By Admin Landlord 1 Comment

Should Landlords Get Personal References From Rental Applicants?

Rental applications require all sorts of information about the applicant, their credit, their previous rental history, criminal background and employment information. When it comes to rental application though, landlords tend to want to know as much as they can regarding the person who occupies their property. One of the major themes in rental applications is the request for references, personal or character.

Landlords basically want to do a lot of tenant screening to gather all the information they want to about the person who they are going to rent their property. They usually carry out personal references that include calling and evaluating. Moreover, landlords tend to check those avenues that give real information.londonhouse

Personal References And Why You Should Check Them

Personal references refer to the phone numbers and names of the rental applicants that they give on the application. Similar to HR references, these references basically provide information regarding the applicant including all the details and about the person’s character. The references are not character references but business associates, co-workers and friends.

Why Personal References Are No Good?

Generally though it is felt that these references are not good enough because people tend to provide those references, in fact about people who will provide them with the best details about them. This is therefore not considered to be legit and that is the reason why people don’t think about personal references as worthy enough.

However, there is still a sound reason why these personal references should not be discarded entirely. Personal references can still provide you with certain insights regarding the applicant.

Why Should You Check Them Anyway?

You Might Find The Truth

Certain times the references that the person provides may not really be in line with the applicant. And if this is the case you might have then gained some really valuable insight about the applicant himself. Thus by asking open-ended questions about the person, you might get some really important information about the person which you might have otherwise not have obtained.

You Might Know Their Associates

Additionally, it can also provide you with some information about who the person associates with. This will provide you insights regarding the character and personal references about the person and then it will also provide cross section of co-workers and friends. Acquiring all this information about the client will help you get all the information about the applicant. This information is vital and should be saved.

You Still Have Certain References

In the case of emergency and the person might leave, you will have certain emergency contacts that will save you from trouble. Basically in chance that the person leaves the house without any notice, you will still have an emergency contact that you can reach without any hassle.

Thus even though these references might not have to provide a lot of information about the person, they may still provide you with some information. You can still talk to them and get to know certain details about the person and may lead to some protection in case there is any bad event. However one must never rely too much n these references because they might not always be legit.

It can be said thought that even though personal references don’t really make a big difference, they still have an impact. Why? Simply because you will get to know about the person more. These references can then provide you with some vital information about the person including their criminal background, income verification and others.

The Screening Process

The screening process involves several stages; some of them include:

First Contact
Some pre-screening questions should be asked from the tenant in order to ensure that the prospective tenant does not waste your time. The tenant will call you for more information about the lease and the property.

First Meeting
The first meeting involves meeting the person for the first time. This includes meeting the tenant for the very first time. First meetings can tell you a lot about the person and you should therefore be very careful about the red flags. You must carefully assess the person when you meet them and check for any loose strings.

The Application
Credit reports and criminal checks are essential when it comes to keeping a prospective tenant. The tenant is interested and so are you. You must have them fill out the application so that the references you get from the prior landlords and employers are legit. You must also make sure that you conduct a criminal check and credit report to ensure in order to conduct background checks on the person.

Approving The Tenant
Since you will be getting a lot of applications in the same time, you must screen the candidates properly. Once you are through with the screening process, you must then accept the suitable client and decline the other applicants. Unless and until you haven’t signed the lease, you will not be through with the screening process.

Lease Signing
The final process involves lease signing. You have to sign the lease in order to finalize the deal. You and your prospective tenant will be ready to sign the lease. Go through the lease with him carefully and ensure that the rules are finally completed. You can always think about dropping the lease if things are not going in your favor.

Questions You Should Ask
Landlords often wonder about the questions they should ask the prospective tenant. The questions then should include the following:
Applicant contact information: You must acquire all the information about the applicant including their legal name, driver’s license number, eviction process etc. You must also check the email address of the client.

Existing or prior residence information: This is another essential that you must check including the residence history and check up on the references to follow up with.

