A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the whole
arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but he
hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but, for
example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly out of
true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to historical
settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a problem. There
are other problems with things like garage doors that scrape on the
path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very
welcome.
--
Bill

On 05/09/16 17:11, Bill wrote:
A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the whole
arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but he
hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but, for
example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly out of
true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to historical
settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a problem. There
are other problems with things like garage doors that scrape on the
path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very welcome.

It will need to meet certain minimum standards - smoke alarms, and gas
certification being the first 2 I can think of.

Agents generally do not handle light bulbs, but more serious electrical
problems will be farmed out to a contractor.

On Monday, 5 September 2016 17:12:10 UTC+1, Bill wrote:

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the whole
arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

Letting agents are never good.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but he
hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but, for
example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly out of
true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to historical
settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a problem. There
are other problems with things like garage doors that scrape on the
path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

bed & bath doors must close, others less important. Failure to drain is a health issue, so that needs looking at. The question is whether that can be done before or after move-in.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

need to read up on the law on that then, plus what the agent's contract says about it

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

If it's a halogen security light out of reach, the tenant can't be expected to know which bulb to use, how to install it, have a ladder or climb it, so yes it would be farmed out at daft expense. This is an area where landlords typically get burnt.


Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very
welcome.

It's like anything in life, if you engage in business without knowing what you're doing you'll get taken advantage of.


NT

Bill wrote:
We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?

IANAL but I don't think door fit is likely to be an issue unless it's a
House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) - ie rented out as rooms - which requires
higher fire safety standards. I think three-storey properties also require
higher standards, BICBW.

OTOH tenants are likely to complain about eg blocked drains so it would be
well to fix things like that up in advance.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Ask the agent for a copy of the tenancy agreement, as well as the agency
agreement. Typically the tenant might be asked to do things they are
provided with tools to do the job for - eg mow the lawn if you give them a
lawnmower - but not things that require training or risk (eg clearing the
gutters from a ladder). Those things expected of the tenant should be in
the tenancy agreement.

Theo

On 05/09/2016 18:07, Theo wrote:
Bill wrote:
We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?

IANAL but I don't think door fit is likely to be an issue unless it's a
House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) - ie rented out as rooms - which requires
higher fire safety standards. I think three-storey properties also require
higher standards, BICBW.

OTOH tenants are likely to complain about eg blocked drains so it would be
well to fix things like that up in advance.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Ask the agent for a copy of the tenancy agreement, as well as the agency
agreement. Typically the tenant might be asked to do things they are
provided with tools to do the job for - eg mow the lawn if you give them a
lawnmower - but not things that require training or risk (eg clearing the
gutters from a ladder). Those things expected of the tenant should be in
the tenancy agreement.

Theo

From what I have been told the less electrical things you have if
renting furnished the better, If the tenent cant work something properly
then it usually means a call-out as they will claim its broken, my son
got hit with some expense when his tenant screwed with the settings on
the central heating then claimed it wasnt working.

In article , ss wrote:
On 05/09/2016 18:07, Theo wrote:
Bill wrote:
We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site. Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors
right before it was rentable?

IANAL but I don't think door fit is likely to be an issue unless it's a
House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) - ie rented out as rooms - which
requires higher fire safety standards. I think three-storey properties
also require higher standards, BICBW.

OTOH tenants are likely to complain about eg blocked drains so it would
be well to fix things like that up in advance.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to
call in a contractor at great expense?

Ask the agent for a copy of the tenancy agreement, as well as the
agency agreement. Typically the tenant might be asked to do things
they are provided with tools to do the job for - eg mow the lawn if you
give them a lawnmower - but not things that require training or risk
(eg clearing the gutters from a ladder). Those things expected of the
tenant should be in the tenancy agreement.

Theo

From what I have been told the less electrical things you have if
renting furnished the better, If the tenent cant work something properly
then it usually means a call-out as they will claim its broken, my son
got hit with some expense when his tenant screwed with the settings on
the central heating then claimed it wasnt working.

