Contact us

1 St Alfege Passage
Greenwich
London
SE10 9JS Map

Tel: +44 (0)20 8855 8999

Contact us using our registration form

Landlords

Initial steps

Once we have received your instruction for valuation we will carry out a rental appraisal. We recognise the need to fulfil the rental potential of your property, and the importance of an accurate valuation in order to secure a suitable tenant, minimising delay and void periods. We will advise you at this point if there are any necessary works and repairs to the property that need your attention. Upon request we can supply you a estimate quote from our preferred contractor list.

Compliance

As a landlord you have certain responsibilities regarding the safety of your tenant, and there are several procedures that need to be followed before a tenancy can begin. These include (but are not necessarily restricted to) insurance, utilities, furnishings and fire alarms. A valid gas safety certificate and EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) must be in place prior to any tenancy commencement. Changingproperty.com can help you through this process and provide you with all the information you will need.

Marketing and advertising

Our internet presence is the cornerstone of changingproperty.com’s marketing and advertising strategy. The exposure this offers to both a UK and overseas client base has a vital role to play in the modern property market. We can showcase your property in our regular monthly page advert within the local and well respected “The Guide” magazine with a distribution list of 55,000 direct address’s they are delivered to. We regularly distribute leaflets locally with innovative designs to draw more traffic to the website.

We are proud of the attractive, user friendly and contemporary design of our website, which is updated daily. Each property we advertise benefits from a comprehensive and detailed description, and an unlimited number of internal and external photographs giving true wide angle dimensions. We also provide a Google map locator, details of nearby public transport, council tax bands and area guides with local information.

Maximum Exposure

All our properties are advertised on the UK's most visited property portals with 5 million plus visitors per month:

An applicant will find your property through all the major search engines, Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Orange, Wannadoo, Tiscali, Virgin, theguardian, UpMyStreet and Sky, as all the above are normally listed within the top 5 results.

Mobile Technology

Stream lining a business without comprising standards is priority in the modern world. We have the added value of incorporating our web based software to mobile phones and laptops allowing us to:

• find any available property on our database and show the photos to an applicant when viewing properties via mobile phone accessing our remote database
• matching applicants real time to the properties during valuations and present them to you via a laptop with 3G/WiFi facility
• multi-email facility, matching and notifying several registered applicants of any new instruction as you the landlord are present. We do not have to wait to return to an office to start this process

Viewings

To accommodate the busy lifestyles of your potential tenants, we offer extended viewing hours from 8am to 9pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays by appointment, except national and bank holidays. When we receive a viewing request, we take every possible step to make sure that the client matches your ideal tenant profile and is genuinely interested in your property. You will be informed when there is a viewing and provided with feedback after the event.

Offers

On receiving a tenancy offer our priority is to contact you immediately. Upon acceptance we will secure a 2 week holding deposit by debit/credit card and issue a landlord and tenant acceptance letter for both parties to sign breaking down the content of the offer accepted. All references are checked via LetRef.co.uk within 3-5 working days, which include:

• credit score bankruptcy CCJ/Court Decree
• anti-fraud check
• personal identity check
• report on adverse credit history
• undisclosed addresses
• landlord/managing agent reference/employer's reference
• previous employer's reference (if applicable)

Based upon this information and upon request we can offer you a quote for an optional rent guarantee.

Due to current money laundering legislation, we also request two forms of identification for each applicant: (i) photo ID such as a driving licence or passport, and (ii) proof of address such as a utility bill, bank statement or council tax statement that is no older than 3 months.

The Tenancy

We can advise you on the most suitable tenancy agreement. All our agreements are regularly updated and comply with the latest legislation. The keys will not be handed over to the tenant until we are 110% sure that everything has been covered to your satisfaction.

We recommend that you arrange for an inventory to be taken before the tenancy starts. At your request we can arrange for an independent inventory clerk to undertake this for you at an additional charge.

We advise collecting 6 weeks’ rent as a deposit and a month’s rent in advance. After the tenancy commences we will either retain the deposit, or transfer it to you at your request according to the tenancy deposit scheme rules and regulations. We charge £45+VAT to administer any deposits on your behalf through our insurance based scheme with mydeposits.co.uk, who are a nominated government appointed scheme. As of the 1st October 2010, the threshold for all Assured Shorthold Tenancies will be raised to £100,000. Any tenancy started before this date and going forward from this date will need the deposit registered. Please speak to us for further information as there could be change.

We will administer your account within 5 working days of the tenancy start date. You can request your balance which will be subject to deductions of our fees and any instructed works carried out on your behalf by either company cheque or bank transfer. Please allow 4 working days for any funds to be cleared into your nominated bank account. When there is any balance due to changingproperty.com after reconciling your account, we will require this to be paid in full by you and within 5 working days.

When a tenancy is terminated we will re-market your property at the push of a button and keep to a minimum any void periods.

