Preparing to rent - Preparing to rent

Home / Landlords / Preparing to rent

Preparing to rent

If you are thinking of letting out your property there are some initial steps you need to take. If you need any further information or advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, email or on our dedicated instant messenger

Establishing your rental level

You can only get a general idea of your property’s rental potential by looking at similar properties to let in your area if they are advertised in local newspaper advertisements and on property websites or portals. These rental levels will, however, be the asking rentals so to establish a more accurate and realistic rental value of what you will actually achieve for your own property you will need the services of a letting agent, with substantial experience in your local market. This means – Homes Property Centre!

To provide you with a free professional assessment of your property's rental potential, simply contact us by phone, email or on our dedicated instant messenger to arrange for one of our property consultants to meet you at your property a time that suits you.

At the appointment, we will assess your property and advise you on the potential rental income your property could generate, of anything we believe you can do to enhance its value, and how best to market it to attract the right kind of tenant.

To reach our assessment we will take into account your own specific needs, and base the valuation on factors such as market forces and current demand, previous rental transactions in your street and activity levels with other property similar to your own. We will also be happy to respond to any questions or concerns you might have about any aspect of letting, or related matters.

Selecting a
letting agent

Having established the rental value of your property and decided to start marketing your property, you will need to choose an agent to act for you. When considering which company to use, watch out for those suggesting inflated values (which can mean your property remains unlet and lose you several weeks of rental income) or a really low commission rate (you get what you pay for). At Homes Property Centre the initial rental valuation of your property is free. You only pay us commission when we have successfully let your property and you'll always have access to our specialist letting consultants.

What else do I need?

There are more regulations than ever to be considered. In order to make sure that fully comply and get your property on the market as soon as practicable choosing Homes Property Centre as your agent will give you a headstart.

You will need:

an Energy Performance Certificate is required before anyone can commence marketing the property. The fine for failure to comply with the regualtions will be levied on the landlord. Homes Property Centre has an approved EPC provider who can act quickly so that we can start marketing for you as soon as possible
a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate is required before a tenant can move in to your property. Homes Property Centre has an approved contractor who can act quickly so that we can start marketing
to protect the tenant's deposit in a government approved deposit scheme. Homes Property Centre is already registered with the Deposit Protection Service ('DPS') and can lodge the deposit for you as well as dealing with all aspects of a refund
to have a prospective tenant referenced quickly and efficiently so that the tenant can move in without delay. Homes Property Centre is a Premier Agent for Homelet and we have online referencing facilities so we reference a tenant online immediately and provide you with a rent guarantee for a qualifying tenant
to provide an inventory giving precise details of the condition of the property and its fixtures, fittings and furnishings. Homes Property Centre works with professional local inventory companies to ensure that you are protected at the end of the tenancy

Preparing your property

Tenants will normally be prepared to pay more to get more – and a property in first-class order can usually be let more easily. Most tenants will react positively to the following:

Fresh decorations - light colours, such as white or off-white, are always acceptable.
High quality carpets of the same colour throughout. These should be light and neutral - biscuit/beige colours are popular, as are laminated timber floors.
Clean, modern kitchen fittings and appliances
Attractive, good quality, well-lined curtains or blinds
Well maintained exterior and tidy, well stocked gardens
Furnished or unfurnished

There's often no difference between the rental achieved for a property whether it is furnished or unfurnished.

'Unfurnished' is normally defined as being fully carpeted (or with wooden floors in the reception areas), fully curtained and with white goods provided in the kitchen.
'Furnished' is usually defined as being a property ready for someone to move into. The furniture needs to be good quality and the property should be uncluttered. Homes Property Centre will be happy to advise you on what should be left and what should be removed.

Fixtures & fittings

All fixtures and appliances should be serviced before the start of the tenancy and in good working order. If you have instruction booklets, please make them available or write out clear instructions for use. Your property should always offer:

A modern and well-equipped kitchen. Ideally there should be a washing machine and separate dryer (or a combined machine to save space), dishwasher, large fridge/freezer and microwave.
A modern bathroom with an effective power shower, modern fittings and good lighting. Tiled floors are preferable to carpets.
Good wardrobe space in the bedrooms
An efficient well maintained central heating system

Whether you are looking for an agent to simply find you a reliable and suitable tenant, or whether you require a fully managed service, Homes Property Centre has a letting service that can help. Please click here to learn more about our various letting services and options.