le ig ad p e maage e - blackkatz.com · the deposit protection service (the dps) custodial and...

Lettings andProperty

Management

London’s largest lettings-only agency

www.blackkatz.com

bk_property_brochure_16pp_UPDATE_V8_Layout 1 07/11/2014 14:59

BLACK KATZ LETTINGS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 02


CONTENTS

05 Landlords

07 Don’t Just Take Our Word For It

08 Letting Only ServiceLetting And Property Management

09 Administration

10 Why Our Landlords ChooseProperty Management

11 Property Management

12 Protecting Your Deposit

13 Landlords Obligations

14 Notes And General Terms



LANDLORDS

“Our aim is to provide you with a stress free service.To let your property quickly and efficiently as soon as we have been instructed.”

We are the largest...

We are London’s largest lettings-only agency. We have been established for over 20 years. We employ60 people located in 7 offices in Camden, Clapham, Crouch End, Hammersmith, Islington, LondonBridge and West Hampstead.

The size and success of our service results in us letting a property every 50 minutes. Which on anannual basis is 3000 plus properties let to approximately 6000 tenants, generating a rental incomein excess of £45 million per annum for our Landlords.

We are very experienced...

This is simply because we specialise in Residential Lettings Only – no sales, commercial, etc, – just100% lettings. Our teams are exclusively dedicated and have a huge local market knowledgeproviding a quick and efficient letting service.

Unique marketing...

We use an intensive marketing approach to show your property to all suitable tenants from yourlocal office and if necessary we also market the property using all our negotiators throughout theentire group, each with their own portfolio of tenants. Only the Black Katz group are in a positionto be able to do this for you.

In addition we offer free valuations, photos, free coverage on our website and other leadingwebsites such as Prime Location, Right Move, Zoopla, Loot.com and many more.



DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

“We have found letting our flats through Black Katz to be extremely efficient. We have never had a badexperience with Black Katz on any level and find them very approachable and responsive.”R / Z Heller

“Friendly, efficient team who know their Landlords and local areas inside out”P. Chapman

“I have always used Black Katz and have had an excellent service and prompt re– lettings. They arevery reliable, competitive, up-to-date with legal issues and punctual with payments.”M. Poole

“We have used Black Katz continuously over the last eight years for tenant finding and managementof our properties and would have no hesitation in recommending their services.”B Parsons

“During the 12 years that I have used Black Katz they have provided me with a fast and efficientservice.”L. Glancy

“Black Katz have been finding me tenants for six years now and every tenant has been fantastic.”V. Healy

“The top letting agent in London fast, efficient and caring”M. Leatherby

“Flexible speedy service and quality tenants” C .Severs




LETTING ONLY SERVICE• Rental valuation.• Marketing of property.• All viewings accompanied by a Black Katz negotiator.• Negotiation of terms between prospective tenant(s) and yourself.A Landlord and tenant meeting can be arranged by request.

• References taken-up (including a financial reference),checked and sent to you forapproval. Each office has a full time administrator dedicated solely to processingevery tenancy.

• Contracts prepared.• Monies collected, including deposit.• Statements prepared and submitted with monies.

Our fees for the Lettings Only Service are 10% plus vat of the monies receivable for the period of theagreement plus vat plus a contract fee. A renewal fee is chargeable at a discounted rate of 20% of your letting fee (subject to our terms andconditions).

LETTING & PROPERTY MANAGEMENTALL THE ABOVE +

• Tenant check-in.• Rent collection.• Payment of any outgoings.• Dealing with maintenance and repairs.• Emergency repairs.• Liaising with the tenant and dealing with their enquires.• Tenant check-out.

Our fees for Property Management are 5% plus vat, in addition to the Letting Only Service.There is a surcharge of 1% plus vat payable by overseas landlords due to the additional time and costs involved.



PERSONAL ADMINISTRATORSCHASING EVERY LITTLE DETAIL

Each office has it’s own personal administrator to provide a one to one personal service toensuring that the move in runs smoothly and efficiently.

