Letting a home,
step by step.

01

A free, honest rental valuation

An hour at your property with one of our agents. No charge, no obligation, no sales pitch.

• We walk the property with you and ask about its history, any recent works, and what you'd like the tenancy to achieve.
• You'll get a realistic monthly rent figure based on comparable lets in the village over the previous three months, plus an honest view of which improvements would pay back in higher rent and which wouldn't.
• We talk through which service tier suits you, whether Tenant Find, Rent Collection or Fully Managed, and the full first year cost in writing.
• If you want to think it over, we leave you with the numbers and a written summary. We don't chase.

02

Preparing the property to let well

The fortnight or so between deciding to let and going to market is the highest leverage time you'll have. Small jobs done now command a higher rent for years.

• Neutral, well decorated rooms photograph better and attract a wider field of applicants. We don't recommend luxury; we recommend clean, tidy and light.
• Make sure every smoke alarm is working and there's a CO alarm in every room with a fuel burning appliance. We'll check on the viewing visit.
• Book your gas safety inspection (annual), and if your EICR is older than five years, an electrician. We can arrange both at cost.
• If your EPC has expired (10 year validity), we'll book a domestic energy assessor; required before marketing can start.
• Decide on a furnishing position. Unfurnished is most common locally, but a furnished let can rent for 5% to 10% more if the furniture is well chosen.

03

Marketing that earns the click

Most renters first see your property on Rightmove. You have around three seconds to win their attention.

• Professional photography on a bright morning, with rooms styled rather than just photographed. A wide angle floorplan and accurate room dimensions.
• Listing copy written like a person wrote it, not a string of estate agent clichés. We sell the lifestyle as well as the layout.
• Same day listing on Rightmove and OnTheMarket and our own site. Promoted to our applicant mailing list before it goes public, when it can suit them.
• We respond to enquiries within working hours, qualify each applicant on the phone, and only book viewings with people whose situation is a genuine fit.

04

Viewings, applications and referencing

Choosing the right tenant matters more than choosing the right service tier. We don't recommend rushing.

• We accompany every viewing where you'd like us to. We listen carefully; much of what tells us whether an applicant is right comes out in casual conversation at the front door.
• Applicants who want to proceed submit an online application with three years' address history, prior landlord contacts, employment details, and ID. The holding deposit is one week's rent and counts towards the first month.
• Referencing goes through an established external provider: income and affordability check (rent should be 30% or less of gross income), credit search, prior landlord references, and confirmation of employment.
• Self employed applicants need three years of accounts. Where references are borderline, we'd recommend a guarantor before recommending we proceed.
• We present a shortlist with our honest view of each applicant. The final yes or no is always yours.

05

Right to Rent and Anti Money Laundering checks

Two statutory checks every new tenancy needs, both straightforward but both with significant penalties for getting them wrong.

• Right to Rent: every adult occupier must demonstrate they have the right to rent in England, either via original documents seen in person or via the Home Office online checking service. We carry these out as part of the setup fee.
• Anti Money Laundering: as your agent we're required to confirm your identity and the source of funds for any property we let. We use a digital ID verification service that takes about five minutes on your phone.

06

The tenancy agreement

From 1 May 2026 every new tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy from day one, no fixed term. Our standard agreement reflects this.

• The agreement runs month to month from the start; the tenant can give two months' notice at any point, and you can serve a Section 8 notice on a valid statutory ground if needed.
• Required ancillary documents, including the most recent How to Rent guide, the EPC, the gas safety certificate, the EICR, and the new statutory Information Sheet, are issued to the tenant with the agreement.
• The deposit (capped at five weeks' rent for rents under £50,000 pa) is registered with the DPS Custodial Scheme within 30 days, and prescribed information sent.
• We use a single signing platform; both you and the tenant sign by email, no paperwork goes in the post.

07

Move in: keys, inventory and the first month

The day the tenant moves in is the day disputes are won or lost twelve months later. We document everything.

• A professional inventory and check in report is prepared the day before move in. Every room photographed, every appliance noted, every meter reading recorded.
• On move in day we meet the tenant at the property, walk through the inventory together, demonstrate the heating and any quirks, hand over keys, and get the report signed.
• Rent is paid by standing order; the first month and any pro rata are cleared funds before keys change hands.
• Utilities are transferred into the tenant's name; on Fully Managed we notify the council, water company and energy supplier on your behalf.

08

Ongoing management, what living with us looks like

Most of what a good letting agent does happens after the tenant moves in. The longer a tenancy runs without surprises, the harder it's earned.

• On Rent Collection we issue you a statement each month showing rent received and fees deducted, chase any late payments at 7 days and again at 14, and follow our written arrears procedure beyond that.
• On Fully Managed we inspect the property every six months, typically a 30 minute visit with the tenant's permission, and send you photographs and a brief written report on each visit.
• Maintenance issues are reported by the tenant through our online portal and acted on the same working day. We hold a contractor network in the villages with established hourly rates and no mark up.
• Compliance deadlines are diarised against the property: gas annually, EICR every five years, EPC every ten. You receive a written reminder one month before each is due.
• When the time comes for a rent review (once per twelve months, via a Section 13 notice), we send you comparable evidence, a recommended figure, and a draft notice for sign off before it's served.

09

End of tenancy and moving on

When a tenant decides to leave, we manage the handover so the next chapter starts cleanly.

• Once notice is received we discuss whether to remarket the property, take it back for refurbishment, or sell. Each route has different timing implications.
• A check out inspection is carried out against the original inventory; any dilapidations are quoted and put to the tenant for agreement. Where agreement isn't reached the DPS adjudicates for free.
• Deposit is returned (in part or in full) within ten working days of agreement. Final utility readings are taken and forwarded to the tenant.
• If you'd like to remarket, we go back to step three, usually with the previous photographs if the décor and condition haven't materially changed.