Your guide to successful and professional lettings with Peter Alan, your local property experts

A Truly Welsh Agent

When you use Peter Alan to let your home you’re not just using one estate agent. You’re using a network of 30+ branches across South Wales. As one of the largest and most well-established letting agents in Wales we always work hard to continue the ethos of the company as set in 1965. We are proud to be a company that still provides service with a personal touch. We believe that to keep providing exceptional service we have to continually evolve and be committed to our local Welsh communities and to the high street.

Local Property experts

We know our cities, towns and villages like the back of our hands and use that knowledge to help others navigate the rental market. Our expert lettings teams work hard to achieve the best rental price for your property and to find the right tenant for you.
Our local teams are supported by our Lettings Support Centre who effectively manage tenancies by monitoring rent payments, providing statements and handling maintenance issues. All staff receive extensive on-going training so you can be sure of approachable, confident expert advice.

Highly Accredited

We were awarded the highest possible score by Rent Smart Wales for property management standards. This gives you peace of mind that, as a Rent Smart Wales Licensed Agent, our knowledge is up-to-date and we retain close links with key industry bodies and deposit schemes. Plus, we carry out our own in-house annual training to make sure our lettings knowledge is always current.

Property Presentation

We can provide first class property presentation – to include professional photographs, virtual tours and a floorplan. We work hard to put together the right keywords your property to boost online performance. We are talking to local applicants all of the time, so we know what they are looking for! Property photographs are one of the most important aspects of a marketing campaign. This is generally the first impression potential tenants will have of your property and high standard photographs are much more likely to lead to a property viewing. We make sure that the main photo showcases the best feature that applicants are looking and we include another 7-9 photos to drive interest and clicks on your property on portals.

Online Advertising

The first place 95% of applicants look when searching for a new home is online and property portals are vital to this process which is why, unlike many competitors, we will always advertise on the biggest property portals - Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation.
A third of applicants look on just one of these websites, meaning if you don’t list your property on both websites you will miss out on a third of potential tenants seeing your property. We will reach as many applicants as possible using ‘Featured Property’ and premium listings on Rightmove and Zoopla. These are enhanced adverts which attract more tenants. Our own website www.peteralan.co.uk has unrivalled local coverage with over 3 million visits a year.

Dedicated lettings experts

In each of our 30+ branches, plus our Lettings Support Centre in Cardiff with:

  • Portfolio Managers - for effective response to reported maintenance

  • Accounts Team – to send you statements detailing that month’s transactions

  • Rent Team – monitoring rent due dates to ensure it is paid on time
     

Industry Protected

When letting a property you will want to know you are dealing with a safe and professionally accredited agent who takes their responsibilities to maintain high standards seriously. We are members of various industry bodies (TDS, SafeAgent, ARLA Propertymark, Rent Smart WalesThe Property Ombudsman), so that you can be confident that you are working with a respectable and reputable business, with your best interests at heart.

You will be kept updated on changes to the lettings industry and regulation, which safeguards you and your property. We also hold Client Money Protection (Click here to view our certificate) and we comply with Propertymark Conduct and Membership rules, including those relating to handling client money which can be found here.

Referencing

We carry out comprehensive vetting of applicants, which helps to build confidence for the landlord. You will only pay for referencing if the tenant moves-in. It covers a number of checks to include the following:

• Check the tenant’s income can meet the rent affordability
• Previous tenancies checked so you know your applicant(s) have looked after their previous home and paid their rent on time
• Credit checks carried out using one of the UK’s biggest providers of credit information

We will always provide you with a copy of the referencing report prior to the let

Property Management Obligations

There are over 100 legal and safety obligations you, as a landlord, are responsible for. But do not worry, we take the hassle away for you...

We received the highest possible mark of ‘4 - Best Practice’ from Rent Smart Wales for our Property Management service. Our thorough checks ensure you’re always in control, our ’Take On’ form shows the number of compliance and legislative items we need to cover to ensure to protect you and your property. This covers:

• Housing health and safety rating System
• Legionella risk Assessments
• Tenancy deposit scheme (under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004)
• Non-resident landlord taxation (Finance Act 1995)
• The furniture and furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988
• Building regulations (Smoke Alarm) 1991
• Wood burning stoves (Building Regulations)
• Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Lacors Fire Safety Guidance
• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
• Building regulations part P (Electrical Safety in Dwellings)
• Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
• Electrical Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
• Electrical equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
• Energy Performance Certificate and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)
• HMO and Selective Licensing Schemes (Housing Act 2004)
• Management of HMOs (Wales) Regulations 2006
• Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) for HMOs
• Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2019
• Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016

We also use FixFlo an online tool for tenants to report maintenance to combat unnecessary emergency callouts.