Once we have let your property a full reference check is done on every tenant.

References include employment, financial, previous landlord, character and guarantoragreement where necessary.

We prepare contracts using Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements / Common Law Agreementswhich are updated every year with all new legislation.

We collect 6 weeks deposit and the first month’s rent in advance. In view of the Governmentstenancy deposit legislation effective on the 6th April 2007, Black Katz will guide you throughthe procedure of joining a scheme to ensure you meet your legal requirements.

We can organise inventories, cleaners, gas safe certificates, and additional services ensuring themove in for all parties is a smooth and pleasant one.

We are members of The National Approved Letting Scheme, The Property Ombudsman and SAFEAGENTS accreditation schemes for letting and management agents. This offers peace of mind toLandlords and Tenants in knowing that they are dealing with a firm which agrees to meetdefined standards.

Black Katz prides itself on treating each of its Landlords as individuals and not as a number.



WHY OUR LANDLORDS CHOOSEPROPERTY MANAGEMENT

“They want to save time and effort, reduce headache and hassle”

Dealing with all the Tenants’ enquiries, general repairs and emergency repairs- notjust Monday to Friday but also at weekends.

Chasing and collecting rent - we collect rent over £7 million per annum.

Ensuring legal requirements are met from obtaining Gas Safe Certificates to the serving of section 21 notices to help ensure tenants vacate when they should, helping to give Landlords plenty of time to find new tenants to minimise void periods.

Organising ingoing and outgoing inventories and making recommendations for deductions from the deposit at the end of tenancy.



PROPERTY MANAGEMENTDEDICATED PORTFOLIO MANAGER FOR YOUR PROPERTY

Portfolio Manager - dealing with move-ins, maintenance, renewals, move-outs.

Moving In Process: “Full Referencing”• Obtaining references.• Drawing up contracts.• Tenant(s) check-in with full inventory report.• Key holding service.• We can hold and register deposits with My Deposits.com.

Maintenance: “Cost Effective”• Our property management department has a large portfolio of experienced trustworthy contractors.• Ensuring landlords are notified of repairs and costs involved before works are carried out, workingto keep both landlords and tenants happy.

• An emergency telephone line open for both landlords and tenants over the weekend period foremergency repairs (i.e leaks, boiler breakdowns, break in, loss of power, etc). We use the samecontractors for both general and emergency repairs so no over the top charges for out of hour repairs.

• Organising Gas Safety Inspections and Energy Performance Certificates.

Renewal of Contracts: “Avoiding Voids”• Serving Section 21 Notices within appropriate time frame.• Full negotiation of new terms and rent increases,• Always striving to get you the best deal.• Organising renewal contracts.

Inspection of the PropertyWe will carry out an inspection on your property midway through the tenancy at no extra cost. Thiswill be a visual inspection and we will report back any damages with recommendations.

End of Tenancy: “Helping to Protect your Property”• Full detailed check-out report at the end of the tenancy which is based on and compared to the originalcheck-in report.

• The check-out process includes the meeting of the tenant(s) at the property, ensuring meterreadings are read correctly, collecting all keys and leaving the property secure.

• Advising the landlord on justifiable deposit deductions.• Informing tenant(s) clearly of any justifiable deductions to be made from the deposit and the finalamount due back to them to minimise disputes.

• Return of deposit.

Finance Director - All financial matters will be handled by the full time Finance Director, who issupported by our great new CFP software.

Rent Collection: “ Prompt & Pro-active Where Necessary”• Prompt payments to landlords.• Provide monthly statements with full details of income and any expenditure.• Chasing tenants’ late rents by telephone and a series of formal rentdemands sent electronically and by post.

• Working closely with external legal teams if required.

Our fees for Property Management are 5% plus vat, in addition to the Letting Only Service. There is a surcharge of 1% plus vat payable by overseas landlords due to the additional time and costs involved.



