Landlords Centre
If you currently own or intend to purchase residential property for let in Swansea or Carmarthenshire, Dragon can offer a service to suit your experience and requirements.
We don’t promise to let your property overnight to the highest bidder. However we do guarantee that the greatest care will be taken to ensure that the right tenants are chosen for your property and that the tenancy runs smoothly and successfully. Our excellent track record in the local area speaks for itself.
All of our properties are advertised 24 hrs a day on internet property portals, including www.findaproperty.com and www.primelocation.com, along with our website which is updated daily. We maintain high standards in all of our properties and are approved Landlords through the Landlord Accreditation Wales Scheme. As a result we continually require good quality properties in all areas for a waiting list of tenants.
Please contact us by telephone or email for a speedy appraisal of your property. Alternatively we can arrange an appointment to visit your property for a free valuation.
Landlords benefit from our Let Only (Tenant finding) service or Fully Managed service where we take the strain out of letting your property.
Our Service can include some or all of the following (dependent on your requirements):
- The initial appointment where we will visit you at your property to provide a free valuation and any advice you may require about letting your property.
- Advising you on compliance with the various safety regulations.
- Identifying suitable tenants. Your property will be advertised, however we also maintain a list of waiting tenants.
- Accompanying tenant applicants to view the property. Obtaining and evaluating references and credit checks.
- Preparing Tenancy documents and relevant paperwork.
- Collecting a security deposit (bond) from the tenant and lodging with an appropriate Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme.
- Preparing a comprehensive inventory and schedule of condition.
- Checking the tenant into the property and agreeing the inventory.
- Supervising the transfer of utility accounts into the tenant's name.
- Receiving rental payments monthly in advance, and paying you promptly, together with a detailed statement.
- Inspecting the property periodically, and reporting any problems to you.
- Arranging any necessary repairs or maintenance, first liaising with you in the case of larger works.
- Keeping in touch with the tenant on a routine basis, and arranging renewals of the agreement as necessary.
Residential Lets – Our Terms & Fees
Where others may enforce an initial charge for ‘advertising’ and other hidden fees, at Dragon we can honestly say that there are no upfront charges for the work that we do on your behalf. There is nothing to pay until a tenant moves in and starts paying you rent.
At that point the fee for our Let Only service is an all inclusive £250 (Inventory preparation charged separately). Our managed service is £150 with ongoing management commission at just 10% of monthly rental payments. There is no VAT to pay, giving you even greater return on your investment.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Since October 2008, an Energy Performance Certificate is required for residential properties that are rented (there are certain exceptions). We can arrange for an Energy Assessor to call at your property. The EPC is a report which highlights the energy efficiency of your property, letting you and potential tenants know how money may be saved on heating and lighting bills.
Inventories and Schedules of Condition
In the current rental climate, keeping an accurate inventory and schedule of condition is an essential step on the road to safeguarding your rental experience.
We ensure that in addition to a detailed report signed by both parties, all of our property inventories are held as dated photographic records until the end of the tenancy. This can help to eliminate any last minute problems or queries when check-out day arrives. The various Tenancy deposit protection schemes in operation also consider this essential evidence in cases of dispute, in order to protect both Landlord and Tenant interests.
Insurance Services
For everyone’s peace of mind, we would advise that both parties insure the property and its contents. The premiums are often low and should the worst happen, it is good to know you have the back up of a policy which covers old for new. Please contact us if you would like us to recommend a competitive Insurance broker which specialises in Landlord and Tenant Insurance.
Furnishings
It’s a fact that more and more tenants are looking for furnished properties with a clean and modern feel. Yours will often be their first home, or perhaps they have a lifestyle which means regular relocation. As a result, Landlords are increasingly seeing the benefits of furnishing their property.
If you have a rental property that you would like furnished, we can recommend essential items and arrange for a complete package to be delivered to the property, right down to the window dressings. Simply choose your preferred package from a quality range of competitively priced furnishings and we will organise the rest.
Click on our Landlords’ FAQs for more Dragonlets advice and information about our services.
