I have a 4 bedroom student house managed by a letting agency and want to 
manage it myself asI think the agency is overcharging me.  the tenancy 
agreement is an assured shorthold and each time it is signed to commence on 
the 1st July and terminate at the end of June (12 months).
I have the signed tenancy from the agency and it looks quite straight 
forward.  However, I don't know if the agency had to serve a pre-contract 
notice to the tenants or an end of tenancy notice.   I assume its simply a 
matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting 
for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on 
the last day of June?

One other matter, where is a good place to buy a tenancy agreement?

jane  wrote:

> I have a 4 bedroom student house managed by a letting agency and want to
> manage it myself asI think the agency is overcharging me.  the tenancy
> agreement is an assured shorthold and each time it is signed to commence on
> the 1st July and terminate at the end of June (12 months).
> I have the signed tenancy from the agency and it looks quite straight
> forward.  However, I don't know if the agency had to serve a pre-contract
> notice to the tenants or an end of tenancy notice.   I assume its simply a
> matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting
> for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on
> the last day of June?
> 
> One other matter, where is a good place to buy a tenancy agreement?

You are going to have to do a lot more research into Letting a property
if you intend doing it yourself.
There are many rules concerning let properties now, and although the
vast majority of Tenants are reasonable people, there are some who do
not take any care of the property, and do not pay the rent.
Could you sort that out yourself?
How about the new insulation inspection?
You do know you'll have to do that?
And gas / electric periodic inspections?
How about the separate, non-interest paying account for the deposit?

If your current agents are chraging around 10% of the rent, then I think
they are quite reasonable, if more than that, then maybe shop around to
get a cheaper agent, or do a lot of research in to letting, then
consider doing it yourself.
Alan.
-- 
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

"A.Lee" <alan@darkroom.+.com> wrote in message 
news:1ioctg3.itzwwayichhcN%alan@darkroom.+.com...
> jane  wrote:
>
>> I have a 4 bedroom student house managed by a letting agency and want to
>> manage it myself asI think the agency is overcharging me.  the tenancy
>> agreement is an assured shorthold and each time it is signed to commence 
>> on
>> the 1st July and terminate at the end of June (12 months).
>> I have the signed tenancy from the agency and it looks quite straight
>> forward.  However, I don't know if the agency had to serve a pre-contract
>> notice to the tenants or an end of tenancy notice.   I assume its simply 
>> a
>> matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting
>> for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on
>> the last day of June?
>>
>> One other matter, where is a good place to buy a tenancy agreement?
>
> You are going to have to do a lot more research into Letting a property
> if you intend doing it yourself.
> There are many rules concerning let properties now, and although the
> vast majority of Tenants are reasonable people, there are some who do
> not take any care of the property, and do not pay the rent.
> Could you sort that out yourself?

you are living in a fantasy land if you think that the agent will be any 
help with this (should it occur)

> How about the new insulation inspection?

A what?

> You do know you'll have to do that?
> And gas / electric periodic inspections?

You ring up your local CORGI registered man and ask him to service the 
boiler and provide a landlord's cert at the same time.

> How about the separate, non-interest paying account for the deposit?

Eh, how hard can this be.  In any case the landlord will now have to opt 
into a deposit protection scheme and I assume that these are geared up for 
owner managers (as there are many).

> If your current agents are chraging around 10% of the rent, then I think
> they are quite reasonable, if more than that, then maybe shop around to
> get a cheaper agent, or do a lot of research in to letting, then
> consider doing it yourself.

