By Admin Rent Collection UK 0 Comments

What’s the best way to collect Rent?

Different Landlords have different ways of collecting rent. If you are trying to decide the best way to do it, you must first know the most common rental payment methods used. Some Landlords consider their Tenants’ personal financial abilities and circumstances.

Basic Rent Collection Methodsbest way to collect Rent

The following are the most basic methods used by Landlords in collecting rent.

Cash – This may not be the most ideal way to collect rent, but some Tenants are comfortable paying cash. This is a good method is you live near the rented place, because it is easy for you to collect the payment monthly. If you live far away, you can ask your cash paying tenants to deposit their monthly rents to your bank account. The advantage of collecting cash and in person is that you get to see and check the property on a regular basis.

Standing Order – This is considered by many Landlords as the most reliable rent collection method. It is easy to set up and eliminates the need to be constantly worried about getting paid on time. Just to be clear, a Standing Order is different from a Direct Debit. If this is the agreed payment method, your Tenant should set it up with their bank. With the advent of the Internet, this is an easy task to do these days. With this payment scheme, your Tenant informs their bank that they should pay you on a fixed date with a fixed amount. This gives you the freedom to just sit there and wait for the payment to go through.

Direct Debit – This is another non-personal payment method, and it is mostly used by companies or organisations renting commercial properties. If your Tenant prefers this method, then you should know that they should also be the one to set it up. The difference between Standing Order and Direct Debit is that in the latter option, your Tenant tells their bank to let you take money from their account on a monthly basis. Before you agree to this method though, you need to get in touch with your bank first. You should find out the appropriate steps you need to take.

Cheque – This is old school, but it is still being used. Sometimes, there are just some Tenants who will not let this method go. So, if your Tenant wants to pay through cheque, you need to know how to go about this the best and the most beneficial way for you. You will receive the cheque through mail or via a letting agent. Then you need to deposit it in your bank account. That means waiting three to five days of clearance time before you can finally enjoy the money. In some cases, Landlords ask their Tenants to provide them with a year’s supply of post-dated cheques so that there will be no need for monthly cheque mailing.

Of the detailed options provided, it looks like a Standing Order is the best option, followed by Cash payment. So, you should consider these two methods as they are the ones that offer the best benefits for you.

By Admin Tenant 0 Comments

How To Claim Against Your Landlord For Disrepair?

You should notify your letting agent or your landlord immediately when the home you rented is in a state of repair. You can claim against your landlord for disrepair if it is his responsibility to repair. Below you will find out how and when to claim against your landlord for disrepair.

Minor Repair Jobs

Tenants are usually responsible for the repair of minor repair jobs. It becomes the responsibility of your landlord only if it is caused by disrepair of the landlord or are due to minor wear and tear.property-disrepair-claim

Write To Your Landlord

Reporting verbally a disrepair to your letting agent or landlord is not enough. You should notify them in writing and also keep all corresponding copies of the writing. This will be useful when you want to claim compensation as it will prove that your landlord was aware of the disrepair. After writing, you would expect the agent or the landlord to take up the request and act on it. One thing you would have to know is that there is a big difference between repair and improvement. It is the responsibility of the landlord to carry out repairs but your responsibility to carry out improvement. Sometimes it becomes difficult to differentiate between repairs and improvement.

Let us take this practical example; window: it is the responsibility of the landlord to put right the rotting window frames but under no obligation to install double glazing. This illustrate a clear example of repairs and improvement.
If your landlord refuses to carry out this repairs, then you can go ahead and claim against your repair.

Environmental Health Department

Right now that we know the difference between repairs and improvement, if you find disrepair condition and is affecting your health, your next step would be to consult the environmental health department for them to inspect. Based on the outcome of their observation, they would serve repair notice to your landlord so he/she will carry out the repairs.

To back up your claim, you should do the following:

Take photographs of the damages

Receipts of all repairs you have undertaken and the damages items you have repaired
If the disrepair has affected your health, add a medical report
Also add a report from your council’s environment health department

Claiming Compensation

You can claim compensation if your personal properties get destroyed or damaged due to your landlord’s failure to carry out repairs. You can claim compensation for bedding, curtains, carpets, furniture, water damage from leaking pipes or clothing spoiled by your landlord’s action not carrying out repairs.

You will also have to provide medical report if you want to claim compensation for your personal health. You are advised to seek legal advice before making a claim as there are some injury protocols that must be followed.

Claim for abatement

You are entitled to a reduction or refund on your rent if you have not been able to use all or part of your rented property due to disrepair. This is known as abatement. How much you can claim depends on the extend of the degree of uninhabitable in your home due to disrepair. You are entitled to 100% rent abate if the whole house is inhabitable.

Claiming Against your landlord should not be a thing that you just wake up to claim but it has to go through some steps for which some are listed above.