Letting Your Property in Scotland - A Landlords Checklist
When letting out your property, the first stages can often be the busiest as you get your house fully prepared and ready for your first tenants. Before our team at PMC can let your home, there are a few steps that you will have to take to get your place ready for your tenants. We understand that this can be a confusing, and perhaps stressful part of letting and so we have created a simple guide to keep you on track for getting your property ready to go on the rental market.
Your Letting Checklist
Our lettings experts have put together a quick checklist of important points to get sorted before you can let your property. You can also download a printable checklist to keep you on track here:
Is your property in good condition?
It’s your responsibility as a landlord to ensure the property is in an acceptable and safe condition for your tenants. Based on The Repairing Standard, contained in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, the inside and outside, fixtures and fittings should be in good condition; structurally and aesthetically. You can find out more about this and the standards your property should meet here.
Is the garden in good condition?
As with the interior of the property, the garden must also be in an acceptable and safe condition for your new tenants. This will work in your favour when attracting tenants too, as outdoor spaces are becoming a big selling point for tenants.
Have you decided if you are renting furnished or unfurnished?
If renting furnished, your furniture, including upholstery, beds, headboards, and mattresses must conform to the legal fire-resistant standard.
If you need any help or advice with furnishing your property, PMC also offers a Property Staging and Interior Design service to help you make the most of your space. You can find more information on this here.
Is everything in the property in good working order?
Before any tenants move in, you should check that all appliances, water and gas supplies, lights, and switches are in good working order. If it’s the summertime or the boiler has not been on for a while, it can be worth running the heating and hot water for a short time to flag any issues that could become problems further down the line.
Do you have all the required Safety Certificates for your property?
There are a number of certificates and safety checks you will need to make sure your property is safe for tenants and to give you peace of mind. These include:
Gas Safety
Legionella Risk Assessment
EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
PAT (Portable Appliance Testing)
You can find out more about these necessities and how to obtain them here.
Do you have the required smoke detectors installed to meet the latest legislation?
As of February 2022, every home in Scotland must now have interlinked smoke and heat alarms, along with carbon monoxide alarms in rooms where you have a carbon-fuelled appliance, such as a boiler or wood-burning stove. These can either be mains-wired which will need to be installed by your electrician, or battery operated, which you can install yourself. You can find out more about the types of alarms you’ll need and where they should be positioned here.
Have you updated your mortgage?
Do you have a buy-to-let mortgage or permission from your mortgage company to let the property? If you currently have a mortgage, you must have either of the above in place before you rent your property; speak to your mortgage company if you’re unsure.
Do you have Buildings & Contents insurance?
Even with the most sensible of tenants, accidents and damage can still happen in your property. As a landlord, making sure you have the correct insurance for you and your property will give you peace of mind and make sure you are covered in any eventuality. You can find out more about Buildings & Contents insurance for your property here.
Are you registered as a landlord?
An important step of letting is to register as a landlord. You can do this simply and quickly here. This will take around 20 minutes to complete, and should be done after you have all of the safety certificates you require for your property, as you may be asked about this during the application process. You can find a full list of everything you will need to have ready for your application here.
Getting in touch with PMC
When your property is in tip-top shape and ready to go, get in touch with our Lettings team at PMC and we will manage the process of getting your house on the market, finding you the best tenants, and looking after your property.
To keep you on track, we have put together a printable checklist that you can use as you get your property ready for renting.
Here at PMC Property Management & Lettings, we offer a bespoke lettings service for both residential homes and commercial properties. To find out more about our current rates and services, and to book a valuation of your property, get in touch with our expert lettings team.