Every private Landlord in England and Wales letting private residential property is by law required tojoin one of three government authorised tenancy deposit protection schemes if:

• The start date of the Tenancy is af ter 6 April 2007 (existing tenancies prior to thisdate will not be affected by this legislation), the Tenancy is let under an AssuredShort Hold tenancy agreement.

• Once you have received the deposit you must join one of the schemes within 30 daysand give your tenants the details of the scheme that you have joined within the 30 days.

• As we do not hold deposits (except for Property Management Landlords) we would adviseyou, our Landlord to look into the schemes that are on offer. If you have any problems withthis procedure just contact the office that you have been dealing with and they will guide youthrough the whole process step by step.

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) Custodial and Insured Deposit Protection Scheme – Thecustodial deposit protection scheme is free to use and open toall Landlords and Letting Agents. The service is funded entirelyfrom the interest earned from deposits held. The Insureddeposit protection scheme has no registration or annualrenewal fee but charges from £15.00 per deposit registered. TheLandlord retains the deposit and protection will be provided tothe tenant(s) for the duration of the tenancy. Landlords andLetting Agents are able to register and make transactions online. Paper forms are available should internet access be anissue. The scheme is supported by a dedicated call centre andan independent dispute resolution service.

For more information, visit www.depositprotection.com or call 0844 4727 000.

MyDepositsThis insurance-based tenancy deposit protection schemeenables Landlords to hold deposits. The fee for joining thisscheme is £14.40 and then from £24.00 per deposit registered.The protection covers the duration of the tenancy and if thetenant(s) continue into a Statutory Periodic Tenancy then youneed to inform MyDeposits. A new protection fee is payable atthe start of each new fixed term AST agreement.

For more information, visit www.mydeposits.co.uk or call 0844 980 0290.

The Dispute Service (TDS)This is an insurance-backed deposit protection and disputeresolution scheme which has been established since 2003to provide dispute resolution and complaints handling forthe lettings industry. The scheme enables letting agents andlandlords to hold their deposits. There is no fee for joiningthis scheme and costs £21.95 per deposit registered.

For more information, visit www.tds.gd.com or call 0845226 7837.*If you are a landlord that lives overseas you have to jointhe custodial deposit protection scheme.

If a deposit is not protected, the Landlord will be breaking the law.The Landlord will be unable to regain possession of the propertyusing notice-only grounds for possession under the Section 21of the Housing Act 1988. The Tenant can apply for a court orderrequiring the deposit to be protected, or for the prescribedinformation to be given to them. If the court is satisfied that theLandlord has failed to comply with these requirements, or isnot satisfied that the deposit is being held in accordance withan authorized scheme, the court must either:

01.Order the Landlord to repay the deposit within 14 days ofthe issuing of the court order, or

02.Order the Landlord to pay the deposit into the designatedaccount held by the custodial scheme administrator. The court may also order the Landlord to pay to the Tenant (orperson who paid the deposit on his / her behalf) an amountequivalent to three times the deposit amount within 14 days ofthe making of the order.

PROTECTING YOUR DEPOSIT



A LANDLORDS OBLIGATION

Provide an ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE. (EPC)All rental properties with a new tenancy in England and Wales are required to have an EnergyPerformance Certificate (EPC).

Provide an annual Gas Safe CertificateThe legislation in place relating to the installation and maintenance of gas appliances (Gas Safety(Installation and Use) Regulations 1998) demands that all Landlords must ensure that any gasappliances within their rental property are inspected and passed annually by a Gas Safe qualifiedengineer.

Ensuring all electrical appliances are safeThe Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 governs the safety requirements of electricalappliances. As a result Landlords have a duty of care to ensure that the electrical appliances that theyprovide are safe to use. This regulation relates to both new and second hand goods; however, there isno mandatory checking period.

Ensuring that the furniture and furnishings within the property meet thefire safety standardsUnder the Furniture and Furnishings Regulations 1993 the landlord is responsible for ensuring thatall upholstered furniture and furnishing is fire resistant (match and cigarette test) and carry themanufacturers label stating that they are fire resistant.