I accept that there are some (perhaps many) things that an agent does to 
help a landlord that many people might find difficult.  The above are not 
some of them.

tim

tim.....  wrote:

> "A.Lee" <alan@darkroom.+.com> wrote in message 
> news:1ioctg3.itzwwayichhcN%alan@darkroom.+.com...
> > jane  wrote:
> >  snip
> >>   I assume its simply a
> >> matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting
> >> for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on
> >> the last day of June?
> >>
> >> One other matter, where is a good place to buy a tenancy agreement?
> >
> > You are going to have to do a lot more research into Letting a property
> > if you intend doing it yourself.
> > There are many rules concerning let properties now, and although the
> > vast majority of Tenants are reasonable people, there are some who do
> > not take any care of the property, and do not pay the rent.
> > Could you sort that out yourself?
> 
> you are living in a fantasy land if you think that the agent will be any
> help with this (should it occur)

I deal with a Letting agent regularly, these do deal with such matters,
and if necessary, take Court action/eviction proceedings against errant
Tenants. They typically charge between 8 and 15%, dependant on the
property and rental price.
They deal with all Tenant credit checks, and deposit protection,
property maintenance etc, so all the Landlord has to do is sign the
Contract every 6 or 12 months, and they get a cheque every month when
the rent is paid.

> > How about the new insulation inspection?
> 
> A what?

Wrongly worded by me, I meant the Energy performance cert.:
<http://www.lawpack.co.uk/Knowledge/Property/LandlordAndTenancy/article1
719.asp>

> > You do know you'll have to do that?
> > And gas / electric periodic inspections?
> 
> You ring up your local CORGI registered man and ask him to service the
> boiler and provide a landlord's cert at the same time.

Err, yes, but again, if you had an agent doing the work, you would not
be bothered by such things. If however the Landlord did have time to do
it, then obviously they would save money.

> > How about the separate, non-interest paying account for the deposit?
> 
> Eh, how hard can this be.  In any case the landlord will now have to opt
> into a deposit protection scheme and I assume that these are geared up for
> owner managers (as there are many).

Yes, but it isnt so simple as first thought, you need a separate
account, that I unerstand needs to be a non-interest paying acccount. It
is more red tape that a Landlord may not be aware of.

> > If your current agents are chraging around 10% of the rent, then I think
> > they are quite reasonable, if more than that, then maybe shop around to
> > get a cheaper agent, or do a lot of research in to letting, then
> > consider doing it yourself.
> 
> I accept that there are some (perhaps many) things that an agent does to
> help a landlord that many people might find difficult.  The above are not
> some of them.

We must agree to disagree then. I think a good Agent is well worth the
10% of rental incone they take.
Alan.
-- 
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

Electric periodic inspections are not obligatory for non HMO's

They charge 10%, but to be reasonable it would have to reflect the level of 
service they provide.  And they don't provide a service worth more than 5% 
of the rent!  I have to spend time time to manage the managers...

" However, I don't know if the agency had to serve a pre-contract
>> notice to the tenants or an end of tenancy notice.   I assume its simply 
>> a
>> matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting
>> for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on
>> the last day of June" - do you know the answer?




"A.Lee" <alan@darkroom.+.com> wrote in message 
news:1ioctg3.itzwwayichhcN%alan@darkroom.+.com...
> jane  wrote:
>
>> I have a 4 bedroom student house managed by a letting agency and want to
>> manage it myself asI think the agency is overcharging me.  the tenancy
>> agreement is an assured shorthold and each time it is signed to commence 
>> on
>> the 1st July and terminate at the end of June (12 months).
>> I have the signed tenancy from the agency and it looks quite straight
>> forward.  However, I don't know if the agency had to serve a pre-contract
>> notice to the tenants or an end of tenancy notice.   I assume its simply 
>> a
>> matter of getting the tenants and m to sign the contract and then waiting
>> for it to expire so that they leave automatically without any reminder on
>> the last day of June?
>>
>> One other matter, where is a good place to buy a tenancy agreement?
>
> You are going to have to do a lot more research into Letting a property
> if you intend doing it yourself.
> There are many rules concerning let properties now, and although the
> vast majority of Tenants are reasonable people, there are some who do
> not take any care of the property, and do not pay the rent.
> Could you sort that out yourself?
> How about the new insulation inspection?
> You do know you'll have to do that?
> And gas / electric periodic inspections?
> How about the separate, non-interest paying account for the deposit?
>
> If your current agents are chraging around 10% of the rent, then I think
> they are quite reasonable, if more than that, then maybe shop around to
> get a cheaper agent, or do a lot of research in to letting, then
> consider doing it yourself.
> Alan.
> -- 
> To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.
>