Rent and Legal Protection

Ensure that your property investment is in safe hands with our Landlord’s Rent and Legal Protection Insurance

Main features & benefits
Legal costs covered up to a maximum of £50,000 any one claim for:
• Eviction of tenants following non-payment of rent.
• Eviction of tenants for other breaches of contract where there are valid grounds to evict.
• Pursuing the tenant for disputes about damage to your property.
• Assistance in recovering unpaid rent.
• Recovering possession of your property if your tenant fails to vacate at the end of the contract.
• Defence costs if action is being taken against you by your tenant.
• Eviction of squatters.

Plus:
• 100% of the monthly rent for up to 12 months (maximum monthly rent of £6,000) if your tenant defaults while possession of your property is regained.
• Access to a legal helpline for advice on general legal matters of the law which applies in the UK or for advice on tax and health and safety matters in the UK.

This gives a brief outline of the features and benefits and some of the exclusions and conditions. Further details can be found in the Insurance Product Information Document and full details in the policy wording which can be supplied upon request.

Buildings & Contents Insurance

We offer Buildings and Contents insurance underwritten by Ageas and specifically designed for landlords.
•    Up to £1 million cover for buildings insurance
•    Contents cover of up to £40,000
•    Cover available for up to 60 days for unoccupied properties
•    Property owners’ liability (up to £2 million)
•    Optional additional accidental damage cover available

We offer various levels of letting services including Full Management and Find Tenant Only.

Click here for our standard letting service fees and charges          

Management Service

This service is suitable for landlords who do not wish to be involved in the day-to-day management of their property portfolio. We will manage the contract from start to finish.

We will find a suitable tenant for your property - who will have to pass our stringent vetting procedures prior to passing to you their details for approval. We will organise all the necessary paperwork including deposit registration and Occupation Contracts.

In addition we will prepare an initial inventory/schedule of condition*, manage the contract, receive rent, regularly check the upkeep of the property, arrange for any necessary maintenance to be carried out on your behalf and carry out a final inspection at the end of the contract with the outgoing tenants. We will deal with all end of contract deposit disputes and liaise directly with the deposit scheme provider. 

*There is a fee for this service dependant on property type.

Tenant Find Only Service

This is suitable for the landlord who wishes to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of their property portfolio but requires assistance finding a suitable tenant.

What does this service include?

  • Finding a suitable tenant, you may have a particular target market for prospective tenants in mind and we will be able to further advise on this. Each tenant is only approved after we have undertaken our referencing checks.

  • Organising all the necessary documentation including deposit registration and occupation contracts. You will be required to join one of the three government approved Deposit Schemes and provide us with proof of membership.

  • Inventories can be provided on request, there is a separate charge for this service, dependent on the size of the property. 

Investment Finder

Are you looking for an investment property?

We’ll search for you with our InvestmentFinder Service! Our lettings experts will work together with our sales team to source suitable buy to lets at the best possible purchase price and make sure you have all the necessary information such as rental yields and
prospective rental prices, to ensure you are best equipped when making your decision on your next buy to let (BTL) purchase!

Annually, rents in Wales have been amongst the highest percentage increases across all regions in the UK meaning it is the perfect location to seek out your next investment property. That being said, purchase and rental figures can vary considerably across a small geographical patch so it is vital to use a local, market leading agent when embarking on such a venture.

Working with our sales teams

At Peter Alan we understand the local housing market and our residential sales team will spend time with you finding out your property needs before beginning the search. Our sales team will then collaborate with our lettings experts to provide you with comprehensive BTL information such as rental yields and prospective rental prices. Our lettings team can also attend sales viewings with you providing guidance on any necessary works that may support a more effective let once your purchase completes. This approach is proving highly valuable in the current active market.

Mortgage Services

We can offer three buy to let mortgage services, which is the right one for you? 

Homefinder Service - We will do the searching for you, just give us your requirements. We will confirm how much you may be able to borrow and secure the most appropriate buy to let mortgage for you (subject to status and lender criteria)
Information Service - We will provide you with information about all the costs involved in buying. We will advise you on how much you can borrow and what your monthly payments will be. 
Comparison Service - We will compare your mortgage against the thousands that we have access to, including many exclusive deals, via our selected panel of lenders. We will support you through the whole process from making an offer to applying for the mortgage and collecting your keys.

We can get the best rent for your property

FREE instant online valuation

 

 A LIFETIME FEE MAY BE PAYABLE UPON MORTGAGE APPLICATION, AS WELL AS AN ADMINISTRATION FEE. THE TOTAL FEE PAYABLE WILL DEPEND ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. YOUR MORTGAGE CONSULTANT WILL EXPLAIN ANY FEES APPLICABLE IN YOUR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.

YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.
YOU MAY HAVE TO PAY AN EARLY REPAYMENT CHARGE TO YOUR EXISTING LENDER IF YOU RE-MORTGAGE.

ALL MORTGAGES ARE SUBJECT TO STATUS AND LENDER CRITERIA. MOST BUY TO LET MORTGAGES ARE NOT REGULATED.
 

IMPORTANT: If you are selling a residential property in the UK that is not your primary residence, you should check your capital gains tax liability. Find some useful links to more information here