Need to rent out property immediately - can anyone recommend really good agents covering Finsbury Park?

[maggiethecat]

Tenants decided not to renew tenancy altho indicating earlier that they would. It's a really nice 3 bed flat that will go but want to avoid too long a void period. Need good agents on the case. Also, are there any websites where I can advertise it myself?? Not sure how we would work out viewings but at the moment I am thinking of it just getting some exposure.

gumtree?

will have a look. have heard about website very vaguely but not quite sure what it's about.

thanks

I have a flat in Holloway and we've never used an agent because they are all rubbish.
We've always found tenants via GUMTREE. We posted an advert (with lovely photos of the flat) a couple of months back and it elicited about 100 responses!! With regard to viewings, I pre-interviewed most of the potential tenants via telephone and then did all the viewings in one block so as not to inconvenience my current tenants too much.

Thanks to you both. Tea, sounds like you know what you're doing. DH posted on gumtree this morning and has had a response already. Do you have any tips about pre/interview questions, selection, general handling of the letting. We'll need to sort out references, tenancy agreement, inventory - do you do all that yourself? (will do separate thread but hope to hear from you)

we let DH's old batchelor pad in Clapham ourselves. With only one property, it's easy to fdo it yourself (and save the 15% agents fees for doing a rubbish job, as Tea says).

Get a good form of Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement and do the inventory. Watch out for the horrible red tape on holding tenant's deposits, which can be a bit of a nightmare.

www.arla.co.uk/info/deposits_tenants.htm

Thanks for that GG. I am beginning to feel a bit more confident that we can do it ourselves.
Where did you get your AST from? We used the agent's (Oyez) one and it did not even have provision for the tenant giving notice if they did not want to continue tenancy at end of term. That's how we've been caught out - tenant said they would stay and then at last minute said bye.

Ooops, didn't do the legal thing with the tenant's deposit (it's sitting in my savings account), but hey this law is very new and MNet is anonymous.

In terms of pre-interview, what you ask depends on what you're looking for from tenants. We knew we wanted a non-smoking couple, responsible enough to sort out any problems with flat and neighbours if we weren't around, who didn't have a too long a commute to work (so they wouldn't up sticks after 6 months and move to somewhere with an easier commute), and could afford the rent.
So, I asked about where they worked, why they wanted to move and from a few questions I tried to get a sense of what they were like - instinct tells you a lot. I always bore in mind that I would have to be able to communicate with the tenants effectively, so if I found them difficult to speak to, I gave them a thumbs down.

As I was so overwhelmed with responses, I outlined all the negative aspects of the flat and if they were still interested and I had a good feeling about them, I'd invite them for a viewing.
For references I always seek proof of ID (eg photocopy of passport checked against original), proof of current address, proof of employment, landlord's reference.
Downloaded a standard 6 month assured shorthold tenancy agreement from internet and amended as I pleased.
I just made up a basic inventory of my own, listing furniture and condition, then making space for your signature and tenants signature and date at bottom or list.
Might sound like a lot of hassle but once you have all these documents saved on your computer, it's just a case of adjusting names and dates for new tenants and the rest is easy peasy.

One thing I make sure I always do is the gas safety check every year. I'd hate my tenants to die soundly in their sleep of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The other thing I do, which tenants really like is a "Welcome Pack" giving info as to who supplies the utilities for property, all my contact details if they need to contact me, where the nearest GP is, what day the bins are emptied, who the neighbours are, how the boiler, fridge, freezer, cooker works, etc. - All my tenants seem to love this!

hth and good luck with it all!!

Tea and GG this is what I love about MN - extremely liberating!

DH showed it to 3 blokes today who want it so need to sort out references now. Did you take up your own references or did you use a reference agency - heard of one called Homelet. They charge 50 quid for credit/landlord refs etc. Would I ask tenant to pay for this with no guarantee of them getting property, eg if I chose someone else?

I suspect that taking up refs myself might take a bit of time.

Oh, importantly, would I have all three tenants sign agreement? what happens if one wants to go?

Thanks again for your help.

Maggie - great to hear you have interested tenants!

I would certainly get all the tenents to sign the same copy of the letting document - their signatures should be witnessed by someone (not each other).

Did you get an OYEZ form of AST?The "Tenant" should be defined to include all the people occupying the flat and all their names listed out. It's a bit difficult without seeing your contract, but if they are all listed out as the tenant and all sign the document, then they should be "jointly and severally liable" i.e. if one moves out, it will be for the other two to find someone else or stump up the cash themselves. That is the usual practice and saves you having to find someone.

I don't know about tenant reference agencies - I usually run a credit check on tenants through Experian (you can do it on line) to see if they have anything horrible on their credit record. It is usual for tenants to pay the search fees themselves.

If you do it yourself, get the number of a previous landlord and or reputable employer from each tenant to call and check references - ask detailed questions.

If there is gas central heating/cooker, i would get a Landlord's Certificate from British Gas or whoever.

this is not a bad checklist guide to renting out your property yourself