DO YOU HAVE AN ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATE?

I was recently chatting to a landlord who self-managed his properties and was having a problem with one of his tenants who had fallen into rent arrears. Despite trying all they could to help the tenant, it was clear the arrears were not going to be made up and they would continue to increase.

The landlord was picking my brain on what paperwork was required, in the event he had to go down the court route.

It was apparent to me that he was a good landlord and had always used an agent (not Move On) to set up a new tenant for each property and then let the tenancies rollover.

After going through the paperwork, it was clear he had not had any electrical certificates conducted on his properties and he was completely oblivious to the fact that he needed one. He was under the impression that they would only be required for new tenants moving in after April 2021 and as none of his tenants had moved out, he hadn’t instructed his electrician to do them.

Part of the court paperwork is to include all legislative paperwork. Also in the court waiting room is a representative from Shelter, who will go through the tenant’s paperwork as well.

I advised him to get the electrical certificates completed ASAP.

For the avoidance of doubt:

SINCE APRIL 2021 – ALL RENTAL PROPERTIES MUST HAVE A VALID FIVE-YEAR EICR CERTIFICATE!

Feeling deflated? Exhausted with all the changes? Then let us take care of your property needs. We promise to hold your hand throughout this process, giving you less stress and more freedom!

If you fancy an informal chat any time, then email me sharon@moveon.biz with your phone number.

Sharon

Blog Articles

Abolishing Section 21!

ABOLISHING SECTION 21!

The Government’s levelling up Rental Reform white paper bill has included this in detail.

Section 21, often referred to as the ‘No Fault Eviction’, has been a security blanket for landlords. If you as a landlord wanted your property back, then a Section 21 will guarantee you your property back.

By abolishing the Section 21, this will no longer be the case. The tenant will be able to give 2 months’ notice at any time and the landlord must give a reason as to why they want the property back and that reason must be one of the grounds of a new updated Section 8 notice.

If I look at the occasions we have issued a section 21 over the last 30 odd years (and there really has not been that many), 95% of the time, it was because the tenants were in rent arrears, the landlord wanted to sell his property or the landlord wanted to move back in. The new Section 8 notice will have additional grounds to cover these reasons.

There are additional caveats to these. If you decide you want to sell the property and give the tenants notice, you must prove it was on a portal for sale and if your situation changes and you decide to put the property back up to rent, then there must be a gap of 3 months between the tenants.

If you are seeking possession because the tenant is in the minimum 2 months of arrears and they decide to pay a nominal amount that takes them under the 2-month threshold the day before court, then you will not regain the property (as it is now), however, if the tenant does this 3 times in 3 years, the court will give the property back.

Feeling deflated? Exhausted with all the changes? Then let us take care of your property needs. We promise to hold your hands throughout this process, giving you less stress and more free!

If yancy an informal chat any time, then email me sharon@moveon.biz with your phone number.

Sharon

Blog Articles

NEW RENTAL LEGISLATIONS – HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Goodness me, blink and you could be forgiven for missing more changes within the rental legislations.

On the 16^th May 2022 with immediate effect, properties with two or more domestic dwellings must have a fire risk assessment by a ‘Responsible Person’, whether they have a communal area or not. This could simply be a house that has been converted into two flats. The risk assessment must include the buildings structure such as floors and ceilings and internal walls as well as external fixings such as cladding or balconies.

From 1^st October 2022, carbon monoxide alarms will be required in rooms with combustion appliances include gas and oil appliances (except gas cookers). The additional amendment also requires the landlord to repair or replace the alarms once the landlord has been informed of a fault. This will apply to all new and existing tenancies.

On the 15^th June 2022, the Government released the Renters’ Reform Bill White Paper, which has a shopping list of suggested changes in the 86 pages! Abolishing Section 21, no initial fixed term tenancy, no tenancy renewals, banning of children, pets and people on benefits to be outlawed, a new Landlord Ombudsman and loads more. Before rushing to us to sell your property, please note a ‘Bill’ is a proposal to change an existing law and debated in Parliament prior to Royal Ascent. Due to the complexities of the proposals, we will be probably looking at least 12 months for this to go through.

Feeling deflated? Exhausted with all the changes? Then let us take care of your property needs.

If you wish to know more on the new fire risk assessments that are now in force, please email sharon@moveon.biz for a more detailed report.

