Terms of business

DEFNITIONS
Deposit should be defined as “Stakeholder”. Define “ICE” as the “independent Case Examiner of The Dispute Service”.                    

REFERENCES
All references will be made available for inspection, by the Landlord, prior to the signing of the Tenancy Agreement (if requested). Ultimately the Landlord must satisfy him/herself as to the suitability of any tenant introduced.

STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS – FAILURE TO COMPLY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE!
Before allowing occupation to a tenant, proof of compliance with the Landlord’s Statutory Obligations and Duty of Care in respect of Gas, Electric and Furniture Safety will be required. The gas & electric supply must be connected and where applicable, gas meter cards and electricity meter keys must be made available for these checks to be carried out.

All gas appliances must be checked annually by a GAS SAFE/CORGI Registered Gas Installer and electrical appliances must also be tested. A portable electrical appliance test and cursory visual installation check will be carried out before the commencement of every tenancy. The cost of all checks and remedial works to be borne by the Landlord; all soft furnishings supplied must meet strict safety controls.

As addition to the above Landlord’s statutory Obligations and Duty of Care, from 1st October 2008, all properties in England and Wales will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This checks the energy and environmental impact of your property and will be rated on a scale of A - G. Please note: non-compliances will result in a fine £200.00.

To avoid delays and loss of rental income Lexton Property Services Ltd require all safety checks to be arranged before a tenant is found. Where Lexton Property Services Ltd contractors are used, costs including administration fees will be borne by the landlord. All documentation relating to safety inspections remains the property of the Landlord.

PLEASE NOTE: These checks are to ensure an appliance or installation is safe, not that it is operational.

CLEARED FUNDS
Lexton Property Services Ltd reserve the right not to instruct a contractor until in receipt of cleared funds and to clear personal cheques through the banking system before any contractor is instructed.

VACANT PROPERTIES
Lexton Property Services Ltd, do not manage vacant properties. The Landlord must advise their insurers as soon as the property becomes vacant and adhere to any stipulations contained in their policy in respect of it becoming vacant.

KEYS
Lexton Property Services Ltd must hold keys and be able to show a prospective tenant the property immediately. Where this is not possible tenants will usually be suited elsewhere. No Landlord or Tenant is always available to allow access.

Furthermore prospective tenants are frequently late or simply fail to keep appointments. This always causes inconvenience and annoyance to landlords or existing tenants who make special arrangements to be present.

All keys are security coded and a company representative will accompany all prospective tenants.

In the event the property is currently occupied, most well drafted tenancy agreements allow unlimited access during the final months of the tenancy   

REMEMBER. Whilst your present tenant may be unconcerned if the property is vacant for a period after the expiry of their tenancy you will lose rental income. Furthermore, empty properties are a security risk

The property will be left as secure as the keys supplied allow.

TO LET / LET BY SIGN
Erected free of charge.

HOLDING DEPOSITS
Holding deposit (not to be confused with “The Deposit” referred to below) is requested from all tenants prior to processing their application. In the unlikely event of an abortive transaction these monies are used to offset Lexton London’s administrative expenses.

THE DEPOSIT
This is held as security against damages, rent arrears and any other breaches of the tenancy agreement.

IMPORTANT:This money belongs to the tenant and may be held in a tenants deposit scheme for the duration of the tenancy. You the landlord will hold the deposit. The clients account is a no interest received account.            

The tenancy deposit The Agent is a member of the Tenancy Deposit, Scheme, which is administered by:

The Dispute Service Ltd
PO Box 541, Amersham
Bucks HP6 6ZR

T: 0845 226 7837      F: 01494 431 123
E: deposits@tds.gb.com

If we are/ the Agent is instructed by you/the Landlord to hold the Deposit, we/ the Agent shall do so under the terms of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

If you, the Landlord, decide to hold the Deposit yourself, we will transfer it to you within 5 days of receiving it. You/ the Landlord must then register it with another Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme within a further 9 days if the Tenancy is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

If you fail to do so the Tenant can take legal action against you/the Landlord in the County Court. The Court will make an order stating that you/the Landlord must pay the Deposit back to the Tenant or lodge it with the custodial scheme which is known as the Deposit Protection Scheme.

In addition a further order will be made requiring you/ the Landlord to pay compensation to the Tenant of an amount equal to three times the deposit.  You the Landlord will be unable to serve a section 21 Notice on your Tenant until compliance with the above conditions and the Court will not grant you/ the Landlord a possession order The Agent has no liability for any loss suffered if you / the Landlord fail to comply.

OR

If you/the Landlord decide to hold the Deposit and the Tenancy is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy you/the Landlord must specify to us/the Agent prior to the start of the Tenancy under which other Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme the Deposit will be covered.

If the Deposit is covered by Tenancy Deposit Solutions you/the Landlord must provide proof of membership, together with a copy of the insurance policy before the Deposit can be released. If the deposit is sent to the custodial scheme known as the Deposit Protection Scheme we/the Agent will forward the Deposit to the DPS and register the details of the Tenancy.

