Watford Borough Council

Landlords' newsletter
The council produces a free newsletter twice yearly, "Keeping in Touch".  It contains lots of useful information, both local and national. Follow the link below to see the current edition. Please contact us using the email address at the bottom of the page to have your name added to the mailing list.

Landlords' forum
We also arrange a meeting for landlords twice yearly (usually in June and December), publicised through the newsletter. It is always on a weekday evening with refreshments available beforehand. 

This is a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and experience with other landlords. There is always a speaker on a subject relevant to landlords. There is usually also discussion or consultation on various topics.

Letting/ managing agents
The national bodies listed below require their member agents to follow certain standards; and to provide important safeguards for their clients.These safeguards include:

• Clients’ money held in separate accounts from the agent’s money. That way, any shortfall in the agent’s funds need not affect you
• A clients’ money protection scheme. This compensates you for money held by the agent that is lost through the agent’s theft or fraud
• ‘Professional indemnity insurance’. This ensures the agent can pay compensation due to the client for other reasons (the level of cover varies.)

It is advisable to use agents belonging to one of these bodies.

• Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) Tel: 0845 345 5752, email: info@arla.co.uk
• National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS) Tel: 01242 581712, email: info@nalscheme.co.uk
• National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) Tel: 01926 496800, email: info@naea.co.uk
  Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Tel:  0870 333 1600, email: contactrics@rics.org

Agents’ advertisements and notepaper will usually show which body (if any) they belong to. You can also check this direct with the bodies.

Gas safety
By law landlords must arrange a gas safety check on all appliances and flues:  before each property’s first letting, and yearly after that.  Only an installer registered with the Gas Safe Register (which has replaced CORGI) may do this work. You can check with the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5577 or through the link below. Further details from the Health and Safety Executive can be found by calling them on tel: 0800 300 363. A useful leaflet on gas safety can be viewed online or downloaded from the panel below.

Furniture safety
By law upholstered furniture and furnishings provided to tenants must have labels confirming that the materials used are fire resistant (unless manufactured before 1950).   A useful guide from the Department of Trade and Industry can be viewed online or downloaded from the panel below.

Deposits
All deposits on assured shorthold tenancies created or renewed on or after 6 April 2007 must be protected by a national approved Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme. Follow the link below for more information.

Energy Performance Certificates

From 1 October 2008, when marketing any self-contained homes for letting, landlords must make an Energy Performance Certificate available to prospective tenants. (This does not apply to tenancy renewal for existing tenants.) Follow the link below for more information.

Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme
This scheme may provide a guarantee equal to two months rent, and introduce prospective tenants for vacancies.   Some of these prospective tenants will need to claim Housing Benefit.  The Tenancy Deposit Protection requirements do not apply to deposit guarantee schemes. For more information, please contact the Private Sector Access Co-ordinator, Housing Service, Town Hall, Watford WD17 3EX. Tel: 278166

Leasing

Genesis and Paradigm Housing Associations are leasing properties from private owners for three years on behalf of the Council. The advantages to owners are:

• Guaranteed rent during the lease
• Guaranteed vacant possession at end of the lease
• No management responsibility.

For more information, please tel. Genesis on 0208 9004800 or email  landlords@pathmeads.org.uk . For Paradigm tel.0845 5216216 or email clmlettings@paradigmhousing.co.uk

Accreditation
Accreditation is a set of standards (or code) relating to the management or physical condition of privately rented accommodation. Landlords who join an accreditation scheme and abide by the standards are "accredited". Accreditation schemes are voluntary. There is no compulsion for landlords to join, but there may be many advantages.

The council has decided not to set up a local accreditation scheme for the time being. This decision follows consultation with the landlords' forum, which did not favour such a scheme.

Houses in multiple occupation
These are flats or houses where rooms are let to separate households.   They require planning permission.   They also need to be licensed by the Council if they have at least three storeys and at least five residents.  The definition of HMO is different for planning and licensing purposes.