We find that the following questions are commonly asked but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further queries.
If you have not yet purchased your property, simply contact us with some information about its size, location and age / condition. A member of staff will normally be able to give you pre-purchase guidance on its letting potential and an average rental valuation for the style of property over the phone or by e-mail.
If you own the property and are ready to take the first steps in letting, then please call us to arrange a free valuation. We will meet you at the property in order to answer any queries you may have and to provide you with our assessment of the rental price your property can realistically achieve.
If you are an investment Landlord and are not local, we would be pleased to collect keys for valuation from your developer / estate agent. In the case of new build or re-developed properties we can also undertake ‘snagging’ on your behalf if required (please contact us for details of this service).
If the property is ready for let then you can instruct us to start marketing your property straight away. We will need to take photographs and dependent on location, may request that a property board be erected to ensure maximum exposure to a local target audience. Our internet based marketing will also ensure that your property is available to be seen by thousands of property seekers within just a few hours.
We will require a set of keys for the property so that viewings can take place but will not ask you to pay any fee until an appropriate tenant has been found for the property.
We will ask you to provide us with proof of ownership. This can be in the form of recent mortgage related documents or property deeds. We will also require any documents you may have relating to gas / electrical safety plus the EPC and appliance manuals where relevant.
Where we are managing the property we will ask you to complete a Management Information form which will provide us with the information we require to carry out our job successfully.
Yes, you must inform and obtain permission from your mortgage lender in order to let your property. Please inform us of any special conditions that they impose. We may require written evidence of this.
We would recommend that landlords take out insurance on the property and for any contents, such as furniture and white goods they have provided in the property.
It is stated in the Terms of our Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement that Tenants are responsible for the payment of council tax during the period of the tenancy. However when the property becomes vacant the landlord or homeowner becomes liable for paying the council tax.
Yes, you must pay tax on rental income if you are living in the UK. You are also responsible for paying all property taxes for periods when the property is vacant.
If you are an overseas Landlord and are living outside of the UK, you should apply for approval to receive rent with no tax deducted (Non-resident Landlords Scheme).
Until we receive HMRC notification of this approval, we must deduct tax at source from your rental income and pay this to the Inland Revenue on your behalf.
Good tenants seek out good-looking rental properties. For this reason, Dragon take on properties which meet a high standard of cleanliness and decoration as well as meeting current health & safety standards. You can rest assured that your property will make a great impression when viewers arrive.
Properties should always be clean and ideally decorated in light neutral tones. Floor coverings should also be clean (and preferably hardwearing). If fixtures or furnishings are beginning to look tired, it may be an idea to update them so that your property continues to look and feel fresh. If you are unsure of what is needed, we would be happy to view your property and make recommendations if required.
When the property is ready, you can leave us to do the work. Using our marketing expertise and rental market experience we will work to quickly make your property a sought after commodity.
Your property can be let fully furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished. The local market and style of property will normally dictate the target tenant and what their needs are likely to be. It is important to remember that in residential properties, furnishings must meet current fire safety standards (more details can be provided on request).
We carry out the following checks on tenant applicants:
- Proof of Identity and residency
- Rental History / Landlord reference
- Credit checks
- Employment reference
For overseas applicants, we have access to international referencing facilities, which cover many countries. Occasionally a tenant may be required to provide a suitable guarantor (also fully referenced by us) or even to pay the full fixed term rental in advance.
We make it our policy to get to know applicants before placing them in your property, and would never place a tenant where doubt exists as to their credibility. This can mean the referencing process takes a little longer but we find it’s the best method of safeguarding your interests.
Yes, we are experienced in the specialist field of student lets. We are also council approved Managers for Houses of Multiple Occupation. Please talk to us about your requirements.
Property Search
© Dragon Residential Lettings & Property Management Ltd
Dragon Residential Lettings & Property Management Ltd is a company registered in England & Wales under number 5578957. Dragon Residential Lettings & Property Management Ltd registered office is PO Box 152, Llangennech, Llanelli SA14 8WP.