Our Commitment to Landlords
By placing your property in our hands, you can rest assured that the highest standards will apply to the rental process from start to finish. From the initial marketing to contract changeovers, we are committed to working in the best interests of your property whilst maintaining a professional, fair and honest approach to property rental matters at all times.
Your first and most important decision. Which service is right for you?
At Dragonlets we offer two distinct services to Landlords, Let Only and Fully Managed. If you are unsure which to choose, please take a few moments to read through the service summaries below – we would be happy to answer any queries you may have. For our full Scale of Charges please click here.
A. Let Only Service:
If you would like the confidence of fully referenced contract-holders and a comprehensive check-in process, but still enjoy handling the day to day financial, maintenance and legal responsibilities of being a hands-on Landlord, then we would recommend our Let Only Service.
What you can expect from us:
- We will meet you at the property to take initial details and provide a realistic market valuation.
- As soon as we have covered the formalities and you are ready for us to receive keys, we will get started on our trademark great marketing photographs.
- Within 48hrs your property will be marketed locally and nationally via our website, office window display and property portals including Zoopla and Onthemarket.com
- Your property will be attracting local interest with one of our striking property boards within just a few days.
- Property viewings will be carried out in the company of our trained staff.
- Full credit, residency, landlord and employment checks will be carried out on potential contract-holders.
- We are happy to help with arranging any final property preparation or maintenance details.
- Written and photographic inventories are highly recommended and fee details can be provided on request.
- We will draw up the Occupation Contract and other associated documents and arrange for future rental payments to be made by standing order directly to the Landlord’s account.
- Benefit from a comprehensive check-in appointment for your new contract-holders, with meter readings taken on the day.
- We will arrange for the transfer of Gas, Electric, Water and Council Tax accounts into the Contract-holders’ names.
- The first month’s rent will be collected and credited to your account less any fees applicable.
- If applicable, the Contract-holder’s security deposit will be lodged with the Deposit Protection Service ready for transfer to your own Landlord Deposit account.
- You will receive your new Occupation Contract document pack within a short period of time, ready for you to carry on the great work.
Let Only Service:
Single fee of £396 (inclusive of VAT)
(Fee deductible from first month’s rent received).
B. Fully Managed Service:
This service is perfect for
owners who prefer to relinquish the time consuming day to day handling of contract-holder and property maintenance issues, receiving rental income on a monthly
basis with no inconvenience.
Your fully managed service will include all points marked with ✔ above plus the following:
- A full photographic inventory record will be taken to protect your interests at the commencement of tenancy.
- A Contract-holder Information Booklet designed specifically for your property will be issued to the new occupier on Day One of their contract.
- We will receive and process monthly rental payments, crediting funds to your account and providing you with a regular financial statement.
- Should maintenance works be required, we have a reliable team of excellent contractors (or you may nominate your own) to carry out repairs.
- It’s our responsibility to ensure compliance with safety legislation in managed rented properties. This includes ensuring the relevant certificates are in place at all times and that our staff have conducted the appropriate risk assessments prior to the start of tenancy.
- We will liaise with you and your tenants to arrange tenancy renewals as required.
- Tenants benefit from an out of hours emergency contact number.
- We will secure the Contract-holder's security deposit and at the end of the tenancy we will carry out a Check-out appointment. At this point the property will be fully assessed against our initial inventory records and should deductions be necessary from the deposit, we will conduct these proceedings with the outgoing occupier, dealing with any queries or potential disputes – we aim to ensure your property continues to maintain the same high standards as at start of contract.
- We will re-market your property and conduct a smooth changeover for new incoming contract-holders.
Fully Managed Service:
New tenancy arrangement fee £354 (inclusive of VAT)
Management commission at monthly 10% +VAT (single properties)
Or monthly 8% +VAT (3 or more properties)
(Fees deductible from first month’s rent received).
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 – Essential Information for Landlords
On 23rd November 2015, there was a change of legislation which applied to Landlords and Agents in Wales. If you own or manage a house in Wales occupied by contract-holders, you will need to be aware of the requirements. We have summarised the essential points below:
- All private landlords who own a rental property in Wales will need to pay a fee to register themselves and the addresses of their rental properties.
- Landlords who undertake their own letting or property management activities must also apply for a licence. Fees for registration and licensing will be paid to the licensing authority.
