• Flick & Son are members of the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA).
  • All our lettings are regulated by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme
  • We offer multiple service options to suit your requirements: Full Management, Lettings Only, or Lettings Only with Cover

A Guide to Letting Your Property with Flick & Son An Initial Visit & Pre-Market Appraisal

Prior to letting, we offer a free appraisal of your property where we will offer advice on anything we feel requires attention and provide an honest opinion of an achievable market rental value. Flick & Son are always transparent in our guidance and strive to ensure your property works as hard as possible for you.

Although each property is different, it is general consensus that it should be presented in the best possible condition: clean kitchen and bathroom, sound central heating system, and neutral décor.

Landlord Responsibilities

The Housing Act 1985 states every Landlord is obliged to ensure their accommodation meets a certain standard of fitness for occupation. The property should be kept in good repair, free from damp, structurally stable and have adequate heating, lighting, and ventilation.

Within the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, there is a covenant in every tenancy agreement covering the Landlord’s obligation to maintain and repair.

Landlords are responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, baths, sinks and other sanitary installations, heating and hot water services, the supply of water, gas (if applicable) and electricity and the drainage system.

Landlords are also legally responsible for:

  • The gas safety of their properties under the Gas Safety Regulations 1998.
  • Ensuring a valid Energy Performance Certificate under the Energy Performance Regulations 2007.
  • Carrying out electrical installation inspections and testing under the Electrical Safety Regulations 2020.
  • Carrying out a risk assessment on hot and cold water systems to ascertain the treat of legionella under the Legionella Risk Assessment Legislation.
  • Ensuring any furniture left in the rental property complies with the current Furniture and Furnishings – Fire and Safety Regulations 1988.
  • Fitting a smoke alarm on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation under the Fire Safety in the Home Regulations –
  • Fitting a CO2 alarm in every room of their property where a solid fuel burner is situated in a room – The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015.

Finally, in England, all Landlords of private rental accommodation are required to carry out Right to Rent checks for all new tenancy agreements to determine whether all occupiers aged over 18 have the right to live in the UK legally. As part of our application process, Flick & Son do this for you.

Mortgage & Leasehold Responsibilities 

If the property you plan to let is subject to a mortgage, you must inform your mortgage lender and obtain written permission from them before any Tenant moves in. Some mortgage lenders will ask to see a copy of the signed tenancy agreement which we can provide. After this, the lender may make a small change or adjustment to your mortgage rate to cover administration costs. Flick & Son will require a copy of your permission letter.

Insurance & Tax Responsibilities

As a Landlord, it is your responsibility to ensure your property is adequately insured, including buildings insurance, contents insurance, and adequate public liability insurance. Make sure you are covered for all circumstances, including malicious damage caused by the Tenant. The Tenant is responsible for insuring their possessions and basic cover in case of accidents.

If you instruct us to manage the letting of your property, we will provide you with monthly statements of account; this accurate record of all income and expenditure in connection with the letting of your property is required for the completion of your annual self-assessment tax return. On an annual basis, we must report to the Inland Revenue detailing income achieved on all our rental properties; your assessment will initially be based on that gross figure without any allowances and it be up to you to claim relevant expenses and relief. Landlords are only allowed to deduct the costs they actually incur for replacing furnishings in their rental properties.

Flick & Son are not tax advisors and cannot deal with income tax assessments for Landlords. We recommend that any Landlord who is residing abroad should appoint an accountant in the country to deal with their tax affairs.

Seeking Suitable Tenants

At Flick & Son, we can advertise your property in our 4 offices and market it through our website, alongside our social media channels, newsletters, and the national website Rightmove. Let us know the type of Tenant you are looking for and remember not to place too many restrictions on the perfect profile as this will limit your property’s success. 

Flick & Son will conduct all initial viewings. Should you wish to meet with a prospective Tenant, once applications have been received, we can of course arrange this for you.

Once someone we feel is suitable for the property applies for the tenancy, we carry out stringent checks to include employer and previous landlord’s reference, along with a credit check.

The Tenancy Agreement

Prior to the commencement of every tenancy, it is very important to prepare an Inventory and Schedule of Condition in case of a dispute when the Tenant vacates. Flick & Son are an approved member of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) which safeguards Tenant’s money in a dedicated Clients’ Deposit Account. Let Only Landlords will only be able to hold their Tenant’s deposit if they have also subscribed to one of the government approved schemes. 

As part of our Basic Management and Full Management services, we prepare a detailed inventory which can be used to finalise the tenancy when the time arises. Before the start of every tenancy, the meters are read and included within the Inventory & Schedule of Condition. Should you opt for our Let Only service, we are more than happy to organise this for you for an additional fee.

New tenancies tend to begin with a 6 or 12-month Assured Shorthold Tenancy which is a legally binding contract prepared by specialist solicitors in conjunction with Propertymark (ARLA). For our Basic Management and Full Management clients both Tenants and we, as your Agents, sign the Tenancy Agreements and have the signatures witnessed. If you choose our Let Only service, your signature is required. The tenants will sign this prior to taking occupation, and the tenancy agreements will then be posted out to you for your signature.

The first months rent and deposit is paid to Flick & Son at the tenancy sign up, prior to the keys being handed over. The Tenants are also provided with the bank details at the start of the tenancy, to organise a standing order so the rent is paid directly from their account for all future rental payments, whether this be to Flick & Son for Basic Management and Full Management clients or direct to you as a Let Only Landlord.

This is the general procedure and further services, such as regular inspection visits and other property management and maintenance services, are available. Please contact us directly to find out more about these and our property management services available.

End of Tenancy Process

For our Basic Management and Full Management clients, once the tenancy comes to an end, we arrange to finalise the agreement and our Independent Inventory Clerk will visit the property to check the inventory and the schedule of condition. If there is any necessary work required to restore the property to the condition it was in at the commencement of the tenancy, we will put this in hand immediately. If there are works required following the Tenant’s vacation, this will be confirmed to the outgoing Tenants and quotations obtained confirming the costs involved. The Tenant MUST agree prior to any deductions being made from the deposit held.

Agreed end of tenancy costs and/or rental debts are deducted from the deposit before the balance is forwarded to the Tenants at their new address. If there are any unresolved dispute over any retention made from the deposit, we are registered members of the TDS and we will contact them for an unbiased and prompt adjudication.

Letting Your Property with Flick & Son

Our Landlord’s Guide has all the key points of your letting journey, but we are always on hand for further guidance and information. If you would like to arrange for an open market rental valuation of your property, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Area Guides

Flick & Son’s branches in Aldeburgh, Leiston, Saxmundham and Southwold have an excellent selection of property covering the Suffolk Heritage Coast and many thriving communities further inland.

Please take a look at our area guides for more information on some of the key towns and villages served by Flick & Son. One of them could be the perfect place for you to settle in Suffolk.