Employment History, Proof Of Income: Lastly, you must also acquire information about the general history and proof of income about the client to ensure that you have enough information about the client.

By Admin Landlord 0 Comments

What can I do if a tenant puts a hole in the wall?

You’ve spent lots of time, money and effort on your property, and naturally you might worry that tenants won’t treat the property with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, even tenants with the best intentions might, on occasion, put holes in the walls. This could be because they had something hanging from the wall (anything from a cabinet to a picture frame) or had an accident, but either way, it is up to the landlord to prevent or repair these holes. a tenant puts a hole in the wall?

Prevention tips

Whatever the reason for the holes, the best thing is always to prevent them.
One of the best ways to do this is to create a clause in the tenancy contract which clearly stipulates that the tenants are not allowed to make holes in the walls. Any breach of the contract means that the tenant is liable to pay for the cost of the repair.

If you give the tenants permission to hang things from the walls, ask them to use the correct equipment for the job – no using large, thick nails when a small photo frame nail would have sufficed (and made an almost non-existent hole in comparison).
Alternatively, the landlord could provide a packet of screw-less fixings so that the tenants can hang lighter objects, such as picture frames, without the need to make any holes.

Reaction

On discovery of new holes, the landlord should give the tenant the opportunity to fix them, if they still live at the property. If the tenant has already left the property, take pictures of the damage and send them to the tenant. Explain that these holes don’t usually fit under the category of ‘general wear and tear’. As such, the tenant will have to cover the cost of fixing the holes (of which they should already be aware).

If the responsibility of fixing the holes falls to you, then there are various steps you can take for an easy job.
You could try filling the hole with some sort of filler (e.g. Polyfiller), and then sanding down and painting over once dry. This doesn’t always give the best finish, but it’s cheap and quick and if the hole is small, is perfectly acceptable.
When painting over the hole, it is generally recommended to paint the entire wall, rather than just the area covering the hole, to ensure an even finish.

Alternatively, the landlord could hire a decorator to complete the work to a high-quality finish which is especially important if the holes are large (although this will be more expensive). If the holes are very big, a plasterer might be more appropriate.

By Admin Waste Carrier Licences 0 Comments

Waste carrier licences explained, what where and when

Waste Carrier licences is a must have for anyone or any organisation who wants to transport waste as part of their business. There are two types of waste carrier licences namely the upper tier and the lower tier depending on the nature and type of waste you would want to transport.

Upper Tier Waste Carrier: If you carry waste from construction (building or demolition) or on a professional basis, then you fall under this category.UK waste Carrier Licenses registration

Upper Tier include:

Lower Tier Waste Carrier: You fall under this category if you have previously being exempted and carry your own waste (usually on a regular and normal basics). This is in effect from 1st January, 2014.

Cases that can be classified as Lower Tier Include:

  • Where confidential waste is collected from different location to a centralised office by a business entity.
  • In a business where waste from maintenance work are being carried.
  • Solicitors who send their waste papers to the paper merchant once a month

How Do I register for a waste Carrier Licenses?

To be able to register for a waste carrier licenses, you will be required to provide some documents before you can register. Keep in mind you will be fined £5000 if you do not register. If you transport waste yourself, then registration is free otherwise you will have pay a registration cost of £154 (on the Environmental Agency’s Website as of 16th December, 2015).
Registration for a waste carrier license is not a difficult process. You can register at the Environmental Agency’s Website.

You will be required to produce the following:

Dates of birth and names of the executives, directors, partners or owners of the organization. If you have committed an environmental offence, details of the offence you have committed. After you have registered, the details of your organisation will appear on the Environmental Agency’s Website. If by any means your organisation’s details do not appear, you would have to contact your registrar.

If you fall under the Upper Tier category, you will be required to renew you license every three years at a cost of £105. Lower Tier registrant need not to renew their registration.

What if I change my details?