The Agent holds tenancy deposits as Stakeholder.

At the end of the tenancy covered by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme
If there is no dispute we/the Agent will keep any amounts agreed as deductions where expenditure has been incurred on behalf of the Landlord, or repay the whole or the balance of the Deposit according to the conditions of the Tenancy Agreement with the Landlord and the Tenant. Payment of the Deposit will be made within 10 working days of written consent from both parties.

If after 10 working days following notifications of a dispute to the agent/Member and reasonable attempts have been made in that time to resolve any differences of opinion, there remains an unresolved dispute between Landlord and Tenant over the allocation of the Deposit it will (subject to B 5.3 below) be submitted to the ICE for adjudication. All parties agree to co-operate with any adjudication.

When the amount in dispute is over £5,000 the Landlord and the Tenant will agree by signing the Tenancy Agreement to submit the dispute to formal arbitration through the engagement of an arbitrator appointed by the ICE although, with the written consent of both parties, the ICE may at his discretion accept the dispute for adjudication.

The appointment of an arbitrator will incur an administration fee, to be fixed by the Board of The Dispute Service Ltd from time to time, shared equally by Landlord and the Tenant. The liability for any subsequent costs will be dependent upon the award made by the arbitrator.

The statutory rights of either you/the Landlord or the Tenant(s) to take legal action against the other party remain unaffected.

It is not compulsory for the parties to refer the dispute to the ICE for adjudication. The parties may, if either party chooses to do so seek the decision of the Court. However, this process may take longer and may incur further costs.

Judges may, because it is a condition in the Tenancy Agreement signed by both parties, refer the dispute back to the Ice for adjudication. If the parties do agree that the dispute should be resolved by the ICE, they must accept the decision of the ICE as final and binding.

If there is a dispute I/we must remit to The Dispute Service Ltd the full deposit, less any amounts already agreed by the parties and paid over to them. This must be done within 10 working days of being told that a dispute has been registered whether or not you or I/we want to contest it.  

Failure to do so will not delay the adjudication but The Dispute Service Ltd will take appropriate action to recover the deposit and discipline me/us. The Agent must co-operate with the ICE in the adjudication of the dispute and follow any recommendations concerning the method of the resolution of the dispute.

Incorrect Information
If the Landlord warrants that all the information he has provided to the Agent is correct to the best of his knowledge and belief. In the event the Landlord provides incorrect information to the Agent which causes the Agent to suffer loss or causes legal proceedings to be taken the Landlord agrees to reimburse and compensate the Agent for all losses suffered.

OVERSEAS LANDLORDS
Under The Finance Act 1995 landlords must apply for an exemption certificate to be issued to the agent permitting rent to be paid to the landlord without deduction of tax. Only the Landlord can make the application which, if granted, will be issued directly to Lexton London Ltd. Application forms may be obtained from us upon request.

Until an exemption certificate is received we are legally obliged to withhold tax at the basic rate from the net rental income. Where Lexton London are not instructed to process rent payments, landlords have a duty of care to advise their tenants to make these deductions.

For further information telephone the Inland Revenue, Financial Intermediaries and Claims Office on 0151 472 6208/9

INCLUDED IN THE TENANCY
Written confirmation of the items of furniture, appliances, cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils etc requested, will be included in the tenancy; with all subsequent changes to be confirmed in writing.

Until received Lexton Property Services Ltd will advise prospective tenants in accordance with their understanding of the Landlord’s verbal confirmation of items to be included in the Tenancy. Lexton London accepts no responsibility for any error in this respect prior to receipt of the aforementioned confirmation.

PERMISSION TO LET
Landlords should obtain written permission to let the property from their Mortgagee, Freeholder and Insurers before the property is let.

AUTHORITY (Delete if not required)
The Landlord hereby authorises Lexton Property Services Ltd to sign and execute the tenancy agreement on their behalf and to grant occupation to a tenant(s) on or after the date confirmed in this agreement by the landlord as the date on which property will be available for occupation, without further referral to the landlord providing Lexton Property Services Ltd are in receipt of:                                                                                                                                                                

  1. References from the Tenant, which Lexton London Ltd, believe to be satisfactory
  2.  A deposit from the Tenant equal to not less than one months’ rent .
  3. The Landlord hereby authorises Lexton Property Services Ltd to use their best endeavours to ensure compliance with all statutory safety legislations, the cost of such property visits, remedial work, removal /replacement of furniture / appliance to be borne by the Landlord.

SIGNING OF THE TENANCY AGREEMENT
The Landlord agrees to sign the tenancy agreement if so requested by Lexton Property Services Ltd.

CHANGES TO TERMS
Theterms and conditions set outin this document are the standard terms of business of Lexton Property Services Ltd. For their own protection and to avoid misunderstandings, clients are advised to obtain written confirmation of any verbal assurances that may have been made by any representative of Lexton Property Services Ltd, either promising or implying any changes to these terms.                                                                                                                                                 

Admin     © 2011 Lexton London .