My daughter & son-in-law let ther house to some nice Spaniards - who wnt
home for Christmas and New Year and turned the heating off before they
left. The house took nearly 6 months to be made habitable again. Sensibly,
they had told their insurance company that the house was being let.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England

On Monday, 5 September 2016 17:12:10 UTC+1, Bill wrote:
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?

Any property is rentable in any condition, but the quality will affect the rent achieved and the calibre of tenant. Although a good well maintained property is not a guarantee the tenant will respect it, if the tenant thinks the landlord doesn't care then the tenant is unlikely too either.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

In many cases yes. You should replace all fancy lights with standard BC battens and pendants. Paper ball lampshades can be had from B&Q for £1 to pretty them up.

Owain

On Monday, 5 September 2016 19:50:43 UTC+1, wrote:

Any property is rentable in any condition,

not legally

but the quality will affect the rent achieved and the calibre of tenant. Although a good well maintained property is not a guarantee the tenant will respect it, if the tenant thinks the landlord doesn't care then the tenant is unlikely too either.

and that's not good news.


NT

In article , Tim Watts
writes
On 05/09/16 17:11, Bill wrote:
A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the whole
arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but he
hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but, for
example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly out of
true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to historical
settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a problem. There
are other problems with things like garage doors that scrape on the
path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very welcome.

It will need to meet certain minimum standards - smoke alarms, and gas
certification being the first 2 I can think of.
Electrical certificate also.

Agents generally do not handle light bulbs, but more serious electrical
problems will be farmed out to a contractor.
Don't accept DSS tenants at any price.
Ask the agent what vetting of tenants they carry out.
Be aware of the Disputes Agency when it comes to handing back the
tenants deposit.
Make sure the agent does a through inventory with photos before and
after the tenancy.
Read the tenancy agreement also. Then you will understand what the
tenant is expected to do with regards to day-to-day maintenance.
Supply the tenants with copies of user instructions for all appliances,
Ch, alarms etc. but don't give them the bit on how to change the code on
the alarm (and make sure you know how to get engineers access to reset
it!! Make it a condition in the tenancy that the code be left as found
-then nay cost can be reclaimed under the Dispute Service.
Be a reasonable landlord and if you are lucky you may get a reasonable
tenant. It has worked for me so far :-)
--
bert

Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're the
landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like the
annual gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do it all
rather than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I think it was
something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I arranged it myself
(with the same bloke that the agency used).


--
Chris Green
·

In message , bert writes
Don't accept DSS tenants at any price.
Ask the agent what vetting of tenants they carry out.
Be aware of the Disputes Agency when it comes to handing back the
tenants deposit.
Make sure the agent does a through inventory with photos before and
after the tenancy.
Read the tenancy agreement also. Then you will understand what the
tenant is expected to do with regards to day-to-day maintenance.
Supply the tenants with copies of user instructions for all appliances,
Ch, alarms etc. but don't give them the bit on how to change the code
on the alarm (and make sure you know how to get engineers access to
reset it!! Make it a condition in the tenancy that the code be left as
found -then nay cost can be reclaimed under the Dispute Service.
Be a reasonable landlord and if you are lucky you may get a reasonable
tenant. It has worked for me so far :-)

Thanks, Bert, and everyone else. I'm cobbling together a resume of the
various points for him (and me) to read and digest.

I had a look at the house again today, and think he really will have to
get some electrics sorted out (eg the fridge is on an extension reel in
a lean-to), and perhaps the soakaway that takes all the water from the
house gutters. The main house foul water drainage seems separate and OK.
--
Bill

On Mon, 5 Sep 2016 17:11:58 +0100
Bill wrote:

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so
while he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local
estate agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage
the whole arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but
he hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but,
for example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly
out of true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to
historical settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a
problem. There are other problems with things like garage doors that
scrape on the path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks
OK, and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more
estate agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it
was rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to
call in a contractor at great expense?

Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very
welcome.

From personal experience:

If you really care for something, remove it from the house first. The
more valuable to you it is, the more likely it is to be damaged or
nicked.
Make a very, very thorough inventory, with photos.
If the first rent is late, start proceedings immediately.

