If you want complete peace of mind, we have the experience to handle every aspect of managing your property. If you would like to find out more about our Landlord Services, or have a question that you don’t see answered here, please contact our friendly team today on 01303 248 179 on contact us online.
Landlord FAQs
NO – at Cameron Lettings, we are a lettings only Agency, specialising in lettings and property management services for landlords, such as Full Management, Tenant Finding, Block Management, and Project Management.
Please see our Landlord Fees for more information.
Our Cameron Lettings office is based in Folkestone. We manage property in Folkestone, Cheriton, Sandgate, Hythe, Dymchurch, Capel-le-Ferne, Hawkinge, Dover and areas in between.
Before your tenant moves into the property, we request a deposit of one month’s rent plus £100. We forward the deposit to the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) to safeguard it, as per current legislation.
Once we have received satisfactory references and received your approval to proceed, we discuss a moving in date and draw up a tenancy agreement.
On the day the tenant moves in, the Rent, Deposit and Arrangement Fee are paid in cash. The tenant will be asked to read & sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement for six months. They will be made aware of useful / emergency Contractor telephone numbers, and handed two Inventories for checking & signing, one to keep and the other to return to our office.
The Deposit will be forwarded to the Deposit Protection Service (DPS).
On the day the tenancy begins, we will collect the first month’s rent together with a deposit.
The rent, less any deductions is forwarded to you at the end of each month, by bank BACS transfer. We forward a Statement Of Account detailing rent received and any deductions, commission / maintenance invoices by email. Please note:- we have an accounting cut-off date, rent received prior to the 15th of each month, will be forwarded at the end of that month. Rent received after the 15th will be forwarded at the end of the following month.
Any non-payment of rent will be chased and investigated. We will keep you updated.
All Applicants must be over 18 years.
However, if an applicant has a poor Credit Search Report or you are happy to accept a Tenant in receipt of Housing Benefit, we would recommend a Rent Guarantor.
Please note, the let will only proceed with your agreement.
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are legally responsible for keeping your property in a good state of repair:
- Exterior walls
- Interior walls and ceilings
- Floors must be safe and structurally sound
- Electrical wiring, sockets and switches
- Baths, sinks and toilets
- Water supply
- Water tanks
- Heating
- Roofs and gutters
- Drains, unless the tenant is at fault
- Stairs, lifts & balconies
You also must insure the property meets all safety requirements.
In case of emergencies we would wish to use our experience, discretion and common sense to rectify the problem as swiftly as possible. Notifying you quickly.
For minor maintenance issues, we reserve the right to make good a repair, if below the cost of £175.
For non-urgent maintenance matters we can obtain several quotations for your approval.
All the Contractors we employ are trusted local tradesmen.
We undertake Periodic Inspection Visits to inspect your property and up-date you on any maintenance issues. We ask Tenants to be vigilant and to inform our office of any repairs issues.
At the start of the Tenancy your tenant is given emergency telephone numbers for a local Builder / Plumber / Electrician to contact, if the need arises. We also offer Project Management Services for refurbishment of property.
If you require your tenant to vacate your property, and they have signed a fixed term tenancy, you must give them at least 2 months notice – Section 21 Notice(1)b , prior to the end of the tenancy.
If the initial Tenancy has expired and is holding over, as a Periodic Assured Shorthold Tenancy, you can give 2 months – Section 21 Notice(4)a, at any time on a rent date.
If your tenant misses a rental payment, we will contact them immediately and find out why. Notifying you at the same time.
We will endeavour to seek the reason for the non-payment and work with the tenant to resolve the situation. We will advise you of the best course of action.
If the tenant falls two months in arrears we would recommend legal action to take possession of the property. To this end, we would hand-deliver a Section 8 Notice. They are then given fourteen days to clear the arrears. If the arrears are not cleared, solicitors should be instructed to obtain a Possession Order.
Your tenant is obliged by the terms of the tenancy agreement to give one months notice. Once we have been notified, we will agree a Vacating Meeting at a mutually convenient time.
At the Vacating Meeting, we check the Inventory, inspect the condition of the property, collect the keys, read the meters and request their forwarding address. The property should be left in a satisfactory, clean & tidy condition, ready to re-let – no dilapidations, and no rent arrears, we will then agree to the DPS releasing their deposit.
If there are any dilapidations or rent arrears at the end of a tenancy and a dispute arises, we will refer the matter to the DPS which offer arbitration though their Dispute Resolution Service.
We take anti-social behaviour seriously and investigate the matter immediately. We contact your tenant to discuss the situation and encourage an amicable resolution with all parties concerned. However, the matter may need the intervention of the local Council. We always hope that the matter can be resolved without recourse to the ultimate sanction of taking possession of the property to remove the offending tenant.
Income from rents is classified as unearned income and is taxed at the standard rate. For detailed advice on taxation, you should consult the Inland Revenue or an Accountant.
If you are a landlord living abroad, we will require a Tax Exemption Certificate from the Inland Revenue to enable rent received to be forwarded without deducting Tax at source. If a Tax Exemption Certificate is not received, 20% will be deducted each month and forwarded quarterly to the Inland Revenue.
