As the title suggests, looking for a provider for the above. We usually use a managing agent as properties we have rented have been quite far away. This one is local and is a property I have recently renovated (been on the market for sale but nothing seems to be moving in the area so will rent out). Literally everything is brand new - electrics/plumbing/CH/white goods etc so I'm not concerned about ongoing maintenance costs. However the lettings arm of the EA wants too much pcm for a tenant who wants to pay up front for the year. Potential tenant is a speculative enquiry (house wasn't up for rent) sent to us from the EA and is known to the one of the agency team personally. Prospective tenant is in the middle of a divorce and has to be out of her property by the end of next week. As she has never lived by herself before she wants to pay up front for the year so she knows where she is for the year ahead and is about to begin a new career which seems fair enough. I have met her and cannot find any reason to doubt what she is saying. Agency will not reduce the fees to a reasonable level (10%+VAT pcm) but is trying to justify the fees by suggesting that their verification checks/LL insurance etc would be the same cost as roughly £3k per year. So for once I think I will manage it myself and looking into what is needed (aside from a tenancy agreement which I have copies of from previous lettings), I need to carry out an ID check along with providing the Gov renters guide, the various safety certs etc. Looking online the verification checks seem to be for companies who want to do more than one check per annum which I don't need - can anyone recommend the best one for this from the government list of approved suppliers? I have a broker working on the insurance aspect. House is debt free and I have set up an alert with the LR to ensure no one tries to take possession. I will be lodging the deposit with an approved deposit scheme. Inventory I will do and will ask her to agree using photos and video before the keys are handed over. She is also happy for me to inspect after one month, then every 6 months. Other than that, the tenant is happy for a break clause to be put into the contract at the end of 12 months and then every 6 months thereafter. Don't think I've missed anything, but happy to stand corrected if I have.
Thanks for the recommendations if anyone has them!