If you don't use an agent, then you have to provide the 'phone number of
somebody who can respond quickly if there is a problem. This might be
your number, in this case.
There are also rules now about putting the deposit into a special
protected account, but that is too recent for me.

--
Davey.

ss Wrote in message:
On 05/09/2016 18:07, Theo wrote:
Bill wrote:
We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?

IANAL but I don't think door fit is likely to be an issue unless it's a
House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) - ie rented out as rooms - which requires
higher fire safety standards. I think three-storey properties also require
higher standards, BICBW.

OTOH tenants are likely to complain about eg blocked drains so it would be
well to fix things like that up in advance.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Ask the agent for a copy of the tenancy agreement, as well as the agency
agreement. Typically the tenant might be asked to do things they are
provided with tools to do the job for - eg mow the lawn if you give them a
lawnmower - but not things that require training or risk (eg clearing the
gutters from a ladder). Those things expected of the tenant should be in
the tenancy agreement.

Theo

From what I have been told the less electrical things you have if
renting furnished the better, If the tenent cant work something properly
then it usually means a call-out as they will claim its broken, my son
got hit with some expense when his tenant screwed with the settings on
the central heating then claimed it wasnt working.


OTOH the tenants that rented a house we had, claimed benefits that
qualified them for a new boiler, so at the end of the tenancy
the house was handed back with a new combi replacement of the old
cast iron lump, enhancing the saleability of the property.

--

%Profound_observation%


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On Mon, 5 Sep 2016 23:53:38 +0100
Bill wrote:

I had a look at the house again today, and think he really will have
to get some electrics sorted out (eg the fridge is on an extension
reel in a lean-to), and perhaps the soakaway that takes all the water
from the house gutters.

Both will need to be sorted, yes. A proper certificate of electrical
safety would be a good idea, if it isn't needed already.And don't forget
to tell the insurance company that it will be let.

I suggest joining one of the Associations, such as The National
Landlords Association, they can give you a potted version of legal
requirements:
http://www.landlords.org.uk/

Worth a look even if you don't join.

--
Davey.

On Mon, 05 Sep 2016 23:14:13 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're the
landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like the annual
gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do it all rather
than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I think it was
something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I arranged it myself
(with the same bloke that the agency used).

Depends on location and agent, but our annual gas check cost £50 through
the agent.

If you live close to the property and you are strong enough emotionally to
deal with difficult issues with difficult tenants then rent the property
directly.

If you are any distance away (or don't want to be always on call for the
smallest thing) then employ an agent. You have to have (just like any
business) cover for sickness and holidays if you are managing the property
yourself.

Expect the property to be treated with less consideration than you would
use, and to need refurbishing after any rental. You may be lucky, of
course, but set your expectations realistically.

Cheers


Dave R

--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On 6 Sep 2016 11:05:13 GMT
David wrote:

On Mon, 05 Sep 2016 23:14:13 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to
call in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're
the landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like
the annual gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do
it all rather than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I
think it was something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I
arranged it myself (with the same bloke that the agency used).

Depends on location and agent, but our annual gas check cost £50
through the agent.

If you live close to the property and you are strong enough
emotionally to deal with difficult issues with difficult tenants then
rent the property directly.

If you are any distance away (or don't want to be always on call for
the smallest thing) then employ an agent. You have to have (just like
any business) cover for sickness and holidays if you are managing the
property yourself.

Expect the property to be treated with less consideration than you
would use, and to need refurbishing after any rental. You may be
lucky, of course, but set your expectations realistically.

Cheers


Dave R


Agreed on all counts. We had to restock with brooms, brushes etc after
several successive rentings, as though the departing tenants could not
be bothered to go to the hardware shop themselves for their next places.

--
Davey.

On 06/09/16 12:05, David wrote:

Expect the property to be treated with less consideration than you would
use, and to need refurbishing after any rental. You may be lucky, of
course, but set your expectations realistically.

And price it in to your plan.

If you can keep tenants for 2-3 years, then you should be doing a full
repaint anyway between tenants - so scuffing and a few dings will not
matter.