Tenants

Viewing

We operate extended viewing hours to accommodate busy modern lifestyles.  Properties may be viewed during Monday-Friday 8am to 9pm and Saturday-Sunday 9am to 5pm, except national and bank holidays.

Securing a tenancy

Once you have decided on a property and made an offer we will submit your offer to the landlord. At this stage we will require a reservation fee of 2 weeks’ rent by debit card or credit card upon acceptance of your offer before proceeding to the checking of references with LetRef.co.uk. (please note there is a 2% surcharge for using credit cards and 4% surcharge with Amex cards).

We regret that under no circumstances can we offer a tenancy to anyone in receipt of DSS benefits or Housing Benefit.

If you intend to keep a pet, this must be discussed at the offer submission stage. Many property blocks are excluded from allowing pets by head leases, which individual landlords must comply with.

References

Each potential tenant over the age of 18 must complete a reference application form, costing £35 + VAT per tenant.

Due to current money laundering legislation, we also require two forms of identification for each applicant: (i) photo ID such as a driving licence or passport, and (ii) proof of address such as a utility bill, bank statement or council tax statement that is no older than 3 months.

Reference and credit checks usually take 3-5 days to be completed and cover the following:

• credit score bankruptcy CCJ/court decree
• anti-fraud check
• personal identity check
• report on unsound credit history
• undisclosed addresses
• landlord/managing agent reference/employer's reference
• previous employer's reference (if applicable).

If you are self-employed we will require three years of either certified accounts or tax returns confirming your income.

If you are retired, you will need to provide proof of sufficient income from investments to cover the rent.

If for any reason your financial reference does not meet our requirements, you can offer to pay in advance, normally for 6 or 12 months, or to appoint a Guarantor who is LetRef checked and approved.  The Guarantor has equal responsibility and is joint and severally liable with the tenant for payment of the rent and due performance of the covenants and obligations contained in the tenancy agreement.  

Tenancy agreement

On or before commencement of the tenancy you will normally sign a tenancy agreement.  Each party to the tenancy over the age of 18 must sign the tenancy agreement before the keys can be released.  The tenancy agreement is a legal and binding document which commits you to paying rent until the end of the agreed term.  If during your tenancy your circumstances change in any material way it is advisable to let us know. Every tenancy agreement is subject to a charge of £100+VAT and any subsequent renewal agreement thereafter is subject to a charge of £50+VAT.

Minimum tenancy period

This may depend on the individual property, and we can advise you accordingly. An Assured Shorthold tenancy is for a minimum of six months, but many landlords prefer one year, which is the maximum initial term of this kind of tenancy. Some landlords may offer to include a mutual break clause, which can often be invoked at two months notice after the initial six month period expires.

Inventories

It is good practice for an inventory to be taken prior to both moving into a property and moving out. This will normally be done by an independent inventory clerk, and records details of the condition of the property and furnishings. If during the tenancy this deteriorates beyond fair wear and tear a sum representing compensation may be taken from your deposit at the end of the tenancy according to the tenancy deposit scheme rules and regulations.

The inventory compilation and check-in is normally paid for by the tenant, and the check-out inventory by the landlord.

Commencement of tenancy

You should assume a minimum of 7-10 days after making a successful offer before you can expect to move in.  This allows time for references to be completed and for preparation of the property.  In the unlikely event of any delay beyond this period changingproperty.com will keep you fully informed.

Payment

You will be required to pay the first month's rent and a deposit typically equivalent to 6 weeks’ rent, as soon as your references are returned by LetRef.co.uk successfully. Your 2 weeks’ reservation fee will be offset against this, your landlord is legally obliged to protect your deposit using an authorised tenancy deposit scheme.

Once payment has been made and contracts signed at our office, the keys can be released. Please note that any monies payable to changingproperty.com must be paid in cleared funds. We accept all major debit and credit cards, banker’s draft or online bank transfer, but cannot take personal cheques.(please note there is a 2% surcharge for using credit cards and 4% surcharge with Amex cards). . Our preferred rental payment method is by monthly standing order or direct debit from your bank, set up to be withdrawn from your account 3 days before your rent day so that it arrives on the due date. In any case, please be sure to tell us if your financial circumstances change, as we can then take steps to help you to protect your tenancy.

Council tax and utility bills

Unless otherwise agreed with the landlord, you will be responsible for payment of council tax, opening of new telephone, gas, electricity, water and TV license accounts.

Contents insurance

The landlord's insurance covers the actual property and fixtures and fittings, but not your personal possessions.  We are happy to recommend companies who specialise in this type of insurance for tenants.

Disclaimer

The information on this website is intended only as an aid to the understanding of the rental process and we cannot guarantee its accuracy.  Changingproperty.com, its partners and staff accept no responsibility for any action taken or loss occurring on account of this information and we reserve the right to change the content of the website at any time.