So Olympic fever has well and truly set in with 2 gold medals in one day…what an achievement and it doesn’t stop there! More medal chances for today and expectant fans ready and waiting. This expectancy issue is something that we Brits do suffer from, but it doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

We find that expectancy within the letting industry is not necessarily very high to due to so many years of poor service from under experienced and non-licensed agents. This works in our favour as a privately owned, independently run and fully licensed lettings agency as we aim to exceed the expectations of our clients at every possible opportunity.

Please share your experiences as either a landlord or a tenant in times that you have not received what you would have expected from your agent…

At Gordon Barker Residential lettings we believe there are 3 main ways to review the rent on your rental property; by agreement between landlord and tenant at anytime, by way of a rent review clause in your tenancy agreement or under section 13 of the Housing act 1988.

By agreement between landlord and tenant is self explanatory and rent review clause the same, but beware that any such review clause must comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations and be seen as fair to both parties, a general clause that allows the landlord to review and increase the rent as he/she sees fit is likely to be unenforceable. However if there is a valid rent review clause in the agreement an increase upon the rent is more likely to be enforceable, especially if it can be justified by a recognised/established factor.

Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 uses a formal procedure to propose a rent increase, this can only be increased after a fixed term has ended and this facility can only be used once every 12 months. It is advised that should you look to increase the rent through this process you enlist the help of a legal professional as a proposal could be referred to the Rent Assessment Committee and if the proposal is too high or does not follow the prescribed form it could be struck out.

Increasing rent is a risky procedure and should always be done in line with current legislation and also market value for the property. Aim too high and you will lose the good tenant you have which will cost you more in the long term to recoup the lost rent should they vacate. An increase of just £25 on an £800 per month property would take 32 months to recoup should the property be empty for just one month…is that rent increase worth it?? And that’s without the expensive fees you pay to a high street agency to re-let the property for you…

What are your thoughts??

It is seen that a pet in a property is a bad idea and there are huge number of properties in the local area that do not allow pets and will stay empty purely because of this…so what can a landlord or an agent do to safeguard against the pitfalls of allowing pets into a rental property?

We believe that a pet is only as good as its owner, so full referencing of the owners is just as vital as anything else in this situation. Has the owner rented previously with the pet? If the owner is currently renting a property and the pet is with them there then make reference to that in the references undertaken to ensure the current or previous landlord’s comments on the owner having the pet at the property.

There are 2 further instruments at your disposal as a Landlord or an agent, the deposit and the tenancy agreement. Ensure that the tenancy agreement includes a clause stating that if the property has been rented to a tenant with a pet then the tenant has obtained written consent from the landlord or agent that the pet is allowed at the property and also a clause that states that if a pet was present at the property then the property is to be cleaned to a professional standard prior to the end of the tenancy and a carpet cleaning receipt is kept for evidence of this. A full professional clean, including carpets, should lower and almost eradicate the risk of any unwanted ‘presents’ or ‘friends’ being left at the property following the vacation of the tenant and the pet.

If you have any questions or comments regarding renting to tenants with pets call us now or leave your comments below…