1. What services do you offer to residential landlords?
Our experienced St Albans letting agents provide a free property valuation to help landlords understand their property’s market value. We offer three flexible lettings services to meet your needs:
- Find Tenant Only: Tenant sourcing with no ongoing management.
- Let and Collect: We find tenants and handle rent collection.
- Full Property Management: Comprehensive management, including tenant sourcing, rent collection, property inspections, and maintenance.
All services are supported by our friendly, ARLA qualified team. For landlords with larger rental portfolios, we also offer customised property management solutions tailored to your needs.
2. How do you carry out reference checks for prospective tenants?
We conduct thorough background checks on all prospective tenants through an independent credit referencing agency to assess their financial suitability. Landlords can review the results at any time to ensure they’re confident in the tenant's reliability and suitability for the property.
3. What are the advantages of using a fully managed service?
The Fully Managed Service lets you enjoy peace of mind, knowing your property is expertly managed. We handle everything from rent collection and maintenance to ensuring compliance with safety regulations and managing tenant deposits. Our service keeps you professionally separated from tenants, so you can relax while we take care of the details.
4. How do you protect the tenant’s deposit?
To protect the tenant's deposit, our St Albans & Hertfordshire letting agents register both landlord and tenant details with the government-approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme at the start of the tenancy. When the tenancy ends, we conduct a thorough property inspection and, if necessary, negotiate any deposit deductions with the tenant. This ensures a fair and transparent process for both parties.
5. Do you carry out the required Right To Rent checks?
Under UK law, a residential tenancy cannot be offered unless the applicant is eligible to rent. Tenants must be citizens of Britain or Ireland, hold settled status, or have no time limit on their stay. Applicants with a time-limited right to stay may also be eligible. Right to Rent checks are carried out through a manual document check (in the presence of the holder) or via identity verification technology, ensuring that all applicants are legally allowed to rent in Britain.
6. Is an inventory necessary?
An inventory records the condition and contents of your property before the tenant moves in. Our inventories are designed to note this information in great detail, using photographs and written reporting. This information can be used as evidence if anything is found missing or damaged at the end of the tenancy.
7. Are landlords liable to pay tax on their rental income?
Yes, whether you are based in the UK or living overseas, you will still be liable to pay tax on the income you receive from your rental property. You can find out more by visiting the government website.
8. Am I responsible for paying Council Tax and utility bills?
The tenant is responsible for paying Council Tax. They should also pay their own utility bills (including – but not limited to - gas, electricity, water rates, telephone and broadband) unless you include those expenses as part of the rental agreement.
9. How do you ensure that my rental property will be kept in good order?
As trusted letting agents in St Albans, we prioritise the upkeep of your rental property. We conduct regular inspections to ensure everything is in excellent condition and promptly address any repair or maintenance issues.
10. What does it cost to let out my property?
The cost varies depending on the service you choose. For instance, Let and Collect (tenant finding and rent collection) is more affordable than Full Management. A full list of landlord fees can be found on our website. We recommend considering whether you'd like to be a hands-on landlord or prefer us to manage the day-to-day tasks for you.
11. How will Collinson Hall send my rental payments?
If you choose Let and Collect or Full Management, we will collect rental payments and pay them directly to your bank account, after deducting agreed fees or expenses. Our in-house accounting and financial team will supply monthly/quarterly statements of account. If your tenant should default on rental payments, we will use all reasonable means to recover late payments or arrears.
12. What are my legal obligations as a landlord?
Our Guide to Letting a Property outlines your key legal responsibilities:
- Gas Safety Certificate (GSC): Ensure all gas appliances, pipes, and flues are safe, with an annual check by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.
- Electrical Compliance: Carry out an Installation Survey or arrange Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for all electrical devices provided.
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Install smoke alarms on every level and CO detectors in rooms with solid fuel-burning appliances (e.g., log stoves or open fireplaces). Test them when the tenant moves in.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): The property must have a minimum EPC rating of ‘E’, which will change to ‘C’ for all new tenancies starting in 2025.
13. How does the Property Ombudsman help landlords?
Collinson Hall is committed to offering a professional service to its clients and customers. The Property Ombudsman is an independent organisation set up to deal with complaints, where lettings agents breach conduct and management rules.