If you expect to rent to families, do NOT have carpets in the lounge,
kitchen or loos. Unless you factor on replacing these or choosing
"university grade pre-puked-on" patterns.

OTOH if you are targeting upper middle class professionals without kids,
then light carpets throughout may be the order of the day.

Make sure everything is robust and well fixed - no loose taps, rails and
so on. It has to survive reasonable use without a mile long list of
caveats (which you or I might be able to tolerate in our own homes).

Appliances: either go cheap and replace often (and thus not mind if they
get knocked about a bit) or put decent stuff in. Depends on the target
market.

Find a good plumber, or ideally 2. Ditto electrician. Either put on a
retainer, or give the names to the tenant with instructions to call
directly if they cannot get hold of you. Sod's law says the heating will
blow up in January when you have nipped off for a holiday. Better they
call someone you approve of than a cowboy - or the most expensive firm
in the county!

You need the electrician and plumber anyway to do the required safety
checks, so that's a good time to meet some.

On Monday, September 5, 2016 at 11:16:05 PM UTC+1, Chris Green wrote:
Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're the
landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like the
annual gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do it all
rather than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I think it was
something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I arranged it myself
(with the same bloke that the agency used).


--
Chris Green
·

I pay £50 for mine

Jonathan

Jonathan wrote:
On Monday, September 5, 2016 at 11:16:05 PM UTC+1, Chris Green wrote:
Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're the
landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like the
annual gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do it all
rather than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I think it was
something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I arranged it myself
(with the same bloke that the agency used).


--
Chris Green
·

I pay £50 for mine

Mine's in London so would expect it to be pricier. I just checked and
my memory was right £80 paid direct to the gas man, proper invoice and
everything though.

--
Chris Green
·

On Tuesday, 6 September 2016 12:57:31 UTC+1, Tim Watts wrote:
If you can keep tenants for 2-3 years, then you should be doing a full
repaint anyway between tenants - so scuffing and a few dings will not
matter.

And only ever use white or magnolia paint, which will be easy to match.

If you expect to rent to families, do NOT have carpets in the lounge,
kitchen or loos.

No rented property should ever have carpet in kitchen or loo.

Unless you factor on replacing these or choosing
"university grade pre-puked-on" patterns.

yeah, the carpet in my room, err hall of residence, survived a wastepaper bin fire

Appliances: either go cheap and replace often (and thus not mind if they
get knocked about a bit) or put decent stuff in. Depends on the target
market.

Freestanding white appliances always quick and easy to replace and can often be got second-hand or scratch-n-dent.

A new cheap stainless-steel sink can also do wonders in freshening up a kitchen.

Owain

Davey posted
On Mon, 5 Sep 2016 23:53:38 +0100
Bill wrote:

I had a look at the house again today, and think he really will have
to get some electrics sorted out (eg the fridge is on an extension
reel in a lean-to), and perhaps the soakaway that takes all the water
from the house gutters.

Both will need to be sorted, yes. A proper certificate of electrical
safety would be a good idea, if it isn't needed already.And don't forget
to tell the insurance company that it will be let.


But remember that while people are always saying "you have to have this
by law, you have to have that by law", it isn't necessarily true, or is
only true under certain conditions. I spent years installing and
maintaining CO monitors before discovering they weren't required in my
house after all.

I suggest joining one of the Associations, such as The National
Landlords Association, they can give you a potted version of legal
requirements:
http://www.landlords.org.uk/

Worth a look even if you don't join.


--
Jack

On 9/6/2016 4:20 PM, wrote:

No rented property should ever have carpet in kitchen or loo.

No property, whether rented or owned, should have carpet in those rooms.

On Tue, 6 Sep 2016 13:20:58 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:

Freestanding white appliances always quick and easy to replace and
can often be got second-hand or scratch-n-dent.

Those around here sometimes turn up at the local auction house.

--
Davey.

On 06/09/2016 00:35, Davey wrote:

If the first rent is late, start proceedings immediately.

