Landlord Information - tenant finder scheme

Whether you are an experienced landlord or someone who is new to "buy to let", we can offer you a service that could meet your requirements.

Our tenant finder scheme is free

You can rely on our expertise gained from running a scheme for the past fifteen years during which we have helped landlords to set up more than 800 tenancies.

We offer a housing options service to people living and/or working in the Waverley borough. The shortage of housing compounded by high rents presents problems to many people and especially those on a low income. Our aim is to help them secure rented accommodation through forging mutually beneficial links with landlords and letting agents in our area and adjoining areas. To this end we provide a free service to landlords that seeks to create a "win-win" situation for everyone involved in the rental process.

We only refer candidates to you after an interview

If you decide to sign up with us, we will refer prospective tenants to you by giving them your preferred contact details.

However, we will only do this after clients have successfully completed a full Housing Options interview. During the Housing Options interview, we will discuss the client's circumstances fully including their housing history and financial circumstances.

Afterwards, we will check the client's circumstances so far as we can in order to minimise any risk to you as a landlord.

We don't provide references for prospective tenants or carry out credit checks, and the decision' regarding whether to accept any person we refer to you, will be entirely yours to make.

If you are not happy to accept any person we refer to you, just let us know. We will refer another person to you, subject to availability.

You, as a landlord, remain in control

Our aim is to ensure that you as the landlord remain full in control of the letting and property management process, but Waverley Borough Council will help you with many of the practical aspects involved. We are committed to helping you achieve your objectives of maximising your return on investment and we hope that you will find our service offers significant benefits to you.

We work in partnership with many private landlords in Waverley and elsewhere to meet peoples housing needs. The free services that we can provide to you as a landlord include:

• maintaining a database of available properties to rent and local people looking to rent
• putting forward potential tenants following a thorough interview and checks
• the option of a guaranteed rent
• providing information to landlords about prospective tenants' financial situation and tenancy history
• issuing the Government's How to Rent booklet to your tenant prior to the start of the tenancy and providing you with proof
• in certain circumstances issuing a Deposit Bond which complies with tenancy deposit protection regulation
• providing you with a free Energy Performance Certificate ("EPC"). if you do not already have one. An EPC is only required for a property which is self-contained and is valid for 10 years.
• organising a detailed inventory compiled by an independent inventory clerk a copy of which we will send you
• arranging for the clerk to record the presence or absence of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their report and where possible the expiry/build date of carbon monoxide alarms.  Where alarms are present and they can be safely reached, the clerk will test the alarm to ensure it has power
• help with any problems or disputes that may arise during a tenancy
• organising a checkout report compiled by an independent clerk at the end of a tenancy, a copy of which we will send you
• resolving any claims against a Deposit Bond promptly and fairly using an evidence based approach

If you register your rental property with us, we ask that you keep the structure of the property in good, working order.

Gas safety 

If there is a gas supply to the property, you must comply with your responsibilities under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. You must arrange for an annual gas safety check to be carried out every 12 months by a gas safe registered engineer for all pipe work, appliances and flues, which you own and have provided for your tenants' use. You must give a copy of the safety check to each existing tenant within 28 days of the checks being completed and give a copy to any new tenants before they move in. We also need a copy for our files.

Safe furnishings 

If you provide furnished accommodation, you must ensure the furniture meets the Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Energy Performance Certificate 

You need to provide your tenant(s) with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when you issue a new tenancy.  We may be able to help you with this if you let your property to a tenant we have referred to you.   This requirement was introduced by the Housing Act 2004, and has been in force within the sales market for some time. The EPC is valid for 10 years and is likely to cost approximately £75. If you don't comply with this requirement, you could face a fine.

Working alarms

You need to ensure a working smoke alarm is installed on every floor of every property you rent out, and you will need to test them at the start of every tenancy.   You will also need to install and test a carbon monoxide alarm in high risk rooms eg where there is a solid fuel burner.  

Buildings insurance

You will need to send us a copy of your buildings insurance policy so that we can see you have appropriate insurance for the property.

Right to Rent

You will need to check that your prospective tenant has the right to live in the United Kingdom.  We will only refer prospective tenants to you who have this right, but you will still need to make your own checks.

If you are interested in our scheme, please telephone us on 01483 523048. We can send you an information pack and discuss our scheme with you in more detail.