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A blog containing news about Western Lettings (an award winning letting agency in Glasgow) as well as useful information and resources for landlords and tenants.

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Private landlords and tenants in Scotland have had to deal with a lot of regulatory changes in the last few years e.g. the new Private Residential Tenancy, The Tenancy Deposit Scheme, etc. This has continued into 2019 with even more […] The post Latest Changes to Landlord and Tenant Legislation 2019 appeared first on Western...

Private landlords and tenants in Scotland have had to deal with a lot of regulatory changes in the last few years e.g. the new Private Residential Tenancy, The Tenancy Deposit Scheme, etc. This has continued into 2019 with even more new legislative changes for landlords and tenants to be aware of. Below is a short summary of some of the key changes that came into force on 1^st March 2019 as well as some information about other important changes that are on their way.

1. Smoke, Heat and CO Detectors

The Housing (Scotland) Act has already made it mandatory for private landlords to take steps to protect tenants from fire, smoke and carbon monoxide. This includes installing a minimum number of mains-powered, interlinked smoke and heat alarms as well as a carbon monoxide detector if the property has a carbon fuelled appliance e.g. boiler, open fire, heater. However, in Feb 2019 some new changes to the legislation were published. These stated that from 1^st March 2019, landlords are now permitted to fit either

• • Tamper-proof, long-life interlinked lithium battery alarms

OR

• • Mains powered interlinked alarms

Any properties fitted with mains powered alarms can continue using them until the end of the manufacturers permitted lifespan. After that time landlords can choose to replace them with lithium battery or mains powered alarms.

The new legislation also demands that

• • The expiry date should be visible on each alarm
  • Alarms can be linked with wires or wirelessly (by radio communication)
  • Smoke alarms should conform to BS EN 14604
  • Heat alarms should conform to BS 5446-2
  • Multi-sensor alarms should conform to BS EN 54-29 or BS EN 14604

2. The Repairing Standard

The Repairing Standard is a basic level of repair that all private rented properties must meet. It includes things such as a property being water and wind tight with safe installations of gas, electricity, heating, etc. From 1^st March 2019, the Repairing Standard will include the Tolerable Standard. The Tolerable Standard is the minimum standard a property must meet to be deemed fit for human habitation. This is a significant change. It means that any work that needs to be done in order to comply can now be raised by a private tenant in an application to the First-Tier Tribunal.

3. Common Repairs

It is a landlord’s responsibility to make sure that their property meets the Repairing Standard. However, coordinating and carrying out repairs in common areas of tenements and flats is often difficult. Trying to get the consent, monies and even access to all parties can sometimes prove impossible. From 1^st March 2019, a landlord will not be in breach of the Repairing Standard if they have made reasonable attempts to comply but cannot because a majority of owners in the tenement refuse consent for the work.

4. Holiday Lets

The Repairing Standard will no longer apply to tenancies of less than 31 days where the purpose of the let is for a holiday.

5. Minimum Energy Efficiency Requirements

A consultation was held by the Scottish Government in the summer of 2017 on this issue. Its aim was to look at minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented housing. This is because 28% of private rented property currently falls into the 3 lowest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) bands of E, F and G. This has resulted in the following:

• From 1st April 2020, a new tenancy will require the property to have an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) of at least band E.
• By 31st March 2022, ALL properties will need to have an EPC of at least band E.
• From 1st April 2022, a new tenancy will require the property to have an EPC of at least band D.
• By 31st March 2025, ALL properties will need to have an EPC of at least band D.

Keeping up with the latest changes to legislation is a very important part of being a landlord. Western Lettings is an experienced letting agent in Glasgow and is always on hand to offer help and up to date advice to all our landlords and tenants. If you would like more information about our range of landlord services we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch or give us a call on 0141 357 0436.

The post Latest Changes to Landlord and Tenant Legislation 2019 appeared first on Western Lettings.

In March 2011 the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Regulations (Scotland) came into force. Since this date every letting agency in Scotland that receives a tenant deposit is now required by law to register with their local authority and join a tenancy […] The post Is My Tenancy Deposit Protected? appeared first on Western...

