Whether you’re a professional landlord looking for help to grow and manage your portfolio, a beginner just starting out, or an accidental landlord through unforeseen circumstances, Westwood Lettings can help you every step of the way
Some of you may have become a landlord through choice, to build a rental portfolio and provide you with an income, whilst some of you might have became landlords by accident through inheriting a home or moving in with a partner and deciding to rent out your existing home. Done correctly, renting out your property can be an excellent way to retain a property for the future and add to your income stream.
Whether you’re a first time landlord or already have an established portfolio, you’ll want to know your property is in safe hands and looked after by an agency who’ll ensure your property is maintained to a good standard.
To get you started we’ve listed the questions we most often get asked.
Do you advertise on all the main portals including Zoopla and Rightmove?
When it comes to lettings we advertise online with Zoopla, On The Market and Facebook. Why don’t we advertise on Rightmove? Well in a nutshell, we don’t need to! Rightmove is a brilliant portal for sales and works well in certain geographical areas, but when it comes to lettings our other portals outshine Rightmove meaning we can pass our saving onto you, the landlord.
How do you carry out viewings?
Viewings are always carried out by an in-house member of staff. We never outsource this service. After all, who better to show your property off to its full potential than the agent who is managing it?
We pre-qualify any potential tenant before they view to ensure they meet our requirements and to avoid any time wasting or disappointment.
Viewings can take anywhere between 20 – 40 minutes. We’ll walk the tenant through every room suggesting furniture layouts and pointing out key features in the property. It’s also a great way for us to find out more about any potential tenant.
Can I have a list of all your fees?
Certainly! We’re completely transparent when it comes to our fees and they’re displayed on our website. There are no sneaky additional extras and whatever our contractors charge for maintenance, is exactly what you pay. After all, you’re already paying us to manage your property and it’s our job to ensure we get any maintenance work carried out to a good standard and for the best price.
How quickly will you pay the rent across to me?
We aim to get the rent paid across within three working days of receipt if not sooner.
Why do you charge an extra fee for a Property Inventory Report?
Good question! This report can take anywhere between 1 – 3 hours to compile, depending on the size of the property. It’s an incredibly detailed report usually around 60 to 90 pages long with up to 100 photographs documenting the condition and cleanliness of the fixtures and fittings that come with the property along with all outdoor areas.
We pay a lot of attention to detail when compiling this report. It needs to be sufficiently robust and defensible when it comes to a tenant dispute. Due to the length of time it takes to complete this report we feel it’s necessary to charge an additional fee in order to protect your deposit if there was ever a dispute.
You can read more about inventories and why they are so important HERE.
Do you carry out mid-term property inspections?
Yes. Mid-term property inspections are carried out as part of our fully managed package. An inspection is the perfect opportunity to ensure your property is being maintained to a good standard and is also an opportunity for the tenant to raise any issues they may have.
What happens when a tenant decides to leave?
A check-out inspection is also included as part of your fully managed agreement. We’ll take meter readings and compile a report of how the property was left. This is compared to the condition of the property when your tenant first moved in and where your property inventory, taken at the start of the tenancy, really becomes valuable. Having photographic evidence to compare your property from check-in to check-out is the only way to prove any losses or damages, which may have occurred due to negligence or wilful acts. We then retain all costs from the tenant’s deposit.
Are you a member of an accreditation scheme?
We’re long term members of the National Residential Landlords’ Association (NRLA). Lettings can be a complicated business with regulations ever changing. We continue to ensure we remain up to date with current legislation by continuing our professional development and if there’s anything we need clarifying we have a wealth of experts at the end of the phone.
Do you have a recognised client money protection scheme in place?
It’s a legal requirement that managing agents must be a member of a Client Money Protection scheme. We’ve chosen Money Shield to ensure your money is protected and we’re compliant with current legislation.
What should I do if I am worried about something or want to ask a question?
First of all, don’t panic! We know that being a landlord can seem extraordinarily complex (we’ve all been there ourselves!) so please rest assured that we’re here to address those concerns. There’s no such thing as a ‘stupid question’, so just give us a call or send us an email and we’ll get back to you.
