Inclusive Management

Put quite simply, we’re tailor made for landlords.

Managing people and property

We understand the challenges you’re faced with every day and work hard on your behalf to remove any obstacles. From the ongoing maintenance of your property and keeping your tenants happy, to staying up-to-date with the complex web of legislation, we’re here to take the strain out of letting and managing property – leaving you to enjoy rewards. We understand that being a landlord can be a full-time job; but our services mean you don’t have to worry. Stirling Ackroyd is old enough to understand the long-term benefits of being a landlord, but young enough to provide an offering that fits the ever-changing requirements of the private-rented sector.

Looking after your investment

We know that every estate agency will say that they’re lettings experts. But we back ourselves to deliver each and every time. Our confidence stems from having the expertise, systems and processes to maximise your investment at every stage. Our team is trained to focus on every area of letting property. You’ll be looked after by our Branch Staff, Move-In Managers, Property Managers, Renewals Managers and Accounts Team. We will always provide you with exceptional levels of customer service and we are proud to be ARLA Propertymark trained and certified.

Leaving nothing to chance with Inclusive Management

We go beyond the obvious to provide a comprehensive market appraisal, taking into consideration every factor that makes your property unique. Our team is embedded within our local markets and understands what affects the pricing of your property. The detail behind our market appraisals helps to reduce any void periods and maximise the value of your investment. This knowledge means our ability to match your property with the perfect tenants is second to none.

Our complete lettings service provides you with total peace of mind. Whether you’re a first-time landlord or an investor looking to expand an existing portfolio, our Inclusive Management service covers all of your obligations as a landlord – both legal and best practice. From right-to-rent checks, to the return of a tenancy deposit, it’s our job to make sure that your let is compliant and that a tenancy runs smoothly from beginning to end.

Finding you the right tenants

Sourcing the right tenants for your property is the best way to encourage a long and mutually beneficial relationship, providing you with a stable income and your tenants with a place to call home. Right from the beginning, we’ll make sure we’ve found the ideal match with our detailed property marketing service.

We’ll create a marketing plan designed to find the right tenants for your property. We’ll do this by accessing the widest pool of people and utilising the most effective marketing methods, including:

  • Advertising on the most popular property portals, including Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket. Our own website also attracts 20,000 page views every week*
  • Personally getting to know our applicants and their requirements for a new home
  • Leveraging our database which details thousands of live renters searching for a property like yours
  • Presenting your property to the highest standard across all media with detailed descriptions, photography and floorplans
  • Promoting your property on social media to further increase its reach
  • Marketing your property through our eye-catching ‘To Let’ boards and within shop windows across our branch network
  • Our branch staff will then manage all of the viewings and negotiate the best deal agreement for you and your tenants.

Expanding your reach

We know that the lettings market can be competitive, so our additional services are designed to further enhance your property’s appeal to potential tenants. Our Deposit Replacement service provides an alternative to taking a standard tenancy deposit, providing your tenants with added flexibility and choice. It also allows us to market your property to a larger group of applicants. You can find out more about the Deposit Replacement service and the benefits to you and your tenants here.

Preparing a tenancy

Our aim is to enable a hassle-free and reliable tenancy from the start. Undertaking the industry standard reference checks and producing an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) helps to prevent any problems further down the road. The preparation and issue of the tenancy agreement also includes the handling of funds and organising bank details. Rent collection and account management will be managed by our Accounts Team with monies held in a bonded client account. Once we have found your new tenants, our specialist Move-In Team will begin detailed referencing and compliance checks.

Referencing: We carry out some of the most thorough checks in the industry using professional referencing service Goodlord. All tenants are thoroughly assessed, validated and verified, providing you all of the information you need to make an informed decision about who lives in your property, including information about your potential tenant’s affordability and credit history.

Right to Rent checks: Landlords in England must make sure that all tenants can legally rent their property. We will take care of the necessary initial and annual right to rent checks, including contacting the Home Office to check whether each potential tenant is a Commonwealth citizen.

Tenancy Deposit Protection: If you choose to request a deposit from your tenants, you legally must ensure it is protected. We use government-authorised TDP scheme my|deposits and will make sure your tenants receive the Prescribed Information within the necessary 30 days. my|deposits also provides a free and impartial dispute resolution service. Our expert team will also help you with compiling evidence towards your claim.

Check-In and Check-Out: Compiling a thorough inventory during Check-In is one of the most effective ways to avoid a dispute around the return of a deposit. It also helps protect your investment by accurately recording the current condition of your property. Where possible, our inventory specialists will also check your property is complying with regulation. They will also test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and ensure they are in the correct place.

Finally, our team will issue a welcome pack to your tenants, supported by a call to both you and your tenants to confirm that the tenancy has successfully moved in.

Managing a tenancy

We’ve created a property management service that leaves nothing to chance.