Sharon

Blog Articles

RENTAL PAPERWORK- IT MUST BE ACCURATE!

Sometimes, I forget how the systems I have put in place over the years are rigorous and almost fool-proof (never say never!). So when we take over properties from other agents, this always comes back to remind me.

We recently took over an HMO property from another agent and was shocked to discover there were deposits taken that equalled more than the 5 weeks’ equivalent legal limit, and on one tenancy the rental amount per calendar month was nowhere to be seen on the tenancy agreement. These are schoolboy errors in my opinion!

At Move On, all legal paperwork goes through three audits to ensure the dates and addresses are correct, names match passports, right to rent has passed, and many other checks to ensure the paperwork is absolutely water tight in the event it ever had to go to court or a tenant being able to make a claim, like the deposit collected being more than 5 weeks of the rent!

At Move On, we make sure all our landlords can sleep at night, because this is what we do every day. We make sure we are always up to date with latest legislations, and we are often ahead of the deadline.

Is it time to move on with Move On? Ring me or come in and have a chat, we really are a friendly, professional bunch.

If you would like a free up to date rental appraisal or fresh eyes over your paperwork to ensure you are compliant, then please contact me 01202 711169 or email sharon@moveon.biz

Sharon

Blog Articles

LANDLORD FINED!

How can I make sure I’m compliant on my rental property?

Coventry City Council has become the first council to fine a landlord under the ‘Electrical Safety Standards 2020′ legislation.

In July 2021, new rules came in to force whereby all rental properties must have a 5-year electrical certificate by a qualified person. A copy of the certificate must be given to the tenants and provided to the council if requested.

The landlord in question (who has not been named) failed to have a certificate and was fined £1,600.00. Adrian Chowns, the enforcement officer for Coventry City Council, said “We believe this is the first time these powers have been used by a local authority in England”.

The government and local councils are keen to ensure rental properties are kept up to a decent standard of living for tenants, and that the appropriate safety measures are in place. Local councils now have the authority to fine landlords up to £30,000 for breach of regulations.

Check out our FREE Compliance Guide for UK Landlords to find out if your rental property is complying with the latest legislation

Is it time to move on with Move On? Call me or come in and have a chat, we really are a friendly and professional bunch.

If you would like a free, up-to-date rental appraisal or fresh eyes over your paperwork to ensure you are compliant, then please contact me 01202 711169 or email sharon@moveon.biz

Sharon

Blog Articles

Right to Rent Changes 2022: What You Need to…

Changes to how tenants can prove their Right to Rent in the UK are just one example of the many legislative changes for the lettings sector in the last few years. These frequent right to rent changes can make it difficult for landlords to know how to keep up and keep their rental properties and tenancies compliant.

Right to rent legislation for landlords and agents from the UK government has changed multiple times over the last couple of years, particularly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. But what are the newest changes and how can you make sure you’re doing the right thing? That’s where we come in. Check out our list of frequently asked questions from landlords on Right to Rent checks below…

Got more questions? Our Landlord Compliance Guide has everything you need to know about the latest legislation changes for rental properties in England.

Download the full guide for FREE here.

What are right to rent checks?

Right to Rent checks refer to mandatory checks that landlords in England need to carry out on all prospective tenants. This includes those subletting or those taking in lodgers, and the checks are to ensure that all tenants have the right to rent in England before entering into an agreement. The idea of these checks was introduced after the Immigration Act 2014.

Checks include verifying the identity of your tenants through physical or online government documents and checking their right to reside in the UK through these.

Generally, to have a right to rent in England means tenants:

Are a British Citizen
Are an EEA or Swiss National
Otherwise have a ‘Right to Rent’ in the UK

Who needs to be checked?

All prospective tenants and permitted occupiers over the age of 18 should be checked before a let is agreed.

These checks must also be followed up on any renewal of tenancies in the case that a tenant’s residence permit or visa expires during the tenancy. They must also be carried out on any children included in a tenancy upon renewal if that child has turned 18 throughout the tenancy.

What documents can you use?

The government guidance on which physical documents can be checked changed at the beginning of April 2022.

Currently, for UK and Irish citizens, right to rent can be proven with either a UK or Irish passport or a combination of two other examples of photo I.D (such as a UK driving licence and birth certificate).

For EU and international citizens who hold residency in the UK (for either a time-limited period or unlimited period), checks now need to be completed using the UK Gov’s online checking service. This uses the tenant’s date of birth and a share code that they must provide to you.

