Our letting services
Dorset Property offer five different levels of service; Platinum Full Management, Gold Full Management, Silver Rent Collection, Bronze Rent Collection and Tenant Find Only. With all services Dorset Property would market the property, locate suitable applicants, carry out viewings and advise the Landlord on the profiles of suitable prospective tenants for the Landlords approval, following completion of pre-application forms from each interested party. Dorset Property then carry out comprehensive referencing and Right to Rent checks in line with the Immigration Act 2014 and 2016. Referencing includes (but is not limited to) a credit history check (which will locate any CCJs, bankruptcy or adverse credit history), employment/accounts reference to confirm earnings and current Landlord reference (where applicable). Identity of the potential Tenant is verified in person and the written statement of terms are served to the Tenant prior to signing of the tenancy agreement. Subject to references, the tenancy agreement is then prepared, inventory arranged and first months' rent and security deposit are invoiced for. We then serve the Prescribed Information to your Tenant as part of the set up of tenancy. When utilising our Tenant Find Only service, Dorset Property carry out the above and then at the point of the commencement date the Landlord and Tenant liaise directly throughout the tenancy.
With our Bronze and Silver Rent Collection services, in addition to finding a Tenant, Dorset Property would invoice and receipt the rent from your Tenant each month, produce a monthly statement for the Landlord, deduct our rent collection % and then payment is made to the Landlord. Should your Tenant fall into rent arrears or pay their rent late, Dorset Property will chase for late payments. We have set rent arrears procedures that we follow which do not breach the Protection from Harassment Act and removes the Landlord from having those awkward financial conversations whilst giving the Landlord flexibility to manage other matters relating to the tenancy such as; maintenance and repairs. Dorset Property would advise on next steps regarding service of notice and where to locate suitable assistance in order to do this. The Landlord would have an ongoing contract with Dorset Property, providing them with a professional at hand for advice during the tenancy. Annual statements can be provided upon request. The Silver Rent Collection service includes Rent Guarantee and Legal Protection (further details below).
Our Platinum and Gold Full Management services includes the Tenant Find Only service and Rent Collection service as detailed above and Dorset Property managing the tenancy.
At the start of the tenancy, Dorset Property would meet the new Tenant at the property on the move in date to provide keys, test smoke alarms, provide a move in gift box to the Tenant and update the utility providers with relevant details (such as: Tenant contact information, tenancy commencement date and meter readings), saving the Landlord time and energy to numerous utility providers to close their account. We will also provide the Tenant with a "Welcome Letter" containing crucial advice in emergency situations and the management of mould and condensation in the home, we will also arrange the first property visit with the Tenant around month 3 of the tenancy starting.
Dorset Property would be the direct contact for your Tenant and we would liaise between Tenant and Landlord, we would advise the Landlord of any general maintenance and/or repairs and the actions we have taken/are proposing to take to resolve with our many trusted contractors to ensure of compliance with repair obligations under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act. Although, should the Landlord have a preferred contractor, Dorset Property are able to ensure the Landlord's preferred contractor is used for their property, so long as they hold Public Liability Insurance and can evidence they are qualified in the trade they provide. Dorset Property would act as Agent of Necessity in emergency situations to avoid further damage to the property (such as substantial water leak, gas leak, security issues etc).
Dorset Property carry out periodic visits and provide a report to the Landlord following each visit, the tenancy agreement stipulates these visits are periodic which allows us the flexibility to increase the frequency of visits should there ever be any concerns following an appointment at the property. As well as this, Dorset Property would support the Landlord to ensure the property and the tenancy is compliant with regulations and legislation throughout the tenancy (for example: the Tenant Fee Act 2019, Homes Fitness for Human Habitation, Gas Safety Regulations 1998, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, Housing Act 2004, etc). We would advise on opportunities to propose rent increases and manage the rent increase process on behalf of the Landlord via Section 13 Notice (additional charge for the notice applies). For Fully Managed contracts, when the Landlord requires possession of the property, Dorset Property can serve notice on behalf of the Landlord.
Our Platinum Full Management service provides extra security for the Landlord as this service includes Rent Guarantee and Legal Protection, and Set Up Guarantee. In the instance the Landlord requires possession of the property and the Tenant fails to vacate after the notice expiry, the Legal Protection can save the Landlord thousands in legal fees. In the instance a Tenant fails to pay rent, the Rent Guarantee with this service covers the rent until the Landlord achieves vacant possession of the property AND up to 90% of the rent for 6 weeks after the tenancy has ended whilst the property is being re-marketing for let with Dorset Property. Should a property sustain physical damage of £1,000 or more during the tenancy caused by the tenant, we'll cover the expenses for pursuit of a civil dispute against the tenant, to rectify the damage. It will also pay costs towards rectifying damages caused to the property by the Tenant that are over and above the amount of deposit held. If there are squatters or ex-tenants in the property without your consent, our service will assist with the costs of eviction. There is also no excess.
The Set Up Guarantee included with Platinum is available to clients at the commission rate of 15%+VAT and guarantees the Landlord will only incur the Set Up Charge once in a 12 month cycle, meaning now that tenancies are all monthly periodic the Landlord has additional financial security, on top of the Rent Guarantee and Legal Protection for complete peace of mind, even if there are multiple changes of tenancy within those 12 months (Disclaimer - Set Up Guarantee does not apply to discounted rates and does not include the inventory or check out).
When the tenancy comes to an end by either party, Dorset Property would organise the check-out report and advise on any suitable deductions from the deposit (if any) and obtain necessary quotes from relevant contractors. A deposit apportionment is put forward to the Tenant, upon receipt of written agreement from both Landlord and Tenant, the deposit is then released as appropriate and protection of the deposit is ended. We would also notify the utility providers of the tenancy coming to an end and supply them with the closing meter readings from the check-out report.
