Residential Lettings

As a Landlord you need to meet certain safety standards; as follows:

• Ensure smoke alarms are fitted on each floor of the property
• Carbon monoxide detectors must be fitted in rooms with coal fire or wood burning stove
• A gas safety certificate for each gas appliance
• Electrical devices must be safe for use, and we recommend PAT Portable Appliance Testing so you can be sure you are compliant
• The water supply must be working properly to protect tenants from Legionella

You will need to purchase an EPC for your property before you let it. The property must have a minimum rating of E on its EPC as it will be unlawful to rent any property which breaches this requirement which could incur a penalty

Landlords are responsible for most repairs to the exterior or structure of the property. This means that any problems with roof, chimneys, walls, guttering and drains are the responsibility of the landlord. Landlords are responsible for keeping the equipment for supplying water, gas and electricity in a safe working order.

Our Property Management and Repairs team can take care of all of the above for you with our Fully Managed service.

Having a nicely decorated property can help improve your chances of securing a tenant in a competitive market, and reduce the time your property is empty.

Neutral is considered the best option as it’s more appealing to people; and can be brightened up with furnishings and accessories when the tenant moves in. A satin finish is also recommended as it’s easy to clean and may reduce the remedial work between tenancies.

It is recommended to have mid tone carpets that don’t show up dirt; hardwearing carpets will last longer, so choose the best quality flooring you can afford. Laminate or wooden floors may be more practical in high traffic living areas.

If you are providing the furnishings in your property; it’s a good idea to include the following basics:

• Sofa/ table/ side table in the lounge area
• Table and chairs in the dining area
• Bed and bedside tables/ wardrobe in the bedroom

Supplying white goods in your rental may also be an added incentive to get your property tenanted quickly. Minimum white goods would be:

• Cooker
• Washing Machine
• Fridge/freezer

*It is recommended that White Goods are PAT Tested; please speak to your Property Manager about PAT Testing requirements in your area

Fire Safety Regulations

We hope that you will be so pleased with our service that you will want to use us again and again and be very happy to recommend us to your friends and family. If this is not the case or you have an idea for how we can make things even better then we would really like to hear from you.

If you’d like to give us some feedback, whether an idea that would help improve our service, or perhaps you’ve had particularly good service from someone who works at Orchard & Shipman and you’d like to share this with us, then please use our feedback form to get in touch with us!

If you’d like to make a complaint; in the first instance you should contact your Property Manager to try and resolve the issue, if you still feel your complaint has been unresolved you can contact us using any of the following options; and one of our management team will be in touch to discuss your concerns.

Email: complaints@orchard-shipman.com

Telephone: 0203 814 3500

In writing: Orchard & Shipman House, 1 Progress Business Centre, Whittle Parkway, Slough, SL1 6DQ

Rightmove – Landlord Advice

Government Information – Being a Landlord

ARLA – Landlord Information