If after registering and by any means there is a change in the organisation’s management, contact details, if your organisation changes what it does (changing from waste carrier to broker) or if a management in your organisation have being convicted of an environmental offence, then you are required to update your details with the Environmental Agency within 28 days.
You can update your details online if you registered after from March 2015. If you registered before March 2015, then you have to write or email the Environmental Agency to notify them about the changes.

Upgrading your Organisation’s Status

If there has been a change in your organisation’s operation which requires you to upgrade your license from lower tier to upper tier, then you will be required to pay £154 as an upgrade cost. You can update what your company does if you registered after from March 2015. If you registered before March 2015, then you have to write or email the Environmental Agency to notify them about the changes.

You can contact the Environmental Agency in your area if you are not sure of what to do. Below are the contact details for the Environmental Agency:

Environment Agency

nccc-carrierbroker@environment-agency.gov.uk

Environment Agency

Quadrant 2

99 Parkway Avenue

Sheffield

S9 4WF

Remember to quote your registration number.

By Admin Gas cooker repair 0 Comments

Gas cooker repair – How to find the best company

When it comes to home appliances, there are some appliances that we rarely use, some that we enjoy using, but could still live without if we had to, and there are some that are virtually essential, especially those commonly found in the kitchen. As you all know, we need to eat food to fuel our bodies and to survive, which is why we tend to splash out on fairly pricey and expensive cooking appliances, to help make life in the kitchen that little bit easier and more straightforward.

Gas cookers for example, are currently all the rage, and whilst some people prefer electric, it simply cannot be denied that gas cookers still have their place firmly in the kitchen and are generally considered to be more popular and efficient than ever before. Sadly, with all things in life, there will be times when your appliances break down and malfunction, and will therefore need to be replaced sooner as opposed to later. london best gas cooker repairs

Fixing and repairing a gas cooker however, is far easier said than done as you will need to find the best, qualified, and most experienced company/repair man, that you can afford within your budget. If your gas cooker breaks down, or if it simply needs servicing and maintaining here are a few handy tips to help you find the best gas cooker repair company.

Ask other people – First and foremost, when it comes to finding a reputable gas cooker repair company/worker, you should first take the time to ask other people, who have gas cookers of course, or know people with gas cookers, whether they can personally recommend anybody to you. For example, if your buddy had a gas cooker than broke, hired somebody to try to repair it, who then ended up overcharging him and making the problem worse, your buddy would then be able to tell you who he hired, and will warn you to avoid them like the plague.

On the flipside, if you know somebody who experienced problems with their gas cooker, made a quick phone call, booked in a repair company, and had the problem fixed on that very same day, for a very affordable price, they again will be able to give you a name, and will of course highly recommend them in the process.

Draw up a list of several candidates – When hunting for a gas cooker repair company, rather than just hiring the first company you come across, you should instead take the time to draw up a list of several potential candidates that you like the look of, and then do a little more research. The reason for this, is that not all companies will be able to squeeze you in right away, so if you aren’t able to be seen for several weeks, you may wish to have a backup plan in the form of a company who may be able to fit you in much sooner.

Read reviews and conduct your own research – The great thing about living in an age which is governed by the internet, is the fact that virtually anybody with an internet connection can now leave online reviews and feedback, for a whole host of different things. When it comes to gas cooker repair companies, things are no different as there will be plenty of companies out there that have been reviewed by plenty of their customers in the past.

Reviews can tell you a great deal of things about a potential company, so you should definitely take the time to read them to help get a better understanding of your potential candidates. You see, if you saw a repair company you liked the sound of, you could then search for them online and see if they have any reviews left by previous customers.

If you find a company with a lot of negative reviews and feedback, this will obviously set alarm bells ringing and you may wish to look for a viable alternative. If you find a company with a great deal of positive reviews and recommendations, you could very well have found the company that you have been searching for.

Don’t always go for the cheapest option – We all know how tight money can be, and we all know how frustrating it can be to have to spend more money than we have to, which means that we are constantly on the hunt for great bargains. The thing to remember with gas cooker repair companies, and indeed many other businesses for that matter, is the fact that cheaper isn’t always better.

