Finding the right tenant for your property can be stressful and time consuming. Using an agent can save you a great deal of time, money and stress. At Affinity we have access to a database of tenants ready and waiting to move in. We will also guide you through the ever-changing regulations in order to keep you and your property safe and the right side of the law.
From the moment you hand us your property, we will begin marketing to our existing database as well as featuring on our website and property portals. The rental market is in high demand and properties are moving quickly. So rest assured we will be doing everything possible to limit the amount of time your property is sitting empty.
Affinity offers a range of services to suit individual clients' needs. Whether you're a residential landlord with a single property or commercial landlord with multiple sites, we can offer a service that's both professional and value for money.
Depending on the service you choose, our fees vary. Please click on our Landlord Fees page to see our full list of fees and services
Our full management service includes the following:
- Fully referenced tenants
- Detailed inventories and schedule of condition
- Health and safety report
- Up to date legal documentation
- Regular property visits
- Monthly payments into your account
- Email or postal monthly statements
- Full maintenance service
- Legal help and advice throughout tenancy
- Regular rent reviews
We will pay over all rents collected between 2nd - 5th of every month directly into your chosen bank account and provide you with an emailed statement to accompany the payment.
As part of our service we endeavour to make sure that your tenant pays their rent on time. However, people's circumstances can change during a tenancy and if for any reason the rent is not paid, we will advise you on the best course of action
We ask tenants to provide a deposit per property of up to 5 weeks rent.This is then held with the Deposit Protection Service. This is the only custodial scheme authorised by the Government. A custodial scheme requires that the money paid by the tenant is physically paid over to DPS to safeguard for the duration of the tenancy. The deposit will be repaid at the end of the tenancy when both parties have reached an agreement on its distribution.
Yes. As from 1st October 2015 this is now law. A property must have a smoke alarm on each habitable floor, it can be battery operated and does not have to be mains wired.
As of 1st October 2022 a property must now also have a carbon monoxide alarm where there are solid fuel burning appliances i.e. log burners and open fires and within 3 meters of a gas boiler.
It is the tenant's responsibility to regularly test these alarms and a routine check will be made by an Affinity staff member during a property inspection. It is a landlords responsibility to replace any faulty/old alarms.
For any property with its own gas supply (even if it's just a meter), you are required by law to have a 'Landlord Gas Safety Record' carried out by a Gas Safe Registered engineer who will supply you with a record of the safety test, a copy of which must be issued to your tenant. We can arrange all of this for you.
Yes, from 1st July 2020 all new tenancies must have an ECIR report in place (Electrical Fixed Wire Test) which can last for up to 5years between each test.
By April 2021 ALL rental properties must have test certificate in place.
See the Government Information on this topic here
In addition, regulations state that you must not jeopardise the safety of your tenant(s) therefore all electrics within the property including switches, sockets, lights, plugs, appliances etc. need to be at least 'visually checked' as part of the health and safety risk assessment before each new occupation of the property. We will handle this for you as part of our included inventory service. N.B. if your property is a HMO (house in multiple occupation) you may well be required to have a PAT (portable appliance test) carried out as well.
In short, yes, providing you are happy to maintain and replace any items that may break. Please do ensure it is of a good standard and could not be considered hazardous in any way, also that it is in keeping with the property and therefore aids in attracting a tenant.
If you are leaving soft furnishings such as beds, mattresses, sofas, cushions etc. then by law these items must have been constructed post 1988 to meet today's fire regulations for rental properties. They should also carry the appropriate fire protection labelling.
The simple answer is No. Whilst many tenants may not initially object, you do need to be mindful of the tenants implied right of Quiet Enjoyment which is a legal term meaning as the landlord or the landlord's agent, we may not persistently contact the tenant and must leave them to live in peace. Breach of this can be considered as harassment which is heavily frowned upon by the courts.
Absolutely! We're here to help you achieve the most from your investment so at every tenancy renewal we will review your rent in line with the current market and when appropriate, increase your asking rent accordingly.
Of course, as part of our full management plan we offer a maintenance service. We utilise a whole panel of preferred contractors who have passed our strict criteria and continue to meet our quality standards and pricing checks, to ensure you are getting a good standard of work within your property, for a fair price.
