How much rent can I achieve on my property monthly?
Usually the first question we get from all landlords. We base our valuation of your property on the following factors:-
• The location of property
• The overall size of the accommodation
• Is the property new build / refurbishment
• The presentation of the accommodation (i.e., interior decor)
• Added extras: i.e., central heating, double-glazing, refitted kitchen/bathroom, off road parking, garage etc
We will value your property in accordance with current market conditions and will compare your property to similar homes that have been let in and around the area.

How Will ProspectsUK Advertise My Property?

We will advertise your property in 3 local papers which are each published once a week and circulated in Thanet and surrounded villages. You will also see your property appear on Right Move and Find A Property.
Your property details will also be listed on our database and given out to the general public and will be mailed/emailed out daily to awaiting tenants from our applicant base. We also advertise through our website at www.prospectsuk.com which is linked up to one of the biggest property search engines which is www.vebra.com.
Through talking to our landlords and market research we can see that the local market is getting more competitive when letting a property. Potential tenants are getting choosier and are always looking for the best deal out there.
We have looked into different ways to advertise your property and have come up with new exciting ideas which we feel will get potential tenants through the door to view a property. We would be more than happy to meet with you to discuss ways in which we can advertise your properties by using different marketing strategies which we are sure you will be excited about.

Who Is Responsible For The Utility Bills And Council Tax?

Whilst the tenant is occupying the property, he/she is responsible for paying the gas, electric, water and council tax. We will take all relevant readings from the meter's on the day the tenant moves in. we will ask the tenant to confirm that all utility suppliers have been informed of the properties occupation and may ask for proof of this.

What Happens When My Tenant Moves In?

Once the references have been carried out, we can then set a move in date. On the day of the move in the tenants will pay one months rent in advance and a deposit equivalent normally to one months rent. The initial rent will be forwarded to you minus our fees; this will normally be paid into your nominated bank account unless you specify other wise. The deposit will be held in our DPS (deposit Protection Service) unless otherwise specified. We may require proof of the landlords own scheme should you wish the deposit to be passed over. We will provide an Assured shorthold tenancy agreement for the tenancy. Normally we offer fixed tenancy agreements for a minimum period of 6 (six) months and recommend that a maximum initial agreement should be no longer than 12 (twelve) months. Tenancy agreements can be renewed after the initial fixed period has expired.
We will provide an inventory which simply lists all items (including fixtures and fittings) and their condition at the time of the move in. This will be both written and photographic evidence. This list is kept on file as a record of the schedule of condition of the property. We use this when the tenants move out to compare the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy to the condition at the beginning.

When Do I Get My Monthly Rent?

When we collect you monthly rent from the tenant we will forward it onto you to your specified account or by cheque within 3 working days. This may be faster if the tenant pays by direct debit and we can forward the rent onto you online rather than by post. For landlords with multiple properties we offer a service to receive one payment per month which is currently set as the 15th.

What Happens If A Tenanet Does Not Pay

We obviously expect to receive the rent from the tenant on time every month however unfortunately for one reason or another tenant's sometimes do not pay.. We will look into the tenants situation at first to assess the reason for the rent being late and then decide the next move. Due to the above this is another reason why we offer all our landlords the Maras referencing and rent guarantee services. In the event of the tenant not paying their rent we will work in conjunction with the landlord and Maras to resolve the situation as soon as possible. This may result in you needing to go to court to evict the tenant however this may be covered in you insurance policy with Maras.

Maintenance On Your Property

As we all know sometimes things in and around the home break down or get damaged, we have a dedicated team which cover all aspects of property maintenance. In the event of a problem accruing at a property we will first call the landlord to confirm that we can go ahead with any works and then schedule any work to be done. We are always very keen to organise work as fast as possible in order to keep tenants happy. If we get a call out of hours and are unable to contact the landlord we will assess the situation and resolve the problem if necessary.

Who Pays For Insurance On The Property

This is the responsibility of the tenant. We will recommend an insurance company to all new tenants. Tenants only have to pay as little as £10 per month for this and when explained to them are keen to protect themselves by using the insurance. Using the insurance means that if they do damage the property by accident that they may be able to claim of their policy rather than losing their deposit when they vacate to premises.

Gas Regulations

We strongly advise you to take note of the below and we ask for evidence of a GSC (Gas Safety Certificate) before we place any tenant in a property. If there is no GSC in place then we will arrange one on your behalf.
The government passed a law in November 1994 regulating the gas safety installations in all rented properties.
ALL gas appliances, including pipe work, ventilation flues, meters and additional fittings must be certified by a registered CORGI gas engineer as safe. There are no exceptions. The certification must be carried out every 12 months and is known as a Landlord gas safety certificate, or more technically a CP12.
Please remember that only a Corgi registered installer can check for the safety of appliances and installations. It is our responsibility as Letting Agents to inform you of your obligations.

Our Scale Of Fees

Below are our principle fees. These can change depending on the amount of properties so please feel free to call us on 01843 29 93 93. We also offer management packages to clients which could mean you getting properties managed for free. (Subject to terms and conditions) Please call in office for more details.
• Full management: 8.5% of collected rent on a monthly basis after initial tenant finder fee.
• Let only: Two weeks rent.

Getting Your Property On The Market

Please feel free to call us on 01843 229393 and we will email or post you our instruction form. This form will ask you for many different details on your property as the more information we have makes it easier for us to advertise and find potential tenants for your property.

Energy Performance Certificates

From 1 October 2008 all homes being let will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and recommendation report must be made available free of charge by the landlord to a prospective tenant.
Below are some answers to our most commonly asked questions,
Q. Does the Energy Performance Certificate need completing before a property is marketed?
A) Yes - the Certificate must be attached to the property details as supplied by the estate agent. Also proof must be provided that the legal documents and searches have been ordered by your Home Information Pack provider.
Q. How long does the Energy Performance Certificate last for?
A) For rented properties the EPC is valid for 10 years, so when changing tenants during this period no new EPC is required. This applies to both Private and Social Sector landlords.
Q. What is included in the Energy Performance Certificate?
A) An EPC will provide information on the existing energy efficiency status of your home and will also provide details of how this can be improved to reduce both carbon emissions and heating / energy costs. Dependant on the age of your property insulation grants may be available.
The Certificate will look broadly similar to a certificate on a refrigerator. Its purpose is to record in a clear way how energy efficient the home is as a building. Using colour charts, the EPC records the ‘current rating’ and compares this with a ‘potential rating’ which the owner should ideally aim for. Here is an example of an EPC below,