- In order to obtain a licence a landlord must be adequately trained on an approved training course, and must be declared ‘fit and proper’, adhering to a Code of Practice. Licenses will need to be renewed every 5 years.
- Landlords who arrange for a licensed agent to act on their behalf for letting and management activities will not need a personal licence.
More information can be found through Rent Smart Wales. In the meantime, if you would like more information on our fully managed service, send us an enquiry using the link on our Contact Us page and we will contact you to discuss your requirements. Dragon Residential Lettings staff are fully trained to the standards required by the legislation.
If you are a Landlord with an established rental property looking for a positive change, we can arrange a smooth management transition for you and your contract-holders where required. Please ask for more details on this service.
Our Landlord guide to successful letting
Whichever service you choose, we can advise you on letting preparations and how best to present your property in order to attract the contract-holders you want to secure and maximise your investment.
Mastering the basics
Remember, contract-holders have lots of choice in today’s rental market. In order to make your property competitive it will often take a small amount of time and effort to ensure that yours stands out amongst the rest. We frequently find that potential new occupiers are prepared to seal the deal quickly if the initial presentation and pricing is exactly right.
The golden rules – Neat, Neutral and Never unfinished
- Cleanliness throughout the property is a must, not forgetting carpets or details such as window cleaning.
- Keep decoration subtle as much as possible - the occasional feature wall being the exception. New tenants can feel limited by an existing colour scheme.
- If needed, freshen up paintwork in places to create a good impact. If any maintenance details require finishing, aim to complete it before the property is marketed.
Never underestimate the ‘lift’ that these 3 points can provide - from the marketing photos to the initial viewings first impressions are everything and tenants invariably do not want to ‘imagine’ the end results of what you have promised to do.
To Furnish or not to Furnish?
Landlords frequently debate this question, and the answer is that there is a case for both in equal measures.- If you already have a good standard of furniture in the property (fairly modern in appearance and complying with Furnishing Fire Safety regulations), then it often makes sense to continue down this road, as contract-holders who move for professional reasons or young people starting out will often prefer to rent furnished, saving them both time and expense. During any void period a furnished rental property will become liable for council tax and other standing charges, however the rent received will be marginally higher than unfurnished and dependent on property type, modern furnishings may enable you to rent more quickly. Any appliances in the rental property will need to be maintained by the Landlord.
- Unfurnished properties are effectively a blank canvas for tenants to make it feel like home. There is little for the Landlord to maintain or renew, however please note that the availability of cooking facilities (fitted oven and hob) is still expected even in unfurnished properties. The inclusion of smart window dressings is also a great benefit as very few contract-holders will want the expense of having to purchase curtains or blinds as soon as they move in. This will help to give your property a finished look.
Non-resident Landlords
If you are a Landlord who lives abroad for most of the year, then you will fall under the heading of ‘Non-resident’ for UK tax purposes. Unless you have an exemption certificate issued by HMRC, there will be a requirement for your agent to deduct tax on net rental income submitting this on a quarterly basis to the tax authorities along with other administrative documents on an annual basis. We don’t believe that this should make life more difficult for you in renting your property, so we are happy to provide these additional management services at no extra cost. Providing regular communication to our overseas Landlords, you can also rest easy in the knowledge that your property is in safe hands whilst you are away.
Project Management & Multiple Portfolios
At Dragonlets, we are not the type to shy away from new projects which may require additional time and resources.
We love to see our Landlords achieve their dream projects and are happy to be involved with advice and project management wherever needed. Whether it be overseeing property refurbishment from bare shell to a fully furnished rental property, or carrying out final inspection checks on blocks of finished new properties, talk to us about your requirements today.
Our experience in handling multiple property portfolios has enabled us to achieve lucrative investment returns for our Landlords. With our property management you can establish a strong portfolio of well-maintained properties receiving positive rental income with minimal void periods. Through our sister company, Dragon Estate Management, we are also able to handle the day to day management of apartment blocks and housing developments, assisting Landlords and their Owners companies across South West Wales.
Houses of Multiple Occupation
We are experienced licensed managers of Houses of Multiple Occupation. This is a specialist area of the lettings world, primarily due to stringent regulations imposed by local authorities. Achieving the all-important balance of tenants is essential to making it work successfully, as is a strong property management presence to keep a close eye on the details. If you own an HMO property already or are planning to establish one in the local area and want to ensure it meets the highest standards whilst achieving excellent annual yields, we have the team who can accomplish that goal.