In March 2011 the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Regulations (Scotland) came into force. Since this date every letting agency in Scotland that receives a tenant deposit is now required by law to register with their local authority and join a tenancy deposit scheme. If they fail to comply they can face fines. The purpose of the schemes is to keep tenants’ money protected and ensure that they get back any money they are owed at the end of their tenancy.

Which tenancy deposit schemes are approved in Scotland?

In Scotland there are three tenancy deposit scheme providers to choose from:

• Safe Deposits Scotland
• Letting Protection Service Scotland
• My|Deposits Scotland

At Western Lettings we register deposits from our tenants with Safe Deposits Scotland.

How do I know if my deposit has been registered with a scheme?

Once you have paid your deposit your letting agent must register your deposit with a tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days. They should then send you details of the scheme your deposit is registered with. At Western Lettings we will email you information about the scheme we use, Safe Deposits Scotland and send you a DAN (Deposit Account Number). The DAN will allow you to login to their website and claim back your deposit at the end of your tenancy.

If your letting agent hasn’t given you any information about a tenancy deposit scheme, you can check yourself to see if your deposit is registered. You do this by visiting the websites of the approved tenancy deposit schemes (listed above) and entering a few basic details about you and your tenancy.

What does my tenancy deposit cover?

When renting a property, most landlords or letting agents will ask for a deposit. A tenancy deposit acts as a guarantee against:

• Damage to the property (excluding general wear and tear)
• Missing or broken items
• Unpaid rent
• Outstanding gas, electricity, phone bills etc.
• Additional professional cleaning that is required if the property is left in a poor condition

If any of the above conditions occur, your deposit will be used to pay to make things right e.g. for extra cleaning to be carried out, damaged items to be fixed or missing items replaced etc. As long as you are a careful tenant, pay your bills on time and leave the property in the same condition as when you moved in, you will get your deposit back in full.

How do I go about getting my tenancy deposit back?

Different letting agencies have different procedures for this. At Western Lettings we will arrange a tenant check-out appointment at the end of your tenancy. We will go through the inventory that you were given at the start of the tenancy, checking for damaged or missing items. We will also check that everything has been left clean and tidy, ready for the next tenants and take final meter readings that we can forward on to your new address. Once this is complete, you can use your DAN to login to the Safe Deposits Scotland website and make a repayment request. If Western Lettings believe there are reasons to make deposit deductions we will always try to reach an agreement with the tenant first. If this is not possible and all attempts to reach agreement fail, we will make our case to the representatives of Safe Deposits Scotland.

Why are tenancy deposit schemes important?

According to the Office for National Statistics, the private rental market now makes up 15% of all households in Scotland. With such high numbers in rented accommodation it is extremely important that deposits are kept in a safe place for the duration of the tenancy. Government approved tenancy deposit schemes protect against landlords or letting agencies going bankrupt and tenants losing all of their money. In addition, they greatly improve transparency and give tenants more opportunity to challenge deductions which they believe to be unfair.

If you are a landlord and need help with letting or managing your property, Western Lettings would love to hear from you. We are an ARLA licensed, multi-award winning letting agents in Glasgow. Give us a call on 0141 357 0436 or get in touch to find out more about our range of landlord services.

The post Is My Tenancy Deposit Protected? appeared first on Western Lettings.

Western Lettings would like to wish all of our clients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes!   Important information – Office opening hours over the festive period are as follows: Christmas Eve 09:00 AM […] The post Festive Opening Hours appeared first on Western...

The post Festive Opening Hours appeared first on Western Lettings.

Western Lettings in Glasgow is delighted to announce a new partnership with rent reporting platform CreditLadder. We realise that for nearly all tenants, rent is their biggest monthly expense. What comes as a surprise for most people is that unlike […] The post Western Lettings Partners with CreditLadder appeared first on Western...

Western Lettings in Glasgow is delighted to announce a new partnership with rent reporting platform CreditLadder.

We realise that for nearly all tenants, rent is their biggest monthly expense. What comes as a surprise for most people is that unlike on time mortgage payments, on time rent payments are not added to an individual’s credit score. A healthy credit history is vital for us all as it helps secure better deals on credit cards, loans, utility bills, and even mobile phone contracts.

