Our No.1 Lettings team
We are very proud to announce that First Step are the Number 1 Lettings Agent in our local area. We are only too happy to talk to you to discuss the range of service options.
The Fastest Growing Lettings Agent in the Local Area
Our Lettings Management Fee Includes:
Rent Protection & Legal Expenses...unlike any other agents!
Dependent on Tenant circumstance & Landlord Insurance
Our Rent Protection and Legal Expenses service means that should the unexpected happen, you’ll always get the income you expect from your tenants, and it will also support you if you need legal representation to recover your property.
Please click on the below portals to view our latest lettings
Giving you the WIDEST media coverage. The only local Agent to use ALL of the UK’s leading property websites.
GDPR PRIVACY POLICY FOR LETTINGS
Please click the below button to view the PDF of our Lettings privacy policies. (updated November 2019)
Additional fees
- Detailed Inventories: Check in fees from £65.00 (including VAT) / Check out fees from £90.00 (including VAT) (please call to confirm size of property)
Tenancy Renewal Fees: 6 months £250.00 (including VAT) / 12 months £350.00 (including VAT) including Rent Guarantee Cover & Legal Pack (where applicable) / moving to a rolling contract £75.00 - Rent Guarantee Cover & legal pack not included
OR JUST
A Tenant find service of £950.00 (including VAT) (£792 excluding VAT)
Our monthly fee covers the following:
- Collect and remit the rent within 3 working days of receipt and provide a monthly statement
- Respond to all maintenance issues and emergencies.
- Arrange routine repairs (under £500) and instruct approved contractors
- Arrange payment to contractors and log and hold any warranties
- Carry out quarterly professional property inspections followed by a report
- Pursuant of any non-payment of rent and provide advice on rent arrears action
- Annual rent reviews
- Organise check out, return deposit the landlord has agreed and de register deposit with DPS
- Gas safety reminders
- Rent guarantee cover with no excess to pay, where applicable
- Legal pack with up to £100,000 of cover, where applicable
- Vacant property management – continuous management between lets
Our set up fee covers the following
- Full market appraisal
- Taking full property details and professional photographs
- Advertising on all major online portals Rightmove, Zoopla, Prime Location and On The Market, Facebook & Market Place
- Erect a board in accordance with Town & Country Planning Act 1990
- Advice and guidance on refurbishment
- Advice and guidance on legal compliance
- Find a tenant within the landlord’s guidelines
- Accompanied viewings
- Referencing for up to two tenants (ID checks, right to rent check, financial credit checks, employment and previous landlord references)
- Guarantor referencing if required
- Goodlord Tenancy Agreement
- Advise on non-resident tax status and HMRC (where relevant)
- Registration on deposit with the Deposit Protection Scheme
- Deduct and remit any pre tenancy invoices
LettingS Package Options
The two options we offer our clients:
Package 1 – We manage the entire process:
We handle the payments from the tenant to ourselves and place the deposit into the Governments mandatory deposit protection scheme.
On a monthly basis we pay you the rental received less our commission rate, less any ongoing maintenance work if applicable. We ask trusted contractors known to us to quote for any necessary works to be done. We then send you these to approve before any work is carried out, unless they are relatively small amounts (which you may want us to proceed without authorisation at a pre-set limit).
After the check-in we undertake approximately quarterly property inspections. When the tenant wishes to vacate we can instruct the optional checkout inventory, advise on refreshing the property after normal wear and tear and aim to re-list the property and minimise any void period. Generally, we are given plenty of notice by the outgoing tenants so we can re-list the property and have someone move in just after the last tenant has moved out, once again minimising any non-rental void period.
Full Management & Letting service:
- Over 2 decades of rental experience
- Thorough honest & reliable approach service from start to finish
- Quarterly inspections with report/checklist provided to give you peace of mind
- Associated with dedicated and highly regarded Property Maintenance Services Team
- Very competitive rates/fees with no hidden costs including Rent Guarantee Cover & Legal Protection
- In-house property management
- Available 7 days a week
- Evening and weekend viewings
- All tenants need to adhere to our strict criteria using online reference software
- Successful in achieving best possible rate of rental income
- Many long-standing reliable tenants
- Professional internal and external photographs taken of each property
- Each property advertised on Rightmove, OnTheMarket, Zoopla, Facebook Marketplace and Prime Location
- All viewings accompanied by a Lettings member of staff
- ARLA Tenancy Agreement
Package 2- Tenant Find Service:
We recommend a full inventory of the property to be done by you as the landlord, but from experience we would recommend an inventory specialist carries out this on your behalf. Our inventory specialist takes very detailed notes which are signed by the tenant upon check-in. In our opinion we feel that having this done would be beneficial, if any damage is done to the property this detailed document could be used in arbitration.
As the landlord it will be necessary for you to provide an up-to-date Gas Certificate, which will need to include all your gas items such as a boiler, gas hob, gas fires etc. Gas Certification should be done on a yearly basis. We can arrange for this to be carried out on your behalf by a reputable Gas Safe Engineer.
We advise you to ensure that you can provide an up-to-date Electrical Certificate. Certification last for 7 years. If your current certificate is out of date, we can arrange for this to be carried out for you. Whilst this is currently not a statutory requirement, it is the Landlords responsibility to ensure that all electrical equipment in the property is safe.
There are now legal requirements that each floor of any rental property has a carbon monoxide alarm. These are available at your local DIY store or our Property Services Team can supply and fit these for you.
Finally, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for properties when constructed, sold or let. We can also arrange for this to take place.
We continually strive to make renting your property easier for you. Whether you are a landlord with a property to let, or a tenant looking to rent your next home, we are here to make the process as stress free as possible – don’t just take our word for it – Please read the testimonials.
Sound and trusted advice / With no compromise on quality
/ A local service you can depend on
To Summarise
The First Step Way
- Landlords or tenants can call us Monday to Sunday
- All viewings will be carried out by a professional team member familiar with your property, (not casual weekend staff – who have yet to view your property)
- We are flexible and will meet all prospective tenants at your property to suit all diaries and lifestyle schedules
- We attract more tenants as our ‘shop door’ never closes
- Unlike other agents we offer late evening and weekend viewings to suit the busy lifestyle of our clients especially commuters
Please get in touch to discuss our No.1 Lettings Service
Open 9:00am to 6:00pm – 7 days a week