Lettings

Introduction to Lettings

Whether you are looking to rent, let your home, invest in a buy-to-let property or add to your portfolio, our staff are able to help.

As a landlord we can help market your property, source your tenants, draw up contracts, facilitate rent collections and oversee your asset. We look to minimise costly void periods and maximise the return on your investment. If you are looking to rent, our specialist team can help by finding the most suitable property for you; from modern studio apartment to country cottage. Having invested greatly in training, marketing and property management software; we are able to provide the most efficient service possible, our staff will make sure that the property is compliant and safe making sure all legal requirements are met.

We provide Landlords with peace of mind by offering a professional and high quality service. With services such as; strategic marketing, lease agreements and comprehensive inspection reports. Our experienced Property Management teams will look after everything in regards to the tenancy from daily maintenance reports to annual rent reviews.

All the staff here at BrightWater are highly skilled professionals with many years of expertise between them. Whilst embracing the principles of quality customer care, our aim is to provide unrivalled expertise in our market place. Backed by a team of fully dedicated professionals and extensive property marketing we can ensure that the best tenant is found.

We know what it takes to deliver success for our clients. It’s really quite simple: it’s a combination of what we do and how we do it and we constantly strive to do things better and to go the extra mile for our clients. We strive to exceed our clients' expectations.

The Letting Process

Letting your property doesn’t have to be complicated. We take the stress out of letting your property by doing the work for you. Our team of lettings experts are trained to match the right tenant to their ideal property and make the process as easy as possible for landlords.

Property Valuation

• Suggestions to enhance your property appeal / maximise rental income
• Valuation report delivered within 24 hours
• An experienced member of the BrightWater team will initially view the property to assess its rental value. At this point we will answer any questions you may have and determine the most suitable service to meet your requirements. Our rental valuations are based on a number of internal and external factors including current market conditions, comparable properties in the area, and our agent’s expert local knowledge.

Marketing your property

• Bespoke marketing for your property
• Exclusive pre-marketing to qualified tenants
• We will start marketing your property on the major property portals as well as our own website. We will also get in touch with out database of tenants and start conducting viewings straight away. We will then consult with you regarding the offers we receive and help to decide the best tenant for you. In order to maximise property exposure, your property will also be advertised on our Social Media sites; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and You Tube.

Negotiations

• We aim to have offers finalised within 24 hours
• Pre-referencing checks are obtained
• Once a tenant has decided that your property is the ideal match, they will complete a written offer form, which will include the full details of the proposed occupiers. If we receive multiple applications, we will discuss with you which application you would like to move forward with.

Referencing

• Thorough referencing checks are carried out
• Ensuring tenants are matched with the most suitable property
• Arguably the most important factor when letting a property is the prospective tenant/s. The whole success of Lettings depends on finding the perfect tenant. If an applicant wishes to proceed with a tenancy, Brightwater will assess their suitability. Our thorough reference checks firstly explore whether each tenant is creditworthy by financial background checks. Alongside this we obtain employer and previous landlord references. Applicants have to meet strict guidelines in order to move forward with the tenancy and in some cases will require a Guarantor who can guarantee the rent for the duration of the Tenancy.

Move in

• All legal documents are provided to the tenant prior to move in
• Fully Managed service includes checking the tenants into their property and providing a welcome hamper
• We will organise all certificates and legislative documents to provide to the tenant upon move in. This includes; the How to Rent Guide, the DPS Prescribed information form, the DPS Terms of Business, the standing order form, a condensation leaflet and the properties EPC, Gas Safety Certificate and Electrical Safety Certificate.
• Brightwater also will organise the inventory of the property which is carried out by a third party company the day before the new tenants move in. We organise collecting the final monies for the tenancy as well as taking photocopies of all keys for the tenant to collect and sign for. Furthermore, we ensure a tenants right to rent ID is taken and checked prior to any move in.
• If you have chosen the management service we will arrange for all the utilities including council tax to be changed from the previous tenants into the new tenants name. We will also arrange to meet the tenants at the property on the day of their move in to provide them with a welcome hamper and to run through any information about the property and it’s appliances.

Deposits

• We can lodge the deposit for you
• Ensuring we are constantly up-to-date with new legislations
• If requested by yourselves we will register the deposit.
• Under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004 every Landlord or Letting Agent that takes a deposit for an Assured Short-hold Tenancy in England and Wales must join a Tenancy Deposit Scheme. The new regulations came into effect in 2007. The purpose of this regulation is to ensure good practice. The secondary purpose of the new regulations is to try and keep disputes between Landlords and Tenants out of the courts by encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Choosing the right agent

Finding the right Agent for you is important. Here are some important qualities all Agency’s should have:

• They are a member of a professional body
• Have client money protection
• An in-house property management department
• Referencing includes affordability of being able to pay the rent
• Carry out regular property inspections
• Finding you the best tenant, not necessarily the first one to apply
• Market your property not only on web portals but on social media
• Professional, Friendly and Trustworthy