The great news is we’ve teamed up with CreditLadder who are the UK’s first and biggest rent reporting platform. Our partnership with CreditLadder helps our tenants sign up to CreditLadder for free and ensure that rent payments are added to every tenant’s Experian credit history.

In August, CreditLadder were the biggest winners of HM Treasury’s Rent Recognition Challenge (RRC) and to date over £30m in rent payments have been reported through to Experian.

“We’re delighted to be working with Western Lettings. They’ve been keen to help reward on time rent payments from tenants and our partnership will help ensure even more tenants can benefit from rent reporting’ says CreditLadder CEO Sheraz Dar.

Jack Gallagher said, “Here at Western Lettings we know it’s important to help tenants as much as we can, so the partnership with CreditLadder means their on-time rent payments make a real difference to their credit history. It’s also a great way to help attract responsible tenants which is also great news for all our landlords”

In further good news, moves are afoot to ensure rent payments (and council tax payments) are always taken into account when lending decisions are made. John Bird, the founder of The Big Issue, has been leading the way and his Credit Worthiness Assessment Bill  is now going through the House of Commons. The proposed legislation aims to make rental payments a compulsory part of a credit score. We think this is good news all round for all our tenants and landlords.

If you would like some more information about this new service or about any of our other property letting or property management services, please get in touch or give us a call on 0141 357 0436

The post Western Lettings Partners with CreditLadder appeared first on Western Lettings.

If you are a landlord looking for new tenants in a hurry, choosing a letting agent who can offer viewers a 360⁰ virtual tour of your property can make a big difference. That is why Western Lettings in Glasgow have […] The post Benefits of Virtual Tours for Attracting New Tenants appeared first on Western...

If you are a landlord looking for new tenants in a hurry, choosing a letting agent who can offer viewers a 360⁰ virtual tour of your property can make a big difference. That is why Western Lettings in Glasgow have recently introduced them for all of their properties.

What is a 360⁰ Virtual Tour?

A virtual tour is a collection of slowly rotating images that allow a viewer to navigate around a property, exploring every room in the comfort of their own home. It is the closest thing to actually being in the property and provides a much better sense of what a property is truly like. A good virtual tour will have wide angle views of rooms, highlight the main selling points of the property and use good quality images throughout. Virtual tours are even better when viewed with a virtual reality headset. All of the virtual tours on Western Lettings website support this technology.

What are the benefits of Virtual Tours?

1. Competitive edge

It is well known that potential tenants spend most of their time online when searching for a property to rent. It is also known that virtual tour technology is extremely popular with viewers and properties advertised with this facility are clicked on more often than those without. A letting agent that can offer virtual tours will definitely be giving their properties a competitive edge.

2. Provides more thorough information

It has been shown that a virtual tour keeps viewers focused on a property for much longer. This is because it is more engaging, more accurate and provides much more useful information than a series of static two dimensional images. The 360⁰ sweep enables viewers to see into every corner of every room and makes the flow and layout of a property much easier to understand.

3. Saves time

Virtual tours save tenants time by helping them narrow down the number of properties they need to view in person. The much greater detail and information provided by virtual tours enables viewers to ‘rule out’ properties that are not suitable, from the comfort of their own homes.

4. Reduces the number of property viewings

Only those viewers with real intentions of renting will make arrangements to view a property in person. People interested in viewing the property for any other reason will be satisfied with a virtual tour. This will reduce the overall number of property viewings that are required. This is particularly useful for reducing disruption to the lives of current tenants (near the end of their tenancy) who may still be occupying the property that is being viewed.

5. Attracts distant viewers

Virtual tours are extremely attractive to clients who live further afield. It saves them time and money by substantially reducing the number of properties they will need to view in person. However it is very important that a property is not rented on the basis of a virtual tour alone. A good letting agent will always want to conduct a property viewing with prospective tenants, firstly to get to meet them face to face and secondly to ensure they have seen the property in its entirety.

All landlords know the importance of finding suitable new tenants fast. This is where choosing the right letting agent can make a big difference. A good letting agency will always be looking for new ways to do things better. That is why Western Lettings have recently introduced virtual tours for all of their properties. Not many letting agencies in Glasgow currently offer this service but if they do, remember to check if they charge extra for it. Western Lettings provide this service, alongside their traditional marketing, at no extra cost.

