Frequently Asked Questions Property Management, Letting & Estate Agents FAQs
Guaranteed Rent
We typically take on a property under guaranteed rent for 2-7 years and are very flexible with our contract lengths.
We have a number of unique landlord services we can offer including:
- Take it on for another term under guaranteed rent
- Offer property management services and find suitable tenants
- Offer a tenant find only service and you take on the management
- Or we can sell your Southampton property, if you wish
Our solution is completely stress free as the landlord is hands off from any tenant enquiries. As the renter has taken a lease on the property we act on the landlord’s behalf and ensure regular property checks.
The renter takes care of any damages to the property as it is their responsibility to return it in the same condition as when we took it on, and the landlord will not incur any letting, management or renewal fees.
We cover all minor maintenance to your property, these are outlined on our contract which includes:
- Cosmetic repairs
- Furnishing the property
- Boiler and heating repairs
- Electrical repairs
- Safety certificates
- Garden maintenance
- Cleaning to keep the property up to standard
When we take on a property, we essentially become the landlord. Therefore you will not be in direct contact with the tenants at all throughout the agreement, unless you specifically request this.
As a guaranteed rent landlord, there will be no empty periods, no set up fees, no commission or hidden extras, you will not have to deal with the tenants, and we offer flexible start and payment dates and contract lengths.
Nothing! This service requires absolutely no payment up front, and you will not be charged during the term length either (unless its for major maintenance works). Call us now on 023 8218 0168 for more information.
We become your tenant/guarantor so you are 100% secure that your rent will be paid to you in full, on time each and every month even if the tenant doesn’t.
Property Letting
Depending on the service chosen, some initial costs could include:
- Inventory fees
- Check in fees
- Check out fees
- Admin fees
There are likely to be additional costs for compliance inspections and cleaning.
We can offer a guaranteed rent service which would pay you the rent regardless of whether the tenant paid or not. If you have chosen another service, our team has a robust policy in place for chasing arrears in line with current legislation.
If you choose a fully managed or rent managed service, we will collect the rent in line with the rental period and then transfer the money to your account, less any commissions, outgoings or fees as agreed in the service.
At SDM Property, we carry out all referencing on your behalf and it will include information about the tenant including:
- Details of a guarantor if required
- Employment
- Address history
- References from employers and previous landlords
- Three months’ worth of bank statements
- Tax return if self employed
- Letter from accountants if self employed
- Any adverse credit.
We can only accept maintenance requests from properties we manage. Please check your tenancy agreement, or give us a call during office hours and we can let you know. If your property is not managed by us, please contact your landlord or management company.
Is it an emergency?
An emergency issue would be if the situation is dangerous, life threatening, or may result in an injury or serious damage to the property.
Emergency issues should be reported by calling 023 8218 0168
What is classed as an emergency issue?
- Gas leak. If you can smell gas, call the National Grid ASAP on 0800 111 999
- Dangerous electrical faults
- Complete lighting or power failure (please check there isn’t an issue affecting your whole area)
- Total loss of water supply (please check there isn’t an issue affecting your whole area)
- Serious water leaks from tanks, pipes, radiators or other plumbing
- Broken windows, doors or locks causing a security concern
- Failure of heating system in the winter months
If your issue is not one of the emergency items listed above, then fill out this form and we will respond ASAP.
Note: if a contractor is called out to a non-emergency or non-managed property, charges may be passed on to you.
There are many good reasons to choose SDM Property:
- It’s completely stress free
- The landlord/lady is hands off from any tenant enquiries
- As the ‘Renter’ is leasing property, we act on behalf of you the landlord/lady
- We carry out regular property checks to ensure there are no unexpected issues
- The ‘Renter’ would also take care of any damages to the property. It is their responsibility to return the property back to the landlord in the same condition as when we took it on.
- The landlord would not incur any letting, management or renewal fees.
- The ‘Renter’ would be expected to comply with all the numerous laws and compliance issues that an agent would generally deal with, saving the landlord time and money.
Should this happen, we would gain a quote for the required works through one of our skilled contractor team members. We would present this to you and request permission to proceed. In some cases we can split the cost depending on the type of job required.
The tenant will pay a security deposit at the beginning of the tenancy which is registered with a government approved scheme. You can potentially apply to withhold some or all of this at the end of the tenancy to cover:
- Damages
- Cleaning
- Poor maintenance of the property and/or garden
- Unauthorised changes to the property
- Unpaid rent
- Unpaid utility bills
- Removal of extra items that are left without written agreement
- Loss of items
Fair wear and tear must be considered, and you cannot expect to claim for anything that would improve the property on how it had initially been handed over to the tenant.
The value of your property will be affected by several factors such as the size, location and condition of the property. Our skilled and experienced team of letting agents can advise you using their extensive local market knowledge and expertise to help you achieve the best possible price. Contact us now for a free valuation.
Property Sales
Exchange is the moment your solicitor exchanges contracts with the buyer. From that moment, you are both in a legally binding agreement to sell/buy the property. Completion is when your solicitor receives the money for the property, the keys are physically handed over to the new owner and they are then responsible for the property.
No, the buyer has to pay stamp duty but if you are also buying a property, you will have to pay stamp duty on that property.
There are numerous costs involved such as Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), conveyancing and solicitor fees, removal costs and estate agent commissions. At SDM Property we can offer a fixed fee service which will substantially reduce your costs, contact us for more details.
No. We arrange for professional photographs of your property and create floor plans on your behalf all as part of our fixed fee service. Call us today for more details.
Technically no. However, it’s what we are passionate about, and we are best placed to market your property effectively, negotiate the best price possible and complete the sale within the timeframes required.
We do it for you. We market your property on all major online portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla and On the Market, as well as on social media, all as part of our fixed fee services.