FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - LANDLORDS

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1. Why should we choose HomeMade Management?
2. Which Associations' standards do you follow?
3. What legislation do you follow?
4. Which services do you offer?
5. What about services from your contractors?
6. Can we keep our own contractors?
7. How many years have you been in property management and maintenance?
8. Where are the properties you manage?
9. How many major maintenance/construction projects have you direct experience of?
10. How often do you visit properties?
11. What are your office hours?
12. Why are you called HomeMade Management and when were you set up?
13. How many properties will HomeMade manage and where?
14. How is our money protected?
15. How do you deal with unpaid rent?
16. We already use a letting agent; can we still use HomeMade Management?
17. What happens if we make a claim against you or you go bust?
18. What are your fees for managing a property?

 

1. Why should we choose HomeMade Management?

We are a local business with hands-on experience of property management in residential, commercial and luxury hotel sectors. Our managers have also been private landlords for up to 30 years. As ex-directors within FTSE100 companies and international hotel groups, our Customer Managers offer the very highest standards of communication and customer service.

2. Which Associations' standards do follow?

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Residential Management Code, The Association of Residential Managing Agents' Charter and Standards, The Solicitors Regulation Authority and The Information Commissioner's Office's Data Protection Code.

3. What legislation do you follow?

Latest legislation includes Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 and the Companies Act 2006.

4. Which services do you offer?

Rent & Arrears Collection; Repairs & Maintenance (site visits, specifications, quotation collection, contractor instruction, work review, payment); Accounts (daily expenditure, monthly statements, copy invoices); HMO Certification (working closely with local government and contractors to meet regulations). We can advertise your property, vet tenants, negotiate rents & leases, and complete inventories. We also work very well with high street letting agencies, taking over when they have found and vetted a tenant.

5. What about services from your contractors?

Landlord insurance; arrears proceedings; maintenance & repair work through a roster of surveyors, contractors and tradesmen; Gas safe and Energy Performance Certificates.

6. Can we keep our own contractors?

Yes, we are free of all ties and in-house resource, so we can work with the best surveyors, contractors, solicitors and accountants available. We will agree terms of conditions for contractors with you and manage them.

7. How many years have you been in the property management and maintenance?

One of us has been building, maintaining and managing properties for 30 years, others from 10 to 20 years.

8. Where are the properties you manage?

Islington and Bloomsbury in London, Brighton, Hove. Properties vary from studio flats, maisonettes, houses and Homes of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

9. How many major maintenance/construction projects have you direct experience of?

One manager ran a maintenance company for 10 years, another has been a subcontractor for 18 years, another has run the construction or conversion of over 20 properties.

10. How often do you visit properties?

Every three months, but during maintenance work, usually at least every two days.

11. What are your office hours?

Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm. In addition, all customers will have the mobile number of their Customer Manager, who are contactable after hours. Voicemail, texts and emails will also be regularly checked 24/7.

12. Why are you called HomeMade Management and when were you set up?

As private landlords we understand the importance of keeping good tenants happy. HomeMade Management provides the quality, pace of work and trust tenants should expect in your own home, so we help to make your property their home. It was set up in 2013 as a combination of properties managed by the Customer Managers.

13. How many properties will HomeMade manage and where?

We believe Managers should be local and so we look at new properties only within a 45 minutes' drive of Brighton, Islington and London Bridge. Our aim is to build a small business that meets our high standards of delivery at speed and with value. The number of properties we manage will always be small, never approaching those managed by individuals at more corporate companies. We can support all manner of properties; whether a flat, a house of maisonettes, a mansion block or a purpose built block.

14. How is our money protected?

Deposits are registered in the Government regulated scheme, Mydeposits.co.uk.

15. How do you deal with unpaid rent?

A request for payment and polite reminder before a final demand for payment. Then a County Court Judgment (CCJ) is served and managed by either our in-house legal counsel or by partner solicitors.

16. We already use a letting agent; can we still use HomeMade Management?

Once we have been instructed, we will manage the termination of the current contract and arrange a full handover with the agent and their suppliers, during their notice period. We do not charge for handovers. However your incumbent agent may well charge you for this extra work.

17. What happens if we make a claim against you or you go bust?

We have never had a dispute with a tenant, landlord nor leaseholder in 30 years of business. We adhere to the best practice standards of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and The Association of Residential Lettings Agents. We are members of a government regulated deposit protection scheme . We have Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance to cover for any claims.

18. What are your fees for managing a property?

We offer a fully managed service for 12% (including VAT) of the rental income of the property. For this we will find a tenant, conduct tenant referencing, prerpare the tenancy agreement, collect and hold the deposit in a Government approved scheme, carry out a full inventory, contact utility suplliers, arrange regular visits to ensure standards are kept, manage any maintenance issues through experienced teams of contractors, conduct a full check out and inventory review, reconcile and return the tenant deposit.

 

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