Landlord FAQs

How does Andrews assess rental value?
How will Andrews market my property?
How does Andrews select a tenant?
How often will I hear from Andrews?
When will I receive rent?
What Is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme?
What happens if there is a dispute about the deposit?
Who organises repair work?
What legal obligations apply to Gas?
What legal obligations apply to furniture and fittings?
What legal obligations apply to electrical safety?
What if an Andrews employee becomes a tenant?
What if I have any complaints?

How does Andrews assess rental value?

Andrews promises to give a fair market appraisal, taking into account the landlord's circumstances, current market conditions and demand. We will always support our valuation, where possible, with information on similar properties. All of our valuations are stated verbally and then confirmed promptly in writing.

How will Andrews market my property?

To put Andrews and your property – in front of thousands of potential tenants, we spend over £1 million* on advertising every year.

And because the key to successful letting is perfect presentation, we’ll give your property pride of place in our branch displays and maximize attention from passers-by by erecting a prominent “To Let” board.

AndrewsOnline is the perfect virtual shop window for your property. With over 145,000** monthly visitors, our increasingly popular website has up to 3,000 properties available to view every month. We make it quick and easy for people to find your property details online, including full colour photos and location information.

By linking up to all the main property websites in the UK, you’ll get an even bigger potential audience for your property. *Andrews Management Accounts 2006 ** Surf Stats January-December 2006

How does Andrews select a tenant?

We always interview prospective tenants, check their credit record, take character references from an employer and, where possible a previous landlord using an independent referencing company.

How often will I hear from Andrews?

We recognise that being kept informed is vitally important to the landlord, we will therefore:

provide landlords with feedback after every tenant viewing
communicate any maintenance issues undertaken by Andrews & any rental arreas (rent collection and management service)

When will I receive rent?

Andrews collects the dilapidations deposit and the first months' rent from tenants before or on the day they move in. Our fees are then deducted and the remaining balance passed on (if applicable). Rent is then collected on a monthly basis and passed onto the Landlord promptly.

Your property is normally let at a rental inclusive of rent, insurance premiums, service charge and ground rent. The tenant is responsible for the settlement of telephone, electricity, gas, water rates, Council Tax and TV license.

Your tenant will not be permitted to access your property until the first months rent and deposit has been paid to us in cleared funds and has signed the relevant paperwork. Andrews will deduct Landlord’s fees, inventory costs and any other expenses from the first payment. Any shortfalls need to be paid before the tenancy commences.

For Rent Collection and Full Management landlords, we will chase late rent payment no later than the 7th working day after the due date.

What Is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme?

At the start of every tenancy we collect a deposit normally equal to a minimum of six** weeks rent, to be used in the event of breakage or damage caused. The deposit is registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and Andrews issue a statutory certificate.

In accordance with the Housing Act 2004, Landlords are no longer permitted to retain a Tenant’s deposit and must select either an insured based or custodial based scheme in which to hold a Tenant’s deposit. Andrews is able to look after Tenant’s deposits in an insurance based scheme. We retain the deposit in trust on behalf of your Tenant. It is held in a designated client bonded account and will be apportioned and returned only after the property is vacated and checked.

** This figure may vary from 4-6 weeks depending on the branch. Please check with your local branch.

What happens if there is a dispute about the deposit?

In the event of a dispute, Andrews will attempt to arbitrate for 10 days, after which time if a satisfactory resolution between both parties has not been agreed the dispute will be refereed to the Dispute Service for independent arbitration. This service is offered free of charge to Andrews Landlords.

Who organises repair work?

For a fully managed service Andrews can order immediate repairs on receipt of a request from the tenant highlighting a repair need, and subject to the consent of the landlord.

What legal obligations apply to Gas?

As a landlord of a residential property you are obliged under the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 to ensure that all gas appliances in a let property are properly maintained and serviced. There is a legal requirement to have an annual safety test carried out of all gas appliances on the property.
You must obtain a new certificate every year and the certificate must be issued by a CORGI registered engineer. We can assist in organising this for our landlords.

What legal obligations apply to furniture and fittings?

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 as amended, place a legal obligation on residential landlords to ensure that upholstered articles meet fire resistance regulations.

Regulations apply to beds, mattresses, sofas and other soft furniture
All affected furniture must carry the fire resistant label
Non-compliant furniture must be removed from a property prior to letting

What legal obligations apply to electrical safety?

There are a number of electrical safety regulations applying to residential property. All appliances supplied in a letting must be tested for safety.

The landlord has a legal duty to ensure all appliances such as fridges and kettles are safe – this applies to used and brand new appliances. The fixed installations in the house must also be safe and periodically tested.

All electrical equipment manufactured after January 1995 should carry the CE symbol.

This is only a summary of the regulations applying to residential let properties. You are advised to discuss all of these issues further with Andrews' fully-trained staff.

What if an andrews employee becomes a tenant?

From time to time, an Andrew's employee may become a tenant. To reassure our customers that these transactions are open and fair, we employ strict guidelines. They ensure that these transactions are transparent and not handled by the employee concerned.

What if I have any complaints?

Our staff are united in their commitment to provide the highest levels of service standards. We are founding members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and abide by their code of conduct.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please raise this at the earliest opportunity with the appropriate branch manager, who will try to resolve it for you. If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, please ask to speak to the Area Manager who will investigate the concerns raised.