Rental out our flat

NEH

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I'm in danger of being a complete Jeremiah so I'll duck out of this thread after this last post: it's entirely possible for you and your partner to do everything right and everything in the correct way but all you need is just one "professional" tenant to stop paying the rent and it could cause you months of stress and heartache and months and months of lost rent before you can get them out, and meanwhile they've trashed the place costing you thousand to put it right and you've still got to pay the mortgage on it. I do sincerely hope that will not happen to you. There are threads on here regularly describing exactly what I've just said

No I know where you're coming from Bitter and Twisted and it can be a nightmare and we know the risks and we've discussed them and discussed them with a financial advisor in the past but at the end of the day this is the decison we have come to. Thank you though, it's always good to be told the other side of the story...;)

theartfullodger

Yup you need to register with 't Council (criminal offence not to..) see
https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/Pages/Process.aspx?Command=ShowHomePage

I think you can do it online...

As suggested join SaL...
http://www.scottishlandlords.com/

You will need an EPC BEFORE you advertise the place or put it with an agent.. also Gas safety cert & (Scotland special condition) a electrical safety cert.

Advise tenant of PRHP (Look it up if yee dinnae ken..)

If the flat is on more than 1 floor you will need mains-interlinked smoke detectors on each floor.

Talk to the factor about the common areas & that you are renting.

Make sure you remain good friends with the neighbours & that they have your number... that way they'll 'phone you if there is a problem (irritating but may save on wrecked place/cannabis farm/brothel ...) [Brothels usually pay on time & regularly... as do cannabis farms]

Welcome to the fun world of property letting.

Cheers!

Lodger

PS Only rent if you have the emotional & financial resilience to cope with the "Tenant from Hell" who disnae pay for 9 months, you keep paying the mortgage, rack up legal bills... then he calls you in the 5th month @ 10:30pm Saturday night... "Toilet's leaking wodja gonna do??" - "Oh, sorry to hear that my dear chap, how long for??" "Dunno, 3, 4 weeks maybe" - and you MUST GET IT FIXED even though he ain't paid you...If you can't cope with that - don't do it....

NEH

theartfullodger wrote: »

Yup you need to register with 't Council (criminal offence not to..) see
https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/Pages/Process.aspx?Command=ShowHomePage

I think you can do it online...

As suggested join SaL...
http://www.scottishlandlords.com/

You will need an EPC BEFORE you advertise the place or put it with an agent.. also Gas safety cert & (Scotland special condition) a electrical safety cert.

Advise tenant of PRHP (Look it up if yee dinnae ken..)

If the flat is on more than 1 floor you will need mains-interlinked smoke detectors on each floor.

Talk to the factor about the common areas & that you are renting.

Make sure you remain good friends with the neighbours & that they have your number... that way they'll 'phone you if there is a problem (irritating but may save on wrecked place/cannabis farm/brothel ...) [Brothels usually pay on time & regularly... as do cannabis farms]

Welcome to the fun world of property letting.

Cheers!

Lodger

PS Only rent if you have the emotional & financial resilience to cope with the "Tenant from Hell" who disnae pay for 9 months, you keep paying the mortgage, rack up legal bills... then he calls you in the 5th month @ 10:30pm Saturday night... "Toilet's leaking wodja gonna do??" - "Oh, sorry to hear that my dear chap, how long for??" "Dunno, 3, 4 weeks maybe" - and you MUST GET IT FIXED even though he ain't paid you...If you can't cope with that - don't do it....

Thanks for that Artful Lodger, very much appreciated

When we register, presumably we submit the application and then let them know the agencies number afterwards or do we do it the other way around?

Who do we approach to get an EPC done and presumable we get that done before we sign up wtih an agent? No gas, only electric so we'll get that done when storage heater is replaced. Flat has a smoke alarm in lounge/bedroom and it is most definately working.

What do you mean by factor? (sorry to be thick) we'll have to give our number to the neghbour opposite as the one next door we don't really know, company rental and the guy comes and goes when he has meeting presumably...

As for toilets leaking etc, we're hoping the agent can deal with that first and foremost and then we can take over if it's more serious. We have to get an agent as we can't manage it ourselves not being near the property...

and after nearly 3 months of trying to sort out a major drain problem in our new property and my landlord is one of my most regular callers and having to deal with the likes of Scottish water who think that urgent is if you send them out within the month it's ok, then we have some resiliance, hopefully that'll be enough....

theartfullodger

Thanks for that Artful Lodger, very much appreciated

When we register, presumably we submit the application and then let them know the agencies number afterwards or do we do it the other way around? - Ask your council.