Yes, it's your property and you may set out your rules with regard to smoking and pets. The law does require you to give your consideration to requests from tenants wishing to house pets or smoke in your property and in certain circumstances it may not give you such cause for concern. For example, if you intend to redecorate or refurbish the property in the near future, it may not seem such an issue to perhaps allow a cat or an occasional smoker for the next tenancy. Or even a dog that is used in the aiding of those with a hearing impairment.
Tenants are just like any other person. Some of us thrive on hours in the fresh air tending to a garden, and for others they could think of nothing worse. In general, it would be wise to assume it is highly unlikely that a tenant will invest vast amounts of time and money into achieving a show stopping landscaped garden for you. However, it would not be wrong to expect the lawn to be mowed, small shrubs trimmed and weeds pulled up. If you have a particularly nice or large garden it may well be in your interest to include the cost of a gardener within the rent. That way you will have peace of mind that your outdoor space is being kept in order. Please do note that large hedges, trees and ivy remain the landlord's responsibility to have trimmed back during a tenancy. We will inform you of anything that needs attention during our routine property inspections.
Yes absolutely! We take the laws and legislation around our industry very seriously and with an industry legal trainer at our helm we are always the first off the mark to ensure compliance
Affinity are members of:
(View our certificates by clicking on the links below)
Property Redress Scheme (PRS)
Client Money Protection (CMP)
Residential Landlord Association (RLA)
ICO registered for GDPR (Data Protection)
Private Rented Sector Accreditation Scheme
Deposit Protection Service - Agency No. 1361309
On the rare occasions when circumstances change for tenants and their ability to pay rent is compromised, there are options that you can take:
We will first notify you straight away of any issues to enable you to best plan your finances
We will ascertain the tenants current position to see if things can't be resolved swiftly. Perhaps just a few more days are required due to a change of job etc
In some cases, if their has been a loss of employment or relationship breakdown the best course of action is for a tenant to make a claim for Housing Benefit to cover all of part of the rent. There may be a delay in the processing of this with the local authority, but please be assured that we will be actively 'chasing' any claim through their system
In situations whereby a resolve cannot be found we will advise you on the appropriate course of action with regard to serving notice to bring the tenancy to an end as swiftly as legally possible.
We will be with you every step of the way!
Yes, that's correct
A tenant may be claiming benefits to aid with their rental payments for all sorts of reasons, disabilities included. As such, properties are available for all to apply for and candidates are put forward based on their affordability for the property, however their income may be derived. We obtain evidence of an applicants affordability as part of our referencing process
In Milton Keynes a license is only required for an HMO property which is defined in law as:
The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018
The new definition removes the 3-storey requirement which means that a HMO will fall within the mandatory licensing regime if it:
1. Is occupied by 5 or more persons;
2. Is occupied by persons living in two or more separate households;
Other areas of the UK have introduced 'Selective Licensing' requiring all landlord to hold a license to rent out their properties.
We are happy to help and advise on these areas and take the burden of property management away from you with out fully managed service
Milton Keynes is our home town and where the vast majority of our portfolio can be found, but we do travel further afield to cater for our portfolio clients with properties being let and managed in:
Dorset
Cambridge
Huntingdon
Oxford
Kent
Buckingham
Bedford
Luton
Dunstable
Leighton Buzzard
Northampton
Towcester
Birmingham
Tring
Aylesbury
With new areas being added all of time ...
Absolutely! Whether it is a block of 2 or a block of 100 we can manage the whole development / estate. See our Block Management information pages for more details
Along side the letting and management of our large portfolio of privately owned client properties in the private let 'professionals' sector;
We also provide our expertise and management services to Local Authorities, managing blocks of accommodation for them including those used for temporary accommodation for families awaiting their more long term placements, care leavers and social services placements.
Our team at Affinity are trained and competent to work across all sectors of the property rental industry.
If you are a portfolio landlord and would like to know how you could make a difference in social housing with the provision of some housing stock/accommodation, do get in touch. We would be happy to talk through this with you.
Yes read the How to Let Guide which was last updated in December 2020.
The tenants obligation to pay the rent is unchanged, they are contracted to pay the rent and the Government has provided many funding avenues to allow them to continue to do so. Rules surrounding eviction have temporarily changed extending notices from 2 months to now 6 months. Eviction orders through the courts were suspended throughout Summer 2020 but this has now been lifted.
See the Governments full guidance here
A good easy read guide on this topic has been published. There are still some finer details for the government to work out, but this guide should make things a little clearer for you.
Abolishing Section 21 made clearer
