insurance for the property, you should also make certain that your contents are adequately insured & that your policies cover letting the property. Many household policies do not do so. Quotations for the above can be provided – We cannot accept responsibility for the adequacy of insurance cover.

Inventories

We recommend that you have an Inventory & Schedule of Condition prepared prior to letting your property. Any inventory that is compiled by Cheshire Relocation Ltd will provide a fair & accurate record of the condition & contents of the named property. However, we would like to point out that we are not experts in fabrics, materials, woods & values of antique furniture, nor are we qualified surveyors. Rooms which are locked or unable to be seen, such as lofts, cellars, etc., are the sole responsibility of the Landlord. Costs for compiling the inventory will vary according to the size of the property, level of furnishings & time required to undertake this service. We will not accept any responsibility should Landlords prefer to carry out their own inventory formalities.

Income Tax

The Self Assessment system applies to all tax payers including those earning income from property (whether UK or Overseas Resident) and also includes government employees.

If you live or go to work abroad you are still liable to pay income tax on the rent from the letting of all property including your home in the United Kingdom & under the new rules which came into force on 6 th April 1996 , you will be required to declare such income on your Self Assessment Tax Return.

Unless you have a tax exemption form – NRL1 – for which you have to apply to the Inland Revenue, your managing agent (or your tenant if you do not have a managing agent) is required by law to retain a percentage of the gross rental income & to pay it over on your behalf to the Inland Revenue at quarterly intervals. Where no approval number is available, as the rent receiving agent, we are legally bound to deduct tax at the basic rate before remitting rents and report quarterly to the Inland Revenue. This attracts an administration charge of £20.00 plus VAT per quarter. Where no agent is employed to manage a property for an overseas Landlord, the tax deduction is the responsibility of the tenant. Cheshire Relocation Ltd can supply an annual statement of income & expenditure, as known to us, at a cost of £50.00 + VAT. Neither the Inland Revenue or Cheshire Relocation Ltd will pay any interest accruing on monies held by Cheshire Relocation Ltd for the payment of tax liabilities arising from this contract.

Sub Letting

If you are a Tenant or Lessee of the property to be let you must make certain:

• That the intended letting is permitted by your lease
• That the tenancy is for a period expiring, prior to the termination of your lease

That your Landlords written permission, if necessary, is obtained for sub-letting

Mortgage

Where the property to be let is subject to a mortgage, permission is usually required from the mortgagees to sub-let the property. If required you must obtain your mortgagee's permission to let at the earliest date. A copy of this authorization is required at this office. If your interest in the property is leasehold your lease may require you to obtain written consent from your landlord prior to sub-letting.

IMPORTANT SAFETY REGULATIONS:

Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (Amended 1989 and 1993)

Landlords should be aware that the furniture they provide must comply with the Regulations. All property let for the first time since 1 st March 1993 must contain furniture that complies with the new regulations and ALL furniture must comply with effect from 1 st January 1997 . The provisions are complex & we will advise you at the time of taking instructions whether or not any furniture in your property needs to be replaced. It is an offence to breach these regulations & we suggest you obtain a comprehensive guide, including details of labels indicating compliance from your local Trading Standards Office. The landlord hereby warrants to the Agent that all furniture & furnishings in the property to be let & included in the letting fully comply with the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act 1967 & all statutory instruments made under it including, in particular, the Furniture an Furnishings (Fire)(Safety)Regulations 1988 as amended by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety)(Amendments)Regulations 1989 and 1993.

Gas Safety Regulations

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 apply to all domestic properties and compel landlords to have all gas equipment safety checked annually by qualified persons only and to keep records of work carried out on the appliances. These records must be available for a tenant at the commencement of a tenancy. The landlord hereby warrants to the Agent that he agrees to undertake the responsibility for the safety checks on all gas equipment in the property to be let and to provide a certificate in accordance with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Fire Precautions
In all new homes built since 1 st January 1992 the building regulations require smoke detectors to be installed. We recommend that in all properties a smoke detector should be installed on each floor of the property, together with the provision of a fire blanket in the kitchen and at least one fire extinguisher situated in a convenient place in the house.

Electrical Safety Regulations
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
The Plugs & Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994

These regulations define a landlord as a supplier of electrical equipment such as plugs, sockets, adaptors, fuses, appliances, etc intended for domestic use. These regulations impose an obligation on landlords to ensure that all electrical appliances are safe and we strongly recommend that a safety check is carried out by a qualified electrician. The Landlord hereby warrants to the Agent that all electrical items are safe & that he agrees to undertake the responsibilities for the safety checks in accordance with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

General Information:

Appliances
If left, appliances such as washing machine, fridge freezer, cooker, dishwasher, etc., should be in usable condition. Repairs and maintenance are at the landlord's expense unless misuse can be established.

Decorations
Interior decorations should be in good condition, and preferably plain, light and neutral.

Gardens
Although the majority of tenants will ensure that your property is looked after to a satisfactory standard, few are keen gardeners. If your garden has been maintained to a high standard, it would be advisable to appoint a gardener. Should you require a quotation for this service, we will be happy to oblige.

If you require the tenants to maintain the garden, then the appropriate gardening tools should also remain.

Furnishings
It is recommended that you leave only minimum furnishings and these should be of reasonable quality. It is preferable that items to be left are in the property during viewings. If you are letting unfurnished, we recommend that the property contains carpets, curtains and a cooker.

Personal Items
Personal possessions, ornaments, pictures, books, etc., should be removed from the premises, especially those of real or sentimental value. Some items may be boxed, sealed and stored in the loft at the owner's risk. All cupboards and shelf space should be left clear for the tenant's own use.

Cleaning
At the commencement of a tenancy the property must be in a thoroughly clean condition, and at the end of each tenancy it is the tenant's responsibility to leave the property in similar condition. Where they fail to do so, cleaning should be arranged at their expense.

Mail Forwarding
We recommend that you make use of the Post Office redirection service. Application forms are available at their counters, and the cost is minimal. It is not the tenant's responsibility to forward mail.

Information for the Tenant
It is helpful if you leave information for the tenant on operating the central heating and hot water system, washing machine and alarm system, and the day refuse is collected, etc..

Keys
You should provide one set of keys for each tenant and one for ourselves as Managing Agents when a property is serviced under Full Management. We do not require keys for our Part Management or Tenant Find Only services other than to facilitate viewings until the property is let.