Who do we approach to get an EPC done and presumable we get that done before we sign up wtih an agent? Agent will know people, try "Google" , SaL...

No gas, only electric so we'll get that done when storage heater is replaced. Flat has a smoke alarm in lounge/bedroom and it is most definately working.

What do you mean by factor? (sorry to be thick) we'll have to give our number to the neghbour opposite as the one next door we don't really know, company rental and the guy comes and goes when he has meeting presumably... You are in a flat: You mention a Landlord: Someone must (?? hopefully) manage the common areas (eg roof, stairs...) usually called a "Factor" in God's ain country... you'll usually need to tell them what you are doing/get permission, ditto Landlord

As for toilets leaking etc, we're hoping the agent can deal with that first and foremost and then we can take over if it's more serious. We have to get an agent as we can't manage it ourselves not being near the property...Nice idea but the contract is with you, (Agent is just that An agent).. And the agent may fire you if it proves too difficult... and the tenant can always contact you direct...

and after nearly 3 months of trying to sort out a major drain problem in our new property and my landlord is one of my most regular callers and having to deal with the likes of Scottish water who think that urgent is if you send them out within the month it's ok, then we have some resiliance, hopefully that'll be enough....

Cheers!

Lodger

NEH

theartfullodger wrote: »

Thanks for that Artful Lodger, very much appreciated

When we register, presumably we submit the application and then let them know the agencies number afterwards or do we do it the other way around? - Ask your council.

Who do we approach to get an EPC done and presumable we get that done before we sign up wtih an agent? Agent will know people, try "Google" , SaL...

No gas, only electric so we'll get that done when storage heater is replaced. Flat has a smoke alarm in lounge/bedroom and it is most definately working.

What do you mean by factor? (sorry to be thick) we'll have to give our number to the neghbour opposite as the one next door we don't really know, company rental and the guy comes and goes when he has meeting presumably... You are in a flat: You mention a Landlord: Someone must (?? hopefully) manage the common areas (eg roof, stairs...) usually called a "Factor" in God's ain country... you'll usually need to tell them what you are doing/get permission, ditto Landlord

As for toilets leaking etc, we're hoping the agent can deal with that first and foremost and then we can take over if it's more serious. We have to get an agent as we can't manage it ourselves not being near the property...

and after nearly 3 months of trying to sort out a major drain problem in our new property and my landlord is one of my most regular callers and having to deal with the likes of Scottish water who think that urgent is if you send them out within the month it's ok, then we have some resiliance, hopefully that'll be enough....

Cheers!

Lodger

Sorry to confuse you we own the flat, I mentioned our landlord for the house we have moved into doesn't appear to be on the register so we will have to ask him this week.....sorry I went off at a tangent then...:o


There is a £20 fee that goes to one of the neighbours to help manage the communal garden and change the lightblubs in the hall etc...He knows we are about to rent the flat out....

One query about the agent, you see when I rented wehad to ring the agent up to get anything fixed are you saying that now teh agent can't do that and it has to go through us?

theartfullodger

Nope:

It should all go though the agent & I'm sure he is an honourable, honest and excellent chap...
- but the legal responsibilities remain with you and if there are problems you need the resilience & if the tenant prefers to contact you he may do that...

Good luck!

Lodger

NEH

theartfullodger wrote: »

Nope:

It should all go though the agent & I'm sure he is an honourable, honest and excellent chap...
- but the legal responsibilities remain with you and if there are problems you need the resilience & if the tenant prefers to contact you he may do that...

Good luck!

Lodger

hmm, honourable, honest and excellent, wouldn't describe any of my former solicitors/agents....;):rotfl:

Thanks for all the help....

missile

NEH wrote: »

Sorry to confuse you we own the flat, I mentioned our landlord for the house we have moved ...?

Please tell me you are not moving into rented accomodation and renting out your home in the expectation of making a profit?

NEH

missile wrote: »

Please tell me you are not moving into rented accomodation and renting out your home in the expectation of making a profit?

No we had no option but to move into rented accomodation as my husband is self employed with a year old business and getting another mortgage especially in this current market is nigh on impossible....We don't intend to make a profit, not sure how you can when your dealing with two rented properties...

theartfullodger

.We don't intend to make a profit,

May I 'umbly suggest you plan to make a loss??? It's very easy to lose money on your sort of deal, sorry, especially if there are problems, better be prepared...

Hope itr works out

Lodger