I know someone who rents out at the lower end of the market. Non payment
of the rent at any time has to be dealt with immediately and persistently.


--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

wrote
Bill wrote

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the
whole arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

I've been involved in doing that myself, with a house that I bought
at auction with the new owner hundreds of miles away, on the phone
during the auction. They dont plan to be back here to move into the
house for atleast 6 months who wanted to rent the place out. The
rent pays for all the costs, including mortgage payments and other
stuff like what we call rates that the owner has to pay even when
renting a place out.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...
wrote
Bill wrote

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the
whole arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

**** a brick, are you still here?
LMFAO.

"Graham." wrote in message
...
ss Wrote in message:
On 05/09/2016 18:07, Theo wrote:
Bill wrote:
We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it
was
rentable?

IANAL but I don't think door fit is likely to be an issue unless it's a
House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) - ie rented out as rooms - which
requires
higher fire safety standards. I think three-storey properties also
require
higher standards, BICBW.

OTOH tenants are likely to complain about eg blocked drains so it would
be
well to fix things like that up in advance.

What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Ask the agent for a copy of the tenancy agreement, as well as the agency
agreement. Typically the tenant might be asked to do things they are
provided with tools to do the job for - eg mow the lawn if you give them
a
lawnmower - but not things that require training or risk (eg clearing
the
gutters from a ladder). Those things expected of the tenant should be
in
the tenancy agreement.

Theo

From what I have been told the less electrical things you have if
renting furnished the better, If the tenent cant work something properly
then it usually means a call-out as they will claim its broken, my son
got hit with some expense when his tenant screwed with the settings on
the central heating then claimed it wasnt working.


OTOH the tenants that rented a house we had, claimed benefits that
qualified them for a new boiler, so at the end of the tenancy
the house was handed back with a new combi replacement of the old
cast iron lump, enhancing the saleability of the property.

Mad system that allows renters to get a new boiler.

"Davey" wrote in message
...
On 6 Sep 2016 11:05:13 GMT
David wrote:

On Mon, 05 Sep 2016 23:14:13 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

Bill wrote:
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to
call in a contractor at great expense?

Yes, I'm afraid so in general. We have a rented flat (i.e. we're
the landlords) and it's mostly handled by an agent. Things like
the annual gas inspection cost a *lot* more if I let the agent do
it all rather than doing it myself directly with a 'gas man'. I
think it was something like £150 via the agent versus £80 if I
arranged it myself (with the same bloke that the agency used).

Depends on location and agent, but our annual gas check cost £50
through the agent.

If you live close to the property and you are strong enough
emotionally to deal with difficult issues with difficult tenants then
rent the property directly.

If you are any distance away (or don't want to be always on call for
the smallest thing) then employ an agent. You have to have (just like
any business) cover for sickness and holidays if you are managing the
property yourself.

Expect the property to be treated with less consideration than you
would use, and to need refurbishing after any rental. You may be
lucky, of course, but set your expectations realistically.

Cheers


Dave R


Agreed on all counts. We had to restock with brooms, brushes etc after
several successive rentings, as though the departing tenants could not
be bothered to go to the hardware shop themselves for their next places.

Our agent said it was best to rent the place unfurnished and the tenant
actually does all the cleaning and beds etc at one of the local motels
and blitzed thru the place we are renting out before she moved in
using her own gear to do that.

On Wednesday, 7 September 2016 03:13:10 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote
Bill wrote

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the
whole arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

Rod confirms it's correct in his usual way


I've been involved in doing that myself,

oh god

with a house that I bought
at auction with the new owner hundreds of miles away, on the phone
during the auction.

So you didn't buy it, they did.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months. Why you spend so much demonstrating your idiocy we'll never know.


NT

On Tue, 6 Sep 2016 21:49:33 +0100
Handsome Jack wrote:

But remember that while people are always saying "you have to have
this by law, you have to have that by law", it isn't necessarily
true, or is only true under certain conditions. I spent years
installing and maintaining CO monitors before discovering they
weren't required in my house after all.


Another reason to join one of the landlords' organisations, they know
the laws on this subject.

