If you are a
landlord or a tenant, Orchard Property Services are here to match
the right properties with the right tenants using our proactive
dedicated and experienced letting negotiators and property management
staff, providing an all round quality service to meet both landlord's
and tenant's expectations.
No matter if
you are an individual landlord, have an extensive property portfolio
or a tenant who is looking to rent a property for the first time,
you will appreciate our exceptional knowledge of the rental market
and our impressive customer care skills
Orchard Property
Services offer a nationwide lettings services and are based in Uxbridge
West London, letting properties predominantly throughout Middlesex,
Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
For more information
for landlords and details of letting your property, please contact
us and request an information pack to be sent to you.
Accidental
Landlords unaware of regulation, 9
April 2009
'Accidental
landlords' or 'Amateur landlords' - those that let out their
property to avoid selling at a loss - are providing a welcome
boost to the supply of housing at a time of very high demand
for private rented homes, according to Paragon Mortgages.
Paragon
Mortgages' managing director John Heron (pictured) has warned
that many of these landlords may be ignorant of the large
number of regulations involved in letting property. It is
estimated that there are more than 50 Acts of Parliament
and 70 sets of regulations governing the private rented
sector. Landlords risk fines if they let out their property
without complying with the necessary legislation.
Heron
said: "The onus is on the landlord to make sure they
comply with all regulations and they are liable if something
goes wrong, even if they employ the services of a letting
or managing agent. Ignorance of legislation is not a defence.
"People
that are letting out property they have been unable to sell
are unlikely to have a detailed understanding of the legal
requirements they have to comply with. For example, do they
have an Energy Performance Certificate for the property
or do they have a Gas Safety Certificate? What have they
done with the tenant's deposit and have they got adequate
insurance in place? Failure to comply with certain regulations
could not only result in heavy fines, it could also mean
a custodial sentence."
Heron
also added: "The only solution is for landlords - accidental
or experienced - to ensure they have a thorough understanding
of relevant regulations. Getting help with this is not difficult.
It would make sense to join the National Landlords Association,
which provides a wealth of information and advice to their
members.
Rental
market growing at record rate - RICS, 19
August, 2008
The
rental market is booming according to the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors’ Lettings Survey, with new instructions
to let in the last quarter increasing at the fastest pace
in the survey's history.
RICS
found 43% more surveyors reported a rise than a fall in
landlord instructions compared to 35% in the previous quarter.
New instructions to let houses and flats increased at the
fastest pace in the survey's history with 47% and 39% more
Chartered Surveyors reporting a rise than a fall respectively.
Surveyors
reported that frustrated vendors have been placing their
property in the market to let as they have been unable to
agree sales due to a lack of demand in the housing market.
Rents
have continued to rise while house prices fall, driving
gross yields upwards, according to RICS, though rental expectations
fell slightly with some surveyors expecting over-supply
to push rents downwards in the next quarter.
James
Scott-Lee, spokesperson for RICS, commented: "The lettings
market is booming with many vendors opting to rent their
property while sales in the housing market continue to dry
up. Many are willing to hold and await the return of capital
appreciation. Becoming a landlord is now an increasingly
profitable option with rising rents and yields offering
good returns.
“Established
investors have been reaping the benefits of the housing
downturn for sometime and will continue to do so in the
short term. However, ever increasing supply could have an
impact on rental growth as tenant options increase."
Self-regulation
for lettings,
15 August, 2008
David Salusbury,
chairman, of the National Landlords Association, has welcomed
the Law Commission report Housing: Encouraging Responsible
Letting.
Commenting on
it, he said: "The National Landlords Association welcomes
many of the staged reforms the Law Commission proposes.
In fact, further enhancing good practice to build on voluntary
self-regulation can only be a good thing for both landlords
and tenants. We are pleased to see the recognition that
local authorities have an important role to play in the
enforcement of regulation.
"It is critical
to assess this report alongside the other reports and consultations
to ensure we break this 'piecemeal' approach to the private-rented
sector.”
The Law Commission’s
report follows wide consultation with both landlords and
tenants. It focuses on improving the overall coherence and
stability of the current private rental framework in a cost-effective
way.
Based on the
principles of smart regulation, the Commission recommends
a programme of staged reforms designed to promote self-regulation
and enhance voluntary initiatives already in place in England
and Wales. The proposals include:
- Creating a
housing standards monitor (for each of England and Wales)
for the private rented sector
- Establishing an associated stakeholder board to which
representatives of all sides of the private residential
rented property sector are appointed
- Developing a single code of housing management practice
for landlords
- Making landlord accreditation schemes available in every
local authority area
- Launching a pilot programme for home condition certificates
The Commission
proposes that independent evaluation and development of
appropriate incentives to make the programme attractive
to landlords should supplement these initiatives.
From
the 1st October 2008 Landlords offering property to rent will
be legally required to provide prospective tenants with an
Energy Performance Certificate, do you require an EPC?