Maintenance The landlord it required to keep the structure and exterior of the dwelling, the installations for thesupply of water, gas, electricity and the installations in the property for space heating and heating waterin good repair and proper working order, in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 Section 11.

Protect the tenants deposit Every private Landlord in England and Wales letting private residential property is by law required tojoin one of three government authorised tenancy deposit protection schemes if:

• The start date of the Tenancy is after 6 April 2007 (existing tenancies prior to this date are notaffected by this legislation), the Tenancy is let under an Assured Shorthold tenancy agreement.

• Once you have received the deposit you must join one of the schemes within 30 days and give yourtenants the details of the scheme that you have joined within that 30 days period.

• As we do not hold deposits (except for Property Management Landlords) we would adviseyou to look into various schemes that are on offer.

The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS)For more information, visit www.depositprotection.com or call 0844 4727 000.

MyDepositsFor further information visit www.mydeposits.co.uk or call 0844 980 0290.

The Dispute Service (TDS)For more information, visit www.thedisputesevice.co.uk or call 0845 226 7837.

*If you are a Landlord that lives overseas you have to join the custodial deposit protection service.



01. RENTUnless you notify us to the contrary, the rent quoted on yourbehalf will be inclusive of all out goings for which you areresponsible (e.g ground rent, service charges), except fortelephone, gas, electricity, water rates and council tax.

02. AGREEMENTSWe use our standard forms of agreements. You may wish tocheck with your solicitor that these are entirely appropriate toyour particular circumstances.

03. LEASEHOLDS (Managed Properties Only)In the event of you being the Leaseholder and us payingcontributions on your behalf we will be entitled to accept andpay without question demands on account from yourFreeholder that appear to us to be in order. We cannot acceptresponsibility for the adequacy of any insurance cover or theverification of demands accountant or estimate.

04. MORTGAGESIf your property is mortgaged, you will require yourmortgagee’s consent.

05. INSURANCEYou should ensure that you are covered in the case of lettings.

06. GAS REGULATIONSUnder the Gas Regulations 1994 the landlord is responsiblefor the safety, checking and maintenance of all gas appliancesa least every 12 months - keeping a service record and usingonly Gas Safe registered companies. We can supply furtherdetails if requested.

07. EPCUnder The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates andInspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations2011, you will need to supply us with a copy of an EPCcertificate for your property or confirm that an EPC certificatehas been commissioned before we can market your property.

08. FURNITURE AND FURNISHING REGULATIONSUnder the Furniture and Furnishings Regulations 1993 thelandlord is responsible for ensuring that all upholsteredfurniture and furnishing is fire resistant (match and cigarettetest) and carry the manufacturers label stating that they arefire resistant. We can supply further details if requested.

09. GUARANTEES (Managed Properties Only)You will need to supply us with copies of all guarantees relatingto the property e.g. domestic appliances, boilers etc.

10. DURATION (Managed Properties Only)This appointment will remain in force until terminated byservice of three months notice by one party or the other. Thisappointment maybe terminated by ourselves forthwith andwithout service of notice in the event of any breach by you ofthe express terms hereof or in the event of any act orcommission on your part which makes impracticable thefurther performance of our services hereunder.

11. TAXES: NON-RESIDENT LANDLORDS (NRL) SCHEMEThe NRL scheme applies to payments of rental income madeon or after 6th April 1996 and in highly recommended andused by virtually all our oversea landlords.Landlords who are residents abroad and wish to receive theirrental income with no tax deducted can apply to the InlandRevenue “Financial Intermediaries and Claims Office” (FICO)for approval - we can supply the appropriate Inland Revenueform and further details. Where the Landlord has either notapplied or not been approved by FICO, the managing agentunder section 42a of the Income & Corporation taxes Act 1988is obliged to retain an amount from the rent sufficient to paythe tax.

