Preparing to Let Checklist

Preparing to Let your property can be a very stressful process. At Samuel Estates, we are here to assist you every step of the way. We believe that letting your home or entrusting us with your investment portfolio is a big decision. It’s up to us to ensure your property is rented quickly and to reliable tenants, achieving the best price possible.  

Here are some of the things we recommend checking before deciding to rent your property. 

The condition of a property makes a huge difference. Decorating properties in neutral colours, with modern kitchens and bathrooms, tends to ensure it rents out much faster and achieves higher rents.  

Standard home insurance will be invalid when letting out your property, and you will need a specialist landlord policy. We can arrange all of this for you and provide you with a choice of suitable policies upon request.

We have found that 80% of tenants in London tend to opt for a furnished property. We can advise you on what to leave and what to remove. We can also help organise furniture, redecoration and window coverings before a tenancy commences.  

Most tenancy agreements are for an initial term of one or two years, with the option to insert mutually agreed break clauses. Please ask the lettings team handling your property for further details.  

We strongly recommend carrying out a professional clean when you let your property for the first time. This ensures the property is noted as professionally clean on your inventory and check-in and the tenants have to return the property in the same state of cleanliness.  

A professionally drawn up inventory agreed upon by an Inventory Clerk and tenant acts as a safeguard for you from any unwarranted disputes at the end of the tenancy. At check-out, the keys are returned, and the inventory is once again referred to. By not having an inventory, you will have little or no evidence of the property’s condition at the start of the tenancy, and it would be difficult to make any deductions from a tenants deposit.  

In most cases, the tenant(s) are responsible for paying all gas, electricity, telephone, water, council tax and television licence bills during the tenancy. If the property is leasehold, the landlord is responsible for paying any ground rent and service charges that may fall due.  

All appliances, including the boiler, must be in good working order and serviced as per the Manufacturer’s instructions. We will provide all tenants moving into a managed property a “Managed Property Information Guide” that contains operating and instruction manuals for all appliances and electrical equipment. We will also inspect the property before the tenancy commencing to confirm everything is in working order.