Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. Buy-to-let mortgages are different to homeowner mortgages. If you rent out your property without telling the lender you could be subject to mortgage fraud, worse still, if someone injured themselves in the property your insurance may not cover any damage or injury.
We provide four main landlord services: Lettings Only, Full Management, Guaranteed Rent and Project Management. Each service requires a different level of work. For portfolio landlords we can offer negotiable rates. To find out more about our fees please visit the Landlord Services section.
Managing tenancies can be unpleasant business. Whether its dealing with rent arrears or anti-social tenants, negotiating deposit disputes or making sure you stay compliant with ever changing health and safety legislation, it can take its toll on anyone. A professional Managing Agent has evolved a business model to specifically deal with these problems as quickly and efficiently as possible. By using a Managing agent, landlords don’t need to sacrifice their personal time and leave themselves vulnerable to prosecution by failing to comply with statutory and regulatory industry changes.

Furthermore, our Fully Managed landlord packages are designed to raise the value of your property by increasing net rental receipts and reducing void periods between tenancies.
The amount of rent a tenant is willing to pay will depend on factors such as location, property condition, size, local amenities and what similar properties are achieving. To accurately determine this figure you must be familiar with the local market.

At Central Properties we’re experts in the north Leeds housing market so can advise you on prices, yields and tenant demand.

As part of our Lettings Only or Full management landlord packages we will provide you with a rental valuation accompanied by the most recent comparable market evidence and recommendations on how to achieve the best rent possible.
As a member of Safeagent, the UK’s leading accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents, we are required to be part of a Client Money Protection Scheme, operate a dedicated client bank account designated as only holding clients’ money and commit to an annual independent inspection of our client accounting procedures. These requirements provide protection and security for both tenants and landlords.
The Client Money Protection (CMP) Scheme reimburses landlords, tenants and other clients should an agent misappropriate their rent, deposit or other client funds.
As a landlord, you must pay income tax on any profit you receive from any rental properties you own. Further information can be found on the Inland Revenue’s website.
We will organise for the tenant to pay the rent to us via standing order. The rent is then paid into your bank account each month. You will also be provided with a statement of account which shows the property’s income and expenses (including any invoices for maintenance work) for that particular month.
Council Tax is an occupier’s tax; therefore, the tenant is responsible for this (unless you decide to include this in the rent) but it needs to be clearly stated in the tenancy agreement. If the property is vacant and in a habitable condition, it is the landlord’s responsibility to pay.
Once the tenant’s deposit is received it is registered with one of the Government’s approved registration schemed, MyDeposits. It is then held by us in a separate client account until the end of the tenancy. If there are any deductions to be made from the Tenant’s deposit it will need to be evidenced by a schedule of condition, usually detailed in the contents of an inventory.
We strongly recommend that you take the option of a professional inventory. It helps you protect your property and forms part of the contract between you and your tenant. It will detail the condition of the property when a tenant moves in and at the end of their tenancy. This is a very important document to reduce the risk of any deposit disputes at the end of tenancies. Our Fully Managed VIP service includes the cost of inventory and checkout report.
Either the tenant pays to fix the damage, or the cost for fixing the damage is removed from the tenant’s deposit at the end of the tenancy. However, fair wear and tear should be allowed for.
Finding a quality tenant is essential. As part of the tenant application process we conduct identity and residency checks, check employer and current landlord references, obtain guarantors and for non-UK applicants we ensure they have the right to rent in accordance with the Immigration Act 2014.
The Right to Rent scheme requires landlords to check that all tenants who occupy their properties have legal status to live in the UK. This means that before you can rent a home in England, a landlord or letting agent must undertake passport and immigration checks prior to letting out the property.
If you are on either of our Fully Managed packages, we take full responsibility liaising with the tenant and coordinating any necessary works approved by the landlord. We have an extensive network of trusted local tradesmen and contractors who are regularly used to complete repairs or vital maintenance work when needed.
In any rented property all upholstered furniture including chairs, settees, padded stools etc must comply with The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 and contain clear labelling in a prominent position.
Leeds is a thriving city with a booming private rental market, however, the area you choose to invest in will be dependent on your financial situation and investment goals. We’re more than happy to discuss your individual circumstances by contacting us on 0113 2781188.
Due to out thorough tenancy vetting and active arrears management processes we’re happy to say that the vast majority of our landlords receive the rent when they are supposed to. However, when a tenant fails to pay the rent it is important to have processes in place to manage the situation immediately. We understand peoples’ financial situations can change, so by speaking with the tenant to find out what problem is, arrange a reasonable payment plan. However, sometimes this isn’t feasible which is why we always take UK homeowners to act as guarantors. They pay the rent when the tenant fails to.

On the rare occasion when a suitable situation cannot be managed and the tenant refuses to leave the property then legal action will be necessary.
We will always take UK based homeowners as guarantors when seeking student and professional tenants. In cases when this is not possible, we may employ the services of an external referencing agency.