The ongoing management of people and property is where the specialist work of our team pays dividends. It’s a common misconception that the day-to-day letting of a property is simple. However, every property has its unique issues and tenants will always require support and knowledge of a lettings professional. From keeping up with legislative requirements to making sure repairs are made promptly, we’ve got every aspect of property management covered.

Our Property Management Team will be your main point of contact. They will manage your investment closely and handle all contact with your tenants. This expert team is backed by some of the most effective technology in the lettings industry, which is designed to enable quick and efficient communication.

Compliance

The private rented sector is subject to increasingly complex and stringent regulation and legislation. The penalties for any breach of these obligations can be strict, so it is important that these changes and requirements are constantly managed. As a landlord, you are responsible for ensuring your property is compliant. This includes supplying a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), completing gas safety checks, carrying out a fire risk assessment, conducting a legionella risk assessment and making sure all furniture and furnishings meet the appropriate fire regulations. If you let a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO). You’ll also need to ensure you obtain the correct license from your local council. you’ll also need to protect any tenancy deposit money taken and make sure your tenants have the right to rent your property.

Regulation of this sector is designed to safeguard you and your tenants. With our Inclusive Management service, all of your compliance requirements are reviewed by our team of experts. To view all of your compliance obligations as a landlord, please download our compliance booklet.

Out of hours Emergency Service

Some things can’t wait. Tenants in Inclusive Management properties can contact our property management team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing you with peace of mind that your investment is always in safe hands.

Tenant repairs reporting tool

We have invested in Fixflo, an online tool which enables tenants to quickly and effectively report any repairs or maintenance. Tenants in Inclusive Management properties can access the online system 24 hours a day in over 40 different languages via smartphone, tablet or desktop. This state-of-the-art system means we can resolve maintenance requirements swiftly with minimal disruption to you or your tenants.

Crucially, Fixflo also explains which maintenance issues tenants are responsible for fixing and how to do so safely. Outsourcing maintenance or repairs to the right contractor is essential, so we’ll always instruct and manage all requests using our assured and accredited suppliers.

Due to the detailed software behind Fixflo, the majority of repairs can be resolved during a contractor’s first visit, saving you time and money.

Utility management

We have designed a service specifically for rental properties. With competitive prices and excellent service levels, it takes away the hassle of managing the supply of utilities to your property.

Issues management

Although our highly experienced property management team is trained to make sure your tenancy stays on track, it’s common to experience some challenges along the way. Some of the more frequent tenancy issues our team manage for landlords every day include:

  • Ensuring landlords and tenants comply with the latest regulatory changes
  • Conducting regular inspections of a property and ensuring it is maintained to a high standard
  • Resolving problems with tenants (such as unpaid rent) and making sure these are promptly chased and delivered
  • Activating Rent and Legal Protection products and progressing any claims, from the collection of rent to the repossession of a property
  • Dealing with the often-complex process of serving notice should landlords need to regain possession of a property
  • Handling all end of tenancy requirements, including dealing with the return of a tenancy deposit and providing robust evidence if a dispute does arise

Letting residential property is increasingly complex, so it’s natural for the process to come with a level of risk. Through the years, we’ve seen it all. Our service has been created to protect your investment and remove the headache of dealing with any issues.

Renegotiating a tenancy

At the end of a tenancy agreement, your property is passed to our dedicated renewals and re-lets team. This marks an important point in your tenancy as we will work to renegotiate new terms which suit both you and your tenants.

When renewing a tenancy, we will look at:

  • Starting the negotiation of new contracts at least three months in advance of a renewal in order to prevent any void periods
  • Conducting safety checks at the property and making sure your tenants are aware of their obligations
  • Managing all legal documentation and issuing the necessary information to your tenants
  • Reissuing an AST, renegotiating rent and reprotecting tenancy deposits
  • Producing all necessary paperwork and completing compliance checks.
  • Renegotiating a tenancy is a chance to refresh the professional relationship between you and your tenants, providing an opportunity to highlight any concerns and agree preferable terms for the next stage of your agreement. Our team will manage this process from start to finish.

Re-letting your property

If you need to search for new tenants, your property care will be passed back to our branch staff will re-market your property to our extensive applicant pool and start the lettings process again. Due to our complete lettings process we will know in advance if your property is coming up for re-let. This will allow us to get a head start on re-marketing and finding you a new tenant, reducing void periods and loss of income for you.

The complete lettings solution

We’ve spent years formulating a comprehensive lettings service which lives up to the high expectations of landlords. If you choose to let your property through Stirling Ackroyd, our aim is to allow you to enjoy the perks of letting property – with none of the hassle.

If you’d like to test our knowledge directly, or discuss any aspect of our service, call us today to speak to one of our lettings team.

We also offer a number of other specialist property services through our wider team. Contact your local branch today for more information about the following:

*Source: Google Analytics, Jan-Nov 2018.