GUIDE TO LETTING WITH AUSTIN SAMUELS
With an expensive investment property as well as the ever-changing legislation it is more important than ever to work with a letting agent you can rely on. As well as ensuring we source you a good tenant, it is part of our ethos to make sure that we maximize your rental yield, minimise any void periods and make sure you adhere to the up to date safety legislation to ensure a smooth tenancy and happy tenants.
Whether your circumstances have changed and you need to rent your home, have one buy to let property investment or a large property portfolio, Austin Samuels has the knowledge, experience and expertise to guide you through all stages to enable you to have an income generated in the right way and your investment covered.
We offer a full A to Z service including; property marketing, tenant search services, ‘offer’ negotiations, tenancy agreement co-ordination, safety legislation advice, tenancy deposit protection, inventory management and much more.

Preparation is Key
Is your property ready to market? We all know that first impressions count. Does your property need some minor improvement before you place it on the market? Does it need some small building work or redecoration? The attention is in the detail. Imagine yourself in the renter’s shoes; does the property present itself in its best light? Think about the outside of the property, its gardens and interior. Presented well this will maximise its value and attract the best tenants.
Valuation
Available immediately or further down the line, it would be our pleasure to come and value your property. Our valuation will be supported with relevant comparable evidence of recently let properties in the area and we have extensive knowledge of the areas we cover.
If you would like a free no obligation valuation, please click here
Which Service?
We offer various levels of service depending on your needs. We offer a tenant find only service, rent collection and fully managed. Please click here to see the differences in the services, what is included and the cost.
Safety Regulations
As well as discussing its value and how you could possibly improve its desirability we will also make you aware of and help to facilitate the compulsory safety legislation of your property. There are a number of regulations that a landlord must comply with which include the safety of gas appliances, electrical safety standards, energy performance, furniture & furnishings fire safety and smoke & carbon monoxide alarm regulations. As a member of The Property Ombudsman Scheme we will advise you of your obligations under each law and the implications of non-compliance.
If you would like more information on the above regulations please visit our Regulations & Obligations page
Marketing
Once terms of business are signed and received, the marketing process begins. We will:
- Take digital photographs using a professional photographer
- Organise a virtual tour (if part of the strategy)
- Draw up a colour Floor Plan
- Erect an Austin Samuels Board to increase local exposure
- Internet marketing through the major property portals of Right move and Zoopla as well as our own bespoke website
- Social Media marketing via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
- Local and national advertising through various media channels
We will then prepare the relevant details as part of our agreed strategy and send them to the relevant applicants registered on our database as well as our corporate contacts. We make sure that everyone at Austin Samuels who will be involved in the process of marketing your property, previews it so they know everything about it and can most effectively let it. You will also need to make sure you have an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). It measures the energy efficiency of a property and once completed lasts for 10 years. This is a legal requirement and you must have this before placing your property on the market. You may already have one and we can check the online register on your behalf. We will then launch your property onto the lettings market.
Viewings
Now that the preparation work has taken place the viewing process can begin. We will accompany every viewing to make sure that any prospective tenants know all they need to make an informed decision and for security reasons. We understand that not every landlord is comfortable with allowing us to hold a set of keys but it enables us more flexibility in offering prospective tenants viewing opportunities and improves our chances of letting it quickly to suitable applicants. We sometimes also offer viewing open days in order to prevent disruption to you or current tenants in situ and this also creates urgency in the market.
Try to make sure that your property is presented in a clean, tidy and attractive state. Rationalise the space as best as possible and try to clear away as much unnecessary furniture and items as you can as this will help to make the rooms seem larger and more welcoming. Adding fresh flowers can add to the theatre and pleasure of viewing. This will also help with our professional photos in the preparation stage.
If you are at home when we are conducting viewings its always best if we can continue freely but make any prospective purchasers aware that you are home to answer any questions if necessary.
We will also give you all the honest feedback we receive from applicants, which should be used constructively in order to tweak our marketing strategy if needed or improve the property in order to rent it.
Offer Stage
Once any offers are received we will deal with the negotiation of them between any prospective renter and yourself. Whilst everyone assumes you will take the highest offer there are several factors to consider, particularly if you have more than one offer. We will discuss everything in detail with you along with the position of each applicant.
Once an offer has been agreed we will organise for the successful applicant to place a holding deposit to show willing. At this point we will organise comprehensive referencing for each tenant. This is carried out by an independent, insurance backed and regulated company. The reference will include employment, previous landlord, bank information and a full credit search. Once proven satisfactory we will draw up and send out the tenancy agreement to both parties. We will also conduct the compulsory right to rent checks.
By law certain information needs to be supplied to your tenants along with the relevant safety certificates. If not already obtained we can assist you to get these done. We can also help to arrange any cleaning along with booking an inventory/check in which we highly recommend.
Once contracts have been signed and executed and all monies received in clear funds we can allow your tenants to move in. You should note down all meter readings, inform utility companies and council tax that you have new tenants moving in (This is included in our fully managed service).
Move in
On the agreed move in date the inventory clerk (if you have opted for an inventory and check-in) or ourselves will meet the tenants at the property to hand over the keys. You should supply one set to each tenant living in the property.
Full Management
If you have opted for our fully managed service we will provide the tenants with a management information pack which outlines who to contact should they have any problems within your property. There will be a dedicated property manager who will deal with arranging any quotes, repairs and maintenance that may be required and we will set up a standing order for the rent to be paid. We will require a set of keys to be retained by us.