Airbnb and the risk of subletting

Airbnb is a phenomenon of our age and, in January of this year, it was reported that over 4million people in London had used the service since launch in 2008. As the go-to website – or app – for a host of travellers, Airbnb provides a convenient solution for those seeking an alternative to a traditional hotel room.

In recent years, its ease of use has seen Airbnb broaden its reach beyond the hospitality sector and into the lettings market, and while this might seem like an optimum solution for short-term tenancies, it is also proving to be a challenge that the industry is yet to navigate.

A primary hurdle that has arisen for landlords is around subletting, and a growing number of landlords are launching possession proceedings against tenants who have sublet their property via sites such as Airbnb, without the requisite permissions. Tenants who do this without consent risk eviction for a breach of their assured shorthold tenancy agreement – but for some, this is a risk they are willing to take.

At the same time, if the rent is paid in full and on time, some landlords might be inclined to turn a blind eye to the practice. However, it is worth remembering that while it is an ARLA Property mark standard to vet tenants at the start of a contract with full references and credit checks, tenants are unlikely to do this on behalf of landlords for subtenants, creating risks for all parties.

Furthermore, while the tenant signing the contract might show up well on paper, they could be subletting to just about anybody, with no verification of their credentials whatsoever.

It goes without saying that in not knowing who precisely is occupying a property can be disastrous for landlords, with unpaid rent, bills and damage to a property.

As such, we do urge landlords to ensure that they enter into an up-to-date contract with their tenants, which legislates against subletting under any circumstances. This is a clause inbuilt to every Carter Jonas contract, but for independent landlords who operate without an agency, it is worth checking the wording of all tenancy agreements.

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Airline immigration case just the ticket for landlords

While the worlds of lettings and budget air travel might appear disparate, landlords might want to show thanks to Ryanair after it successfully challenged a recent legal claim over an immigration dispute.

When the Home Office imposed a penalty on the budget airline after it was found that two Albanians had illegally entered the UK on a flight from Spain using forged Greek passports, Ryanair went to the Central London County Court to state a challenge.

Spanish officials had failed to notice the forgeries, but UK Border Force officers were more vigilant. As a result, the Home Office penalised Ryanair £2,000 for each Albanian, but the airline contested the charge.

Parallels are clearly drawn for landlords under the Right to Rent scheme, which stipulates that documentation has to be checked to ensure that potential tenants and other occupiers of a property aged 18 or over have a legal right to be here.

The Code of Practice that accompanied the implementation of the Immigration Act 2014, set out in the Immigration (Residential Accommodation) (Prescribed Requirements and Codes of Practice) Order 2014, says that landlords “will not be penalised, if, having taken all reasonable steps to check a document’s validity, they are fooled by a good forgery which appears to be genuine.”

The difficulty comes in knowing what a good forgery is, but the Ryanair case seems to give at least a clue as to a definition.

Two immigration officers gave statements that missing security elements in the passports used by the Albanians were in their view “reasonably apparent” to a member of airline staff and that they should have been spotted. However, other immigration officers in similar cases had found that the forgeries were not “reasonably apparent”. The Court took the view that missing security elements that are relatively hard to find, even for trained professionals, would not be reasonably apparent to busy airline staff, even though they have an annual refresher course.

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

EPCs 10 years on – time to reassess their impact?

It’s a decade since residential properties in the UK were first required to have a ten year Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before they could be sold or let. As the ten year anniversary approaches, the time has come for the early starters to be reassessed.

Originally part of the Home Information Pack (HIP), loved by a few and loathed by many - but which would have been useful if implemented as originally intended, the EPC survived when the HIP requirement was abandoned in 2010.

At first regarded as a bureