Landlords FAQs

A property inventory is an independent, detailed, thorough and descriptive inspection of the condition of the property, including any furniture – if furnished property – with photographic evidence. Our inventories also include the check-in process, handing over the keys, right to rent and smoke alarm check within the fee. After the inspection a report will be sent out to both parties, then both renters and landlord have the opportunity to add or amend, before each signing. This is then repeated when the tenant moves out and any damage more than wear or tear is noted and could affect the amount returned on the deposit. If you have not arranged an inventory, we can assist you. 

The average price for an inventory is £140.00. The Inventory cost depends on the size of the property and whether it is furnished or not. It includes the check-in process handing over the keys, right to rent and smoke alarm check. This can therefore be as little as £88.00 for a 1 bed flat or £184.00 for a 5 bed house.

A CP12 is a gas safety certificate that is legally required under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 for all rental properties. It is renewed annually and must be provided to move into a property. As part of our service we notify Landlords when this is due and organise for an engineer to attend and issue. If you don’t have one, we’ll get one for you, to ensure you are legally compliant.

A Section 21 notice is a prescribed document informing the renter that you require possession of your property on a specified date. The notice period is for 4 months, changing to 2 in August 2021. In order for you to be able to use a Section 21 notice, you must have issued specific documents to your renter on or before the tenancy started. Once a Section 21 notice has been issued to your renter, it is valid for 6 months after the date of issue. You cannot issue a Section 21 notice in specific circumstances.

If you currently have your property fully managed by Howsy, we can arrange for a S.21 to be served on your behalf by a leading law firm. The cost is £149 inc VAT.

We are here 24/7 to assist your tenants with any issues that might arise. We will always try and resolve the problem on the phone if that is possible if not we will contact you to agree on how you want to deal with the problem.

We are a 24/7 service should an emergency occur, we will access emergency tradesmen to make sure your renters and your property are protected.

Yes. You can give us their details up front and we’ll keep them on record for when they are needed, or you can let us know who they are when we contact you about a specific maintenance or repair issue. Where landlords advise us of a preferred contractor we usually contact them to arrange a repair. However, in the event that contact or an appointment proves difficult, we will recommend an alternative contractor.

Your renters will be liable for any damage they cause or their guests causer negligently. They are also asked to carry out simple and basic repairs such as changing light bulbs or batteries where it is safe to do so.

If the items were in the property at the start of the tenancy, in working condition, or if they break during the tenancy you are obliged to replace them under the terms of the tenancy.

Yes, as long as you provide your renters with advance notice and they give their consent in writing. This is best dealt with by an account manager, tell us more about when and why you’d like to visit and we will arrange for the account manager to prepare the paperwork and contact you.

We’ll do the first inspection free of charge usually after the new tenancy starts. You’ll receive photo reports after each inspection and you’ll be able to instruct us to take further action based on these reports. If you require further inspections please contact your account manager.

The first rental payment will be made to you in up to 7 working days after your renters move in, and within 5 working days from receipt in following months.

Rent cannot be increased during a fixed term tenancy unless the tenancy agreement permits it. On renewal an increase can be proposed but if the tenancy is a statutory periodic tenancy a S.13 notice will need to be served. If the tenant then refuses to pay the rent increase, the matter will have to be referred to a tribunal.

Yes, Howsy protects customers money (such as rent or deposits) via Client Money Protect. You can view our CMP Certificate here.

If you have a fixed term tenancy agreement, you must give a minimum of two months notice in line with the end date of your agreement. For example: if your fixed term tenancy is due to end of the 15th May and you want your tenant to vacate on this date. You would need to issue Section 21 notice to all named tenants on or before the 15th March. If your tenant is on a statutory periodic tenancy, you will still need to issue Section 21 notice at any time.

Tenancies can be terminated during the fixed term

Pursuant to a break clause if applicable, by agreement with the tenant or on the grounds available under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.

You may be able to obtain possession of your property during a fixed term tenancy if you require the property to live in yourself. However, to rely on this you must have advised us in advance so that we can arrange the relevant paperwork. The notice period for this is currently 4 months and if the tenant refuses to vacate, court proceedings will need to be commenced.

You can sell the property to another landlord with the tenancy in place, this makes an attractive option for a property investor, however, it can narrow the market for prospective purchasers. If the tenancy is a Statutory Periodic Tenancy, then you could give the tenants notice to vacate, if they fail, then court proceedings will be required.

We are legally required to provide your renters with a copy of the EPC, Gas Safety Certificate, Electrical Inspection Condition Report, Government How to Rent Guide and Deposit Protection Certificate. We provide these to the renter when we send out the tenancy agreements for signing. Your renter has to sign these documents electronically on or before the tenancy start date as proof they have received these documents.

No, tenants aren’t charged any fees in relation to the check in or check out of a property.

No, with the exception of rent arrears and possibly utility charges.

The deposit needs to be returned to your tenants in 10 days.

As an overseas Landlord we would be required by law to deduct 20% from your rental income and transfer it to HMRC each quarter unless you have registered with HMRC as a non-resident landlord. There are fees applicable for this which can be found on the fee sheet.

To prevent this 20% deduction from happening each quarter (Jan, Apr, July, Oct) ), you will have to register with HMRC using the NRL1i form link below – there is the option to complete the form online which should speed up the registration. HMRC will then send us a letter which will authorise us to send your rental income without tax deductions. There is also the link for the NRLS guidance document if you need further information. If you need further assistance, call us and we can arrange for someone in the Finance team to give you a call to answer any questions you may have.

HMRC Non-resident Landlord scheme guidance

NRL1i Form for Overseas Landlords

Our NRLS approval number is 904/NA057591 (You will need to use NA057591 on the online form) and the full company details are Howsy Limited, 229 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6PN.

Absolutely. If you don’t have the time or don’t want to deal with it, we will take care of putting the deposit from your renters in a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme (TDP). We charge a £18 one off fee per tenancy for handling and registration of the deposit. If you’d rather do it yourself, we’re happy to provide guidance.

Yes, Howsy protects customers money (such as rent or deposits) via Client Money Protect. You can view our CMP Certificate here.

After you create a profile you will be contacted by one of our colleagues from the sales team. On average it takes 20 minutes until we call you back, but if you are busy and can’t talk we will call later or send you an email. Our colleague will talk to you to make sure that we understand all your requirements, and then notify the Property Account Manager and their team who will begin the process of preparing the property to go live on the relevant marketing portals.

We will also need you to provide a few details, including evidence that you are the lawful owner of the property you are renting:

• A copy of your I.D (Passport, Driving License)
• Your home address (For any future correspondence)
• Bank details (For rent collection)
• Gas Safety Certificate (If the property has gas)
• EPC and EICR
• Whether the rental property was ever your home and there is a chance that you may want to live in it again

Of the above list, the most relevant to start marketing is the copy of your I.D and EPC. We are required by law to do property ownership checks for all the properties we market. The rest can always be passed on at a later date if you were more comfortable to do so.

We have a three key policy for all properties we manage, one set for the renter and two for us whilst managing. Please be aware that it is it also your responsibility to ensure that there is at least one set of keys provided per tenant at move-in. Any extra keys you need to cut for this would be at a cost to you.

If you are using our services for viewings we can arrange to meet you or whomever currently holds the keys in the area to exchange them prior to the first viewing.

Alternatively if that isn’t achievable, your Welcome Pack from Howsy will give you full instructions on how to send the keys to us.

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