--
Davey.

wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, 7 September 2016 03:13:10 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote
Bill wrote

A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the
whole arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

Rod confirms it's correct in his usual way


I've been involved in doing that myself,

oh god

with a house that I bought
at auction with the new owner hundreds of miles away, on the phone
during the auction.

So you didn't buy it, they did.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months.

We all swooned when you showed that every single use of a letting agent
ended up proving that none of them are any use at all.

On Wednesday, 7 September 2016 20:51:21 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, 7 September 2016 03:13:10 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months.

We all swooned when you showed that every single use of a letting agent
ended up proving that none of them are any use at all.

If you ever grow a brain, let us know.


NT

On Monday, 5 September 2016 17:12:10 UTC+1, Bill wrote:
A relation is thinking of renting out his house for a year or so while
he works away. He has had a very tentative contact with a local estate
agent who has quoted the possible rent and offered to manage the whole
arrangement. The agent hasn't seen the property.

My immediate thoughts were about the state of the property. It was
originally bought with a plan to refurbish it to a high standard, but he
hasn't had time to start. It has been fine as-is as a home, but, for
example, many of the interior doors don't close and are visibly out of
true. 2 surveys 10 years apart said that this was due to historical
settlement which has now stabilised and is no longer a problem. There
are other problems with things like garage doors that scrape on the
path, soakaways that need investigation and so on.

It is his main home and he needs to be able to return to it after the
current job.

We can get the garden tidied for him and do small jobs so it looks OK,
and I might be asked to get involved in meeting one or more estate
agents on site.
Is it likely that he would have to get all the doors right before it was
rentable?
What do these inclusive estate agent deals involve? If a tenant is
installed and a light bulb needs replacing, is the agent likely to call
in a contractor at great expense?

Any comments from anyone who has experience of this would be very
welcome.
--
Bill

Dennis will be here in a minute throwing out accusations of ripping off the public.

wrote
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

I've been involved in doing that myself,

with a house that I bought at auction with the new owner
hundreds of miles away, on the phone during the auction.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months.

We all swooned when you showed that every single use of a letting agent
ended up proving that none of them are any use at all.

If you ever grow a brain, let us know.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

It only takes ONE example of a useful letting agent to blow your
mindless silly **** of a claim completely out of the ****ing water.

On Thursday, 8 September 2016 08:58:08 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

I've been involved in doing that myself,

with a house that I bought at auction with the new owner
hundreds of miles away, on the phone during the auction.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months.

We all swooned when you showed that every single use of a letting agent
ended up proving that none of them are any use at all.

If you ever grow a brain, let us know.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag,

Who knows, I've never tried

gutless.

It only takes ONE example of a useful letting agent to blow your
mindless silly **** of a claim completely out of the ****ing water.

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 8 September 2016 08:58:08 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message
Rod Speed wrote
tabbypurr wrote in message

Letting agents are never good.

Even sillier than you usually manage.

I've been involved in doing that myself,

with a house that I bought at auction with the new owner
hundreds of miles away, on the phone during the auction.

The letting agent has in fact been quite effective even tho
the new owner did find the tenant himself and got the letting
agent to check that they are viable to let the place to.

So a sample of one has gone ok for 6 months.

We all swooned when you showed that every single use of a letting
agent
ended up proving that none of them are any use at all.

If you ever grow a brain, let us know.

It only takes ONE example of a useful letting agent to blow your
mindless silly **** of a claim completely out of the ****ing water.

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

On Thursday, 8 September 2016 22:38:16 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

that's how young children argue.

wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 8 September 2016 22:38:16 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

that's how young children argue.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

On Friday, 9 September 2016 08:45:20 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 8 September 2016 22:38:16 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

that's how young children argue.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

it's completely lost

wrote in message
...
On Friday, 9 September 2016 08:45:20 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 8 September 2016 22:38:16 UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message

Thank you for reminding us you're still awaiting that brain
transplant.
As if we needed reminding.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

that's how young children argue.

You never could bull**** your way out of a wet paper bag, gutless.

it's completely lost

Yes, you always are.