Just because a company is much cheaper than all of the other companies, that does not mean you should hire them right off the bat, as you will first need to take the time to think about why they’re so much cheaper. Obviously there is competitive pricing, but if a company is significantly cheaper than any other repair companies you can find, this could be down to the fact that they aren’t qualified, and are simply trying to “wing it” as it were.

Cheap prices tend to equal cheap services and materials, although that does not necessarily apply to all companies. If you do think you’ve found a fantastic deal however, again, just make sure you read plenty of reviews and find out as much about the company as you possibly can.

Make sure they are qualified to work with gas appliances – Finally, and most importantly of all, if you do decide to hire a gas cooker repair company, just make sure that they are qualified to be able to work with gas appliances. To install and work with gas appliances, special licences are qualifications are often required, so it is definitely worth checking this out before you commit to hiring them. You can check online whether an engineer is gas-safe registered, and if they aren’t they will not be legally allowed to work on your gas cooker, so do not take the chance.

By Admin Tenancy Agreement • Verbal Tenancy Agreement 0 Comments

Tenants Without a Written Contract- Verbal Tenancy Agreement

Most tenants fall for this because they do not have the adequate education or knowledge about this. They think they have no right which is WRONG. They do have right as a verbal contract is bonded by law. Which means a verbal agreement is a legally binding agreement just as a written one. (But most expect would not advise you to go for this option).

What is my Legal Right without a written Tenancy Agreement?

The fact that a tenant does not have a written agreement does not affect the statutory right of the tenant. Under this agreement, both the tenant and landlord is protected by the statutory law. If an agreement was reached (without a written agreement) and the landlord wants to evict the tenant, he/she is required to submit a valid Section 8 to the tenant before the tenant can be evicted and also the reasons for eviction must be on legitimate grounds. Also, after the Section 8 is served to the tenant, he/she is entitled to 14 days after the date of submission to decide on what to do. This process is just the same as evicting someone with a written agreement.Verbal Tenancy Agreement

A tenant without a written Tenancy Agreement can request for the Housing Officer at the Local Authority to inspect the property if he/she is not happy with the condition of the property and based on the outcome, request for an improvement notice to be served to the landlord in the property does not meet the set standards.

How Is a Verbal Tenancy Agreement Created?

For both parties (they) to say they have entered into a verbal Tenancy Agreement, there are some factors that should be included in the Verbal Tenancy Agreement for it to be deem valid which includes the following:

  • They must agree to be legally bonded to the agreement
  • They meet the minimum requirement in other to enter into an agreement (i.e. not drunk, insane or under the age of 18)
  • They must not be under any pressure to commit to the agreement
  • The agreement cannot go contrary to the law

Although the above are some elements of a Verbal Agreement, there are three most important factors that must also be included:

  • An Offer
  • An acceptance of offer
  • Payment known as the legal term consideration.

Why Is Verbal Tenancy Agreement Not Advised Even Though It is Protected By Law?

Even though Verbal Tenancy agreement is boned by law, it is always in your own best interest to go for a written Tenancy Agreement when creating a tenancy. Written tenancy agreement helps avoid misinterpretation between both parties. The written agreement clearly outlines the terms and responsibilities of both the landlord and tenant. This help solves any further dispute or misunderstanding that may arise later on.

Also for those who have in a Verbal Tenancy Agreement, you are advised to go for a written one if you want to renew the Tenancy.

How Do One Create Written Tenancy Agreement?

Despite its massive benefits, a written agreement is not difficult to put together. There are a lot of resources at your disposal you can use to create one yourself. There are many websites that offer a Written Tenancy Agreement Template that you can use to create one yourself. You can also consult a specialist solicitor who will help you draft one.

Reading all the above, if you are a landlord or a tenant who is yet to commit to a tenancy agreement, then it is advisable to go for a written one. Also, if you have already committed to a verbal Tenancy agreement, that is not the end as you are protected by the law but is advised to go for a written one when renewing your agreement.