The official UK government guidance (plus accessible versions) can be found by clicking here.

What are the Right to Rent changes?

Until 6^th April 2022, Biometric Residence Permits for international citizens were still valid to be used as I.D documents for right to rent checks, however this has now changed.

Anyone who is not a UK or Irish citizen must now use the government online checking service and provide a share code and their date of birth to their landlord or agent for the check to be completed.

Later this year the UK government are hoping to also replace physical document checks for UK and Irish citizens so everything will be digitized. There are introducing new technology called IDSPs that citizens will be able to set up and verify their identity remotely. However, these are still in development, and we can’t be sure when they will be released for general use yet.

Conclusion

Landlords are facing fines of £3,000 per tenant for not completing these checks (or having a managing agent complete them), so it’s incredibly important to ensure these checks are carried out properly.

Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone!

Our property management packages could be the solution you’re looking for. We take care of everything, including checking your new tenant’s right to rent. Or, if you’re still not sure, you can download our free guide for landlords on the most important pieces of compliance you need to keep in mind in 2022.

Download your free guide here!

For more information on tenant’s Right to Rent, visit the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents

Blog Articles

What can happen if your paperwork is not up…

The law is unbending! Naivety is not an excuse! Over 300 legislations in the last 3 years – do you know them?

The courts have been filled in recent years with landlords being heavily fined and, in some cases, having to pay back the last 12 months’ worth of rent received.

None of us would like to find ourselves in this position, but more and more landlords are finding this simply because they haven’t kept up to date with the law.

A landlord recently failed to evict a tenant through non-payment of rent, due to not having a valid Gas Safety Certificate and Electrical Certificate.

Another landlord had to pay back 3 times the deposit plus the deposit of £1000.00, totalling £4,000 to the tenant as they had failed to register the deposit. Local councils have the ability to fine landlords up to £30,000 for non-compliant properties including properties in disrepair. Two or more households is a HMO! Three unrelated friends or 2 couples is a HMO! Do you have the correct license?

Another landlord had not noted the visa on his tenant had expired and they did not have the right to rent in the UK. The landlord narrowly missed going to jail.

At Move On, we make sure all our landlords can sleep at night, because this is what we do every day. We make sure we are always up to date with latest legislations, and we are often ahead of the deadline.

If you would like a free rental appraisal and fresh eyes over your paperwork, then please contact me 01202 711169 or email sharon@moveon.biz

Sharon

Blog Articles

MINIMUM EPC RATING TO CHANGE IN 2025?

The Government is in current consultation to bring forward the change in EPC ratings from E to min ‘C’ from 2028 to 2025.

With climate change being a prominent factor in the news at the moment, the government is keen to do their bit.

From 2025 all new builds will be banned from putting in gas boilers to drive us away from gas as a carbon-based fuel. They are looking to replace these boilers with a heat source air pump.

The government introduced a ‘Green Homes Grant’ in September 2020, where they would pay two thirds of an invoice and the public paid one third with a cap of £5000. However, this was closed on 31st March 2021 due to various hitches and lack of skilled workforce. There is talk of them looking at another type of grant– let’s hope so!

Landlords will not be able to issue new tenancies unless their property is rated ‘C’, just like we did with the current system when they banned F and G ratings from the rental sector in April 2018.

The older the property, the more likely you are to be a D or E. I would highly recommend you looking at your current EPC and seeing if you have a potential rating of ‘C’ and what the recommendations are on how to achieve this.

If they insist on landlords upgrading properties to the pump system, this could have a negative impact on the rental sector as it just wouldn’t be affordable for many landlords and the return on investment could take several years to recoup! As they say, ‘watch this space’.

Have a good week!

Sharon Canning

If you would like a friendly, no obligation chat regarding buying, selling, renting or investing in property, then please email sharon@moveon.biz or telephone 01202 711169.

Blog Articles

Rental Market Update: Bournemouth and Poole

You couldn’t miss headlines throughout 2021 of the increase in sales property prices. However, news on lettings and rental prices has not been as common.

The last three or four years have seen the rental market pretty static, but this has dramatically changed over the last 12-18 months. Tenants are staying longer in their properties, which in turn means there are less properties coming to market. This has created a shortage and pushed prices up.

