General Information
Tenancy Agreement
BPL can prepare a tenancy agreement using our standard tenancy agreement.
There will be no charge for this service. We can also tailor our standard form
to your personal needs. Where a landlord uses his or her own agreement, BPL will
not accept any liability for its effectiveness.
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Housing Act 1988
A tenancy granted to an individual on or after 15th January 1989 is subject
to the housing act 1988. When the landlord wishes to end the tenancy, he or she
is required to serve a minimum of two months notice. On instruction BPL will
serve notice on your behalf.
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Tenant Referencing
All prospective tenants are interviewed before being recommended. If accepted
full referencing will then take place via an independent referencing agency or
alternatively, a manual referencing system will be used. The following
references will be obtained where possible:
* EMPLOYERS * PERSONAL REFERENCE * BANK REFERENCE * * PREVIOUS LANDLORD (if
applicable) * GUARANTOR (if applicable) *
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Deposit
The deposit is held in a stakeholder account. The amount remains the property
of the tenant until the extent of any dilapidation has been agreed. BPL will not
release the deposit without the consent of both the tenant and landlord or his
or her agent. For our letting only service (silver) the deposit will be passed
on to the landlord to hold until the expiry of the tenancy.
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Inventory
It is important to have a detailed inventory of your property. If we are
retained as your property managers, BPL will prepare a list of items, that will
include furniture, fixtures and fittings. The tenants deposit will be held
against any damages or excess wear and tear shown against the inventory. RENT
PAYMENT
If you choose our rent collection (gold) or full management (platinum)
service's, the rent will be paid into your bank account or forwarded on to you
within ten working days, each time the rental is paid by the tenant.
If you choose the collection only service (silver), the first months rent
will be collected in advance. There after the landlord will be responsible for
collecting the rent.
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Mortgaged Properties
You should notify your bank if you are thinking of letting your property. It
is usually one of the conditions of your mortgage that you apply for permission
to sub-let your property. We also recommend that your building and content
insurers are advised of your plans, as they too need altering to cover a third
part residing at the property.
Bpl will be happy to recommend a free independent advisor.
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Legal Costs
Should there be at any time a need to take action against the tenant,
the landlord will be responsible for this action plus any necessary costs incurred.
For our full management service (platinum) we will offer you free legal
advice relating to your tenancy.
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Transfer of Services
If you have employed BPL as your managing agent the only service that we are
not able to transfer for you is the telephone, as BT will only deal with the
subscriber and not with a third party. Your assistance will also be welcome
dealing with any final meter readings or notification of services. All other
amenities will be transferred for you.
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Prior to Letting
The landlord must ensure that the property is well cleaned throughout. All
appliances, heating and water systems must be in good working order. Windows
should be cleaned and gardens maintained. Clear instructions must be left for
the tenant explaining how everything works.
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Safety Regulations
Whether you require our introduction service, collection or management
services, you as landlord have the responsibility for the safety of both the
tenant and your own property during the tenancy.
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Gas Safety (installations and use) Regulations 1994
These regulations place the onus on the landlord and his agent to ensure that
the gas installation and appliances in the property are certified as being safe
by a CORGI qualified fitter, and are serviced and re-certificated every twelve
months.
We can arrange for a corgi fitter to carry out all safety checks on your
behalf.
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Fire and Furnishings (safety) Regulations 1988 (1993)
All soft furnishings such as settees, sofas, beds, padded chairs etc must
comply with the fire resistance requirements contained within the regulations.
Usually a label is attached to the item of furniture to confirm it is
acceptable. We will at all times check your furniture and advise you
accordingly.
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Between Letting and Re-letting
We strongly recommend that you keep your property up to BPL's code of letting
standards. By doing so you will have no problems in re-letting your property.
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BPL's Code of Letting Standards
- Kitchens must be clean and tidy and contain fridge/freezer, washing machine,
oven/hob.
- There should be a designated dinning area in the house, containing
enough room for all occupants to be seated around the table.
- The living room
should have enough seating space for all occupants.
- The bathroom should be
fitted with a shower.
- Every bedroom should contain a bed, wardrobe and chest
of draws. (if it is student accommodation we would recommend a desk and chair in
each room)
- Property should be centrally heated.
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