Landlords Checklist
- Instruction for Letting Property signed by Landlord/Landlady, ID copy and proof of ownership, Building Insurance
- Copy of the most updated and satisfactory certificates: Energy Performance Certificate, Landlord Registration Number, Gas certificates (if it is the case), EICR , Portable Appliance Testing or PAT
- Copy of energy supplier contracts (Electricity, Gas)
- Energy supplier keys or cards, if it is the case
- 3 sets of Keys (main and front doors)
Do I have to register with the council as a landlord?
All landlords in Scotland must register with the relevant Local Authority by law. It costs ?66 per owner and ?15 per property and must be renewed every 3 years. It is an offence to let any house without being registered. You can register online: www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk.
As well as a fine of ?50,000 for operating as an unregistered landlord, each local authorities has the power to seek a criminal record certificate if it deems necessary when applying the fit and proper person test. It is also an offence not to disclose if you are using an agent. This will be punishable by a fine of up to ?1,000.
I am moving overseas, what should I do regarding my tax affairs?
We provide ?Let only?, ?Let & Rent Collections? and ?Full Management? services. We are able to offer a free rental valuation on your property. Our knowledge of the property market enables us to provide an accurate evaluation of your property so that we can market it at the correct and optimum value.
Who is responsible for utility bills while my property is let?
The tenant becomes responsible for supplier bills and council tax during the tenure of the lease. We will advise the council of the incoming and outgoing occupier.
Should I buy furniture?
The option to purchase furniture depends on some factors, the type, location of the property and ultimately the landlord. Speak with one of our lettings team who will be able to advise you on the options for the presentation of your property and also rental valuation for furnished and unfurnished.
What level of furnishings is expected in a furnished property?
A fully furnished property should be equipped with furniture such as beds, wardrobes, desktops, chairs ? (bedrooms), pots and pans, crockery, microwave, washing machine, oven, kettle ? (kitchen) sofas, dining table, chairs (living room), etc.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 set levels of fire resistance for upholstered furniture, furnishings and other products containing upholstery. All upholstered furniture must meet current legislation. These detail how quickly an item will ignite in the event of a fire. Furniture affected includes curtains, bed bases, headboards, cushions, pillows, duvets and loose covers.
What if my tenant does not pay the rent?
Most of our tenants are referenced before entering into a tenancy with our landlords. In the event a tenant falls into arrears due to a change in circumstance we will advise you immediately and keep you informed of action taken to secure payment.
How is maintenance arranged?
As part of our fully managed service all maintenance and repairs to the property will be undertaken by our contractors with the exception of where the landlord has indicated that repairs will be carried out by their own contractors. Our landlords can have peace of mind knowing that the best quote will be obtained for any maintenance work to their property without having to waste time searching around themselves for quotes.
Also we will carry periodic inspections to ensure the conditions of the flat and report to you.
What are EICR and PAT?
The EICR covers installations and visual inspection of fixed electrical equipment, a PAT covers appliances. For the purpose of the PAT, ?appliances? means movable electrical equipment.
Landlords should ensure that electrical safety inspection are carried out before a tenancy starts, and During the tenancy, at intervals of no more than 5 years from the date of the previous inspection.
If you have any gas appliances, get a Gas Safe engineer to do an Annual Landlord Gas Safety Record check. This should be arranged every year, even after a tenant moves in.
What is an EPC?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives information on how energy efficient a building is and how it could be improved.
You need an EPC when renting a building to a new tenant
If you sell or rent and you do not provide an EPC, or include the building’s energy rating if advertising it, you could be fined a minimum of ?500.
The EPC shows:
- the building’s ‘energy efficiency rating’, which gives you an idea of how much fuel bills are likely to be
- the building’s ‘environmental impact rating’, which shows how much the building affects the environment with CO2 emissions
Both ratings are on a scale from A to G with A being the best. You’re also given a ‘potential’ rating, which is the rating the building could reach if the suggested improvements were made.
It’s the law in Scotland to have the EPC ‘affixed’ to the building, building standards guidance suggests in the boiler or meter cupboard.
Updating an EPC
An EPC is valid for 10 years. When it expires you need to update an EPC for a new sale or tenancy.
You may also want to update the EPC if you make improvements to the building. This is especially if you sell our rent the building after the improvements. This means potential buyers or tenants get the most up-to-date information.
How many alarms are required to meet the standards?
The standard requires:
- One smoke alarm installed in the room most frequently used for general daytime living purposes
- One smoke alarm in every circulation space on each storey, such as hallways and landings
- One heat alarm installed in every kitchen
What type of smoke alarm is required in a let property?
All alarms should be ceiling mounted and interlinked. There is also a requirement for carbon monoxide detectors to be fitted where there is a carbon-fuelled appliance (such as boilers, fires (including open fires), heaters and stoves) or a flue.
I already have smoke alarms fitted in my home but they are not interlinked ? do I need to change these to interlinked ones?
Yes ? the requirement is to have all alarms interlinked. You may not hear the alarm closest to the fire but, by having an interlinked system, you will be alerted immediately.
What is Legionella?
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing Legionella. All man-made hot and cold water systems are likely to provide an environment where Legionella can grow. Where conditions are favourable (ie suitable growth temperature range; water droplets (aerosols) produced and dispersed; water stored and/or recirculated; some ‘food’ for the organism to grow such as rust, sludge, scale, biofilm etc) then the bacteria may multiply thus increasing the risk of exposure. It is a simple fact that the organism will colonise both large and small systems so both require risks to be managed effectively.
What you must do?
A simple assessment may show that there are no real risks and are being properly managed and no further action is needed. It is important to review the assessment in case anything changes in the system.
More information at the official link: https://www.mygov.scot/renting-your-property-out/overview/