Gardens have been very much sought after and this has seen an uplift of hundreds of pounds in monthly rentals, which is adding thousands to yearly totals for landlords.

So how does a landlord approach this with their existing tenant, especially if they have been long-term and good tenants? This is where a letting agent should shine and act as negotiator between the two parties. Most tenants expect a yearly increase in their rent, but when a significant increase, this can cause distress to the tenant.

We have successfully negotiated larger-than-normal rent increases with our tenants, giving our landlords that extra revenue.

It is important for landlords to keep up repairs and maintenance of their properties as this also has an impact on not just the amount of rent that can be achieved, but also the quality of the tenant.

Rental properties are a business for landlords and not a charity. You can still be a great landlord and go the extra mile but, at the end of the day, the money left in your hand impacts your living standards. Tenants will always look at the market to see if there are properties better and cheaper for them, this is where we need to make sure it is a win-win for both sides.

If you would like us to help negotiate a rent increase with your tenants then please phone for an informal chat.

Have a good month!

Sharon Canning

For more information or help with your rental property, email sharon@moveon.biz or telephone 01202 711169 today.

Blog Articles

Selling Tenanted Properties

Why being a specialist in selling tenanted properties is important versus the general high street agent!

Over the years, we have sold many tenanted properties and we are very successful in doing this. We understand the lettings industry compliance side and because of this we know and understand why it is important to get it right from day one.

Selling tenanted properties is a win-win for all parties involved. The seller, the buyer and the tenant!

THE SELLER

The Seller wants to sell the property with the tenant in situ normally for a couple of reasons. They have long standing tenants and do not want to disrupt their lives or the seller may have a mortgage on the property that would be financially difficult to cover if they were to sell the property empty.

Solution – selling the property with the tenant in situ will mean receiving rental income up to the day of completion.

THE BUYER

Dependent on the experience of the buyer, there can be some anxious moments. Typically, a new landlord will have the following questions:

1. Will I really achieve the rental amount being quoted by the agent?

2. How long will it take until a tenant can move in, how long will my void period be?

3. What kind of tenant will the property attract?

Solution – buy a property with a tenant in situ and receive rent from day one. You will meet the tenant, you will know exactly how much rent you will achieve and you should receive a rental statement showing them paying their rent on time each month.

THE TENANT

The tenant will automatically be worried as soon as the property is advertised. They will worry they will have to leave their home, they will worry about being made homeless. The lack of security may persuade them to move out as soon as they find somewhere, leaving the seller with no rental income.

Solution – Liaise with the tenant, work with the tenant, be transparent and let them know an investor is being sought.

When all sides work together, the outcome is a win for sellers, a win for buyers and a win for the tenants.

COMPLIANCE

Because we have sold so many, we also know that it is absolutely vital to make sure all paperwork is in order at the beginning and our expertise can help ensure the smooth process of a completion, with hopefully no nasty surprises down the road. We will look at the tenancy paperwork and the compliance certificates along with proof certain paperwork were issued to the tenant at the correct times including the prescribed information and Deposit certificates. If the paperwork is not in order, this can cause fines later down the road or unable to gain possession of your property if the need arose (for example the tenant not paying their rent).

ABOUT US

Move On Sales and Lettings area multi-award winning agency and have been established for 15 years under the ownership of Sharon Canning. Sharon became a landlord at the age of 19 and has worked in the real estate industry for 36 years and personally owns a portfolio of properties that also include HMO’s and Service Accommodation/Holiday lets. Selling or buying to live in or rent out is Move On’s speciality.

Header Images

DO YOU HAVE AN ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATE?

Abolishing Section 21!

ABOLISHING SECTION 21!

NEW RENTAL LEGISLATIONS – HERE WE GO AGAIN!

RENTAL PAPERWORK- IT MUST BE ACCURATE!

LANDLORD FINED!

How can I make sure I’m compliant on my rental property?

Check out our FREE Compliance Guide for UK Landlords to find out if your rental property is complying with the latest legislation

Right to Rent Changes 2022: What You Need to…

What are right to rent checks?

Who needs to be checked?

What documents can you use?

What are the Right to Rent changes?

Conclusion

Download your free guide here!

What can happen if your paperwork is not up…

MINIMUM EPC RATING TO CHANGE IN 2025?

Rental Market Update: Bournemouth and Poole

Selling Tenanted Properties

Selling Tenanted Properties