Will you expect a Jacuzzi in a luxury flat with a rental value of about £3,000 per month,  perhaps not? May be if the flat is located in Wales, but definitely not in pricey London.  My colleague definitely was not expecting a gold-plated fish tank or a Jacuzzi either, but  a  ‘luxury’ flat should do what it says on the tin, i.e that it provides some luxury. 

 The word is subject to varied interpretation depending on individual tastes and  expectations,  but no one reading this would even consider the absence of a decent  mattress at a property  pimped up as ‘luxurious’. A rag-tag and literarily worn out  mattress with no cover on it and  yet the landlord thinks it’s not right for the agent to  promise the tenant that the landlord  would provide a cover for the mattress? 

 While it’s true that London house prices are soaring much to the pleasure of Landlords  across all boroughs of London, perhaps it would not be too much to ask that Landlords  present their properties to match the rents and quality of tenants they wish to attract.  After  all, you just don’t want to attract anyone but people with the ability to pay, need  to be kept  as long as possible. From the top to bottom of the capital, there are tenants  who pay rents  for the first few months and end up being unable to cope thereafter.  Keeping a decent  tenant is by far easier than trips to the court and calling in the  bailiff. 

 It’s not that you require a pricey Arabian carpet or luxurious Silk curtains from Milan to  make a flat luxurious, but a decent mattress that’s worth less than a week’s rent should  not  even be listed as attracting features of a luxury property. It is something we should  all  expect, except of course the flat is listed as unfurnished. Is this too much to ask?

  Dear Landlords, you are our clients and we appreciate your business and want you to      keep good tenants for as long as possible, so we employ you to make an effort when  putting up your flat for lettings. 

 What do you think should be included in a luxury London flat? Share your views or ask  us your property related question.

 If you require help with the Sale or Rental of a property in London, get in touch with us,  contact@monochromeconsultants.net 

Implications of the new law and how it affects you

Going forward, the Immigration status of any tenant, 18 years and above must be proven by the tenant and checked by the landlord. This means that, a tenants ‘Right to rent’ needs to be proven before a tenancy can be offered. Based on this new law, all adults looking to rent any property in the UK on or before the 1^st of February can expect to be asked to present their original ID’s and to verify their visa status, where applicable. The checks would be done by landlords and or agents. Also, landlords who have lodgers or tenants who sub-let a property or rooms to other occupants must carry out these checks.

Landlord’s responsibilities:

Landlords must:

1.    Ask tenants for the original documents that show they have the rights to be in the UK

2.    Check the original documents presented in the presence of the tenant and ensure that they are valid

3.    Check all adult tenants who live in the property as their only or main home.

4.    Make and keep copies of the original documents and record the date the  check was made

5.    Conduct follow-up checks at the appropriate date if the initial check indicates a time-limited ‘Right to Rent’

6.    Make a report to the Home office if follow up checks indicate that an occupier no longer has the ‘Right to Rent’

Acceptable documents for proof:

Acceptable documents that Landlords can accept as proof include:

1.    A UK passport

2.    An EU/EEA passport, permanent residence card or identity card.

3.    A travel document showing indefinite leave to remain

4.    A visa if applicable

5.    A Home office Immigration status document, a certificate of registration/naturalisation as a British citizen

Consequences for non-compliance:

Adults without the ‘Right to Rent’ in the UK must not have any tenancy offered to them. If a tenancy is applied without carrying the processes described above, a civil penalty to the tune of £3,000 can be imposed on the erring landlord.

That means that, if a Landlord is found to be renting a property or room to someone who happens to be residing illegally in the UK, he could be fined up to £3,000.  See more information on the Home office website.

Implications of the new law and how it affects you

Going forward, the Immigration status of any tenant, 18 years and above must be proven by the tenant and checked by the landlord. This means that, a tenants ‘Right to rent’ needs to be proven before a tenancy can be offered. Based on this new law, all adults looking to rent any property in the UK on or before the 1^st of February can expect to be asked to present their original ID’s and to verify their visa status, where applicable. The checks would be done by landlords and or agents. Also, landlords who have lodgers or tenants who sub-let a property or rooms to other occupants must carry out these checks.

Landlord’s responsibilities:

Landlords must:

1.    Ask tenants for the original documents that show they have the rights to be in the UK

2.    Check the original documents presented in the presence of the tenant and ensure that they are valid

3.    Check all adult tenants who live in the property as their only or main home.

4.    Make and keep copies of the original documents and record the date the  check was made

5.    Conduct follow-up checks at the appropriate date if the initial check indicates a time-limited ‘Right to Rent’

6.    Make a report to the Home office if follow up checks indicate that an occupier no longer has the ‘Right to Rent’

Acceptable documents for proof:

Acceptable documents that Landlords can accept as proof include:

1.    A UK passport

2.    An EU/EEA passport, permanent residence card or identity card.

3.    A travel document showing indefinite leave to remain

4.    A visa if applicable

5.    A Home office Immigration status document, a certificate of registration/naturalisation as a British citizen

Consequences for non-compliance:

Adults without the ‘Right to Rent’ in the UK must not have any tenancy offered to them. If a tenancy is applied without carrying the processes described above, a civil penalty to the tune of £3,000 can be imposed on the erring landlord.

That means that, if a Landlord is found to be renting a property or room to someone who happens to be residing illegally in the UK, he could be fined up to £3,000.  See more information on the Home office website.

Send us an email:contact@monochromeconsultants.net to see how this affects you