It is clear If you are a landlord looking for help to let and manage your property Western Lettings would love to hear from you. We are award winning letting agents in Glasgow. Please get in touch or give us a call on 0141 357 0436.

The post Benefits of Virtual Tours for Attracting New Tenants appeared first on Western Lettings.

If you are a landlord in Scotland you may decide to use a professional letting agent to rent out or manage your property. However there are many letting agents out there, so how do you decide which one will be […] The post 8 Simple Rules for Finding the Best Letting Agent appeared first on Western...

If you are a landlord in Scotland you may decide to use a professional letting agent to rent out or manage your property. However there are many letting agents out there, so how do you decide which one will be best at providing the services you need. Follow these 8 simple rules to ensure you find a letting agent that is effective in the most important aspects of letting and managing a property.

1. Location

It is usually best to choose a letting agent local to the property you are renting out. They will know the area well and be able to use their local knowledge to sell your property to new clients. They will understand the rental market for property in the area and know which properties will attract a lot of interest and which ones won’t. This means they will be best placed to estimate with some accuracy the rent you are likely to achieve and also the best ways to maximise your rental income.

2. Letting agent license

Changes to the law mean that from 1^st October 2018, letting agencies must be registered on the Scottish Letting Agent Register. Currently only 73 out of approximately 1200 letting agents in Scotland have been granted a license. Always remember to check the register before signing up.

3. Industry qualifications

Good letting agents will always place a strong emphasis on staff training and development. A company with staff with industry qualifications is a good sign that this is happening.  As award winning letting agents in Glasgow, Western Lettings fully support staff to ensure they pass ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) level 6, within 6 months of starting with us. We firmly believe that well trained staff will always provide a superior level of service.

4. Virtual tours

Choosing a company that is able to provide virtual tours is a distinct advantage. There is nothing more engaging to prospective tenants than a 360-degree virtual tour of a property. Tenants spend more than two thirds of their time online when searching for a property to rent. Being able to view properties in this way is definitely a bonus. It provides the convenience of a ‘first viewing’ from the comfort of their own home. It is also a way of quickly streamlining prospective clients, into those with real intentions of renting your property. Not many letting agencies currently offer this service but if they do, remember to check if they charge extra for it. At Western Lettings we provide this service alongside traditional marketing at no extra cost.

5. Advertising portal exposure

No landlord wants an empty property. It is therefore important that, when required, new tenants can be found quickly. Always check where a letting agent will advertise your property and how much it will cost. Good letting agents will always prefer to use lots of different advertising portals to provide maximum exposure for your property whereas some letting agents use very few. It is important you get this information in order to compare like for like.

6. Landlord portal

Being a landlord can involve a lot of paperwork. A ‘Landlord portal’ is a secure area, accessed via an online landlord login, where landlords can view, download and print important documents such as

• Monthly rental statements
• Compliance safety certificates e.g. EICR, gas safety certificate, PAT testing, fire risk assessment etc.
• Property inventories
• Tenancy agreement
• Property inspection reports
• Invoices for property repairs. Allowing landlords to quickly view historic data on how much they have spent on their properties over the years

This is a really useful facility for all landlords but particularly if you are an overseas landlord. It will provide a convenient way of accessing and keeping track of all crucial information relating to your properties.

7. Membership of professional body

It is always important to check if a letting agent is part of a professional body such as ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents). This is because members will be required to adhere to particular codes of professional conduct. They will have guarantees in place to protect landlord and tenant monies.

8. Deposit lodged in approved scheme

By law, the deposit paid by tenants on a rental property must be registered with a government approved tenancy deposit scheme. Make sure you ask potential letting agents for details of the schemes that they use. Also check that they will supply confirmation when a deposit has been registered.

If you are a landlord and need experienced letting agents to let or manage your property, Western Lettings would love to hear from you. We are highly trained, licensed, award winning ALRA registered, letting agents in Glasgow.  Get in touch or give us a call on 0141 357 0436

The post 8 Simple Rules for Finding the Best Letting Agent appeared first on Western Lettings.

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