Letting Agent Talk
How to weigh up a potential property investment – Rental Yield Vs Return on Capital Invested.
How to weigh up a potential property investment When you register with your local estate agents for a potential investment purchase, it won’t take long before you are asked “what yield are you looking for?”. Traditionally this measure has been used to assess the potential return provided by an investment and is calculated by taking…
Alex Evans
Top 10 questions to ask before instructing a letting agent.
After buying a new rental investment property, the next job is to find tenants! Letting agents come in all shapes and sizes, but sorting the wheat from the chaff might be a harder task than you’d think. We’ve put together a list of the most important questions to ask a prospective agent before instructing them…
Alex Evans
10 tips for avoiding tenancy disputes.
Contract a fully regulated, independent Inventory Clerk. The main causes of landlord / tenant disputes in rented accommodation are damage and cleaning, therefore without a thorough inventory in place (at check-in and check-out) landlords have much less chance of winning a dispute if they have no detailed evidence of the original condition of the property. Ensure…
Alex Evans
What is classed as fair wear and tear when returning a tenants deposit?
There are a high number of landlords that still push for ‘betterment’ at the end of a tenancy, despite the fact that the law does not allow claims for ‘new for old’. Tenants are required by law to return the property back to its original state (including proper professional cleaning) according to the Inventory check…
Alex Evans
VIDEO: What are your views on the issues surrounding bedroom tax?
Alex Evans
Stick it! Will Labour’s lettings pledge trip Red Ed?
With less than 24 hours until the polls open, the burning question is ‘who will you vote for?’. In the lettings industry, it may come down to whether personal or professional interests are closest to your heart. It’s no secret that Labour – spearheaded by Ed Miliband – wants to turn the lettings market on…
ARPM
Edinburgh student rentals.
It’s safe to say that the student market in Edinburgh is booming. At ACE Property Management we have been renting 1 beds to 6 bedroom HMO properties all over the city on behalf of our landlords to students looking to move in during August and September. Students are starting to enquire about properties earlier and earlier each year…
Alex Evans
Flash the cash – a note of caution on upfront rental payments.
It used to be home buyers in Central London that bemoaned the cash power of the global elite – making offers on properties they coveted, bandying about sums way above the asking price and paying in cash. And who could blame the vendors for preferring the outright buyer who could move quickly over those trying…
ARPM
Help your tenants to help themselves (and you!)
IT’S universally acknowledged that being a landlord has its fair share of headaches. No matter how nice your tenants are; you’re still leaving them in charge of your most valuable possession, which is a stressful prospect. In addition, much like your children, you’re only likely to hear from them if they want something. Or worse,…
Alex Evans
Getting the most from your Fixflo system
With more than 900 agency offices using Fixflo across a few time zones we’ve pulled together our top five tips to make sure you get the most from your Fixflo system. 1. Make it easy for your tenants to find your Fixflo system Links from your homepage and contact page work best and we have a…
Alex Evans
Is the Government doing enough to support the Private Rented Sector?
Alex Evans
Letting and Estate Agents: Don’t make me think.
As the Internet has evolved and website engagement has progressed, your Internet presence can no longer be a static entity. Visitor expectation has increased hugely over the past decade and your company profile can be seriously damaged by presenting a poorly designed, outdated website. There are few industries where this is as pertinent as for…
Alex Evans
How does landlord insurance affect your life?
Landlord insurance is something that seems to confuse quite a few landlords. It isn’t a legal requirement so it could be seen it as a waste of money, some may even think that it only covers if their property gets set on fire. So it gets forgotten about, with the excuse that ‘I will get…
London still destination of choice for overseas property investors
Chancellor George Osborne announced in December last year that he would close a tax loophole that allowed non-residents to escape paying a levy on the capital gains they make after selling a London property The new Capital Gains Tax ruling comes into force on 6 April, meaning that the levy will be charged on any…
Alex Evans
Are you doing enough to satisfy your landlord?
Within every industry there are conflicting opinions. The main one in the letting industry is whether tenants have a loyalty to Letting Agents or not? Would someone pass on their dream house because it wasn’t with a letting agent they liked? With the online property portals at the forefront of property searching, do tenants still…
Alex Evans