12. LIABILITYWe shall use our commercial judgment as to the terms of anyagreement entered into on your behalf and shall use our bestendeavours to ensure that, where appropriate to yourcircumstances, such provisions as are legally permissible andas are agreed with the occupiers, are inserted to facilitate yourregaining possession but we shall not, under anycircumstances, be liable to you in the event of a protectedtenancy being created (whether intended or not) or in theevent of any difficulties arising in your recovering arrears orpossession of the property or in any way whatsoever relatingto our appointment hereunder.

13. INDEMNITY (Managed Properties Only)The owner will at times indemnity us and keep us indemnifiedagainst all actions, proceeding, claims and demands, costs,damages and expenses which may be levied, brought or madeagainst us by whom ever or which we may pay, sustain or incurby reason of any non-payment by the owner of the mortgageinstalments, or other outgoings in respect of the property.

14. PROOF OF OWNERSHIPBy law we are required to get some form of Proof of Ownershipi.e loans / mortgage statement or letter, letter from the solicitor,service charge statement or land registry details this does nothave to show any of your personal financial details, justconfirm that the property is privately owned by yourself. It islargely to prevent agents from letting out Council or HousingAssociation property.

NOTES AND GENERAL TERMS

bk_property_brochure_16pp_UPDATE_V8_Layout 1 07/11/2014 15:00 Page 15

BLACK KATZ LOCAL OFFICES& AREAS WE COVER

CAMDEN / WEST END69 Parkway, London, NW1 7PP • Tel: 020 7284 3111

Baker Street • Bayswater • Belsize Park • Bloomsbury • Camden • FitzroviaKentish Town • Hampstead • Holloway • Ladbroke Grove • Maida Vale • Marylebone

Notting Hill • St Johns Wood • Tufnell Park

CLAPHAM78 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LL • Tel: 020 7378 0700Balham • Battersea • Brixton • Camberwell • Clapham • Denmark Hill • Earlsfield

East Dulwich • Herne Hill • Oval • Pimlico • Stockwell • Streatham • Tulse Hill • VauxhallWandsworth • Westminster

CROUCH END 1 Topsfield Parade, Middle Lane, London, N8 8PR • Tel: 020 8347 3335Alexandra Park • Arnos Grove • Bounds Green • Crouch End • East Finchley • HaringeyHighgate • Finchley • Friern Barnet • Muswell Hill • New Southgate • Palmers Green

Southgate • Turnpike Lane • Wood Green • Woodside Park

ISLINGTON / EAST22 Baron Street, London, N1 9ES • Tel: 020 7713 7337

Angel • Archway • Bethnal Green • Finsbury Park • Hackney • Highbury • HollowayIslington • Kings Cross • Manor House • Mile End • Russell Square

Spitalfields • Stoke Newington

LONDON BRIDGE78 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LL • Tel: 020 7403 5010Aldgate • Bermondsey • Blackfriars • Borough • Canada Water • Canary Wharf

Elephant & Castle • Kennington • Lambeth North • Liverpool Street • London BridgeShad Thames • Surrey Quays • Moorgate • Peckham • Tower Hill • Waterloo

WEST HAMPSTEAD / HAMMERSMITH199B West End Lane, London, NW6 2LJ • Tel: 020 7328 5000

Belsize Park • Dollis Hill • East Finchley • Finchley Central • Finchley Road • Golders GreenHampstead • Harlesden • Hendon • Kensal Green • Kilburn • Ladbroke Grove • Maida Vale

Queens Park • Swiss Cottage • Willesden Green • West Hampstead

BLACK KATZ PROPERTY MANAGEMENT69 Parkway, London, NW1 7PP • Tel: 020 7428 9494

bk_property_brochure_16pp_UPDATE_V8_Layout 1 07/11/2014 15:00 Page 16

le ig ad p e maage e - blackkatz.com · the deposit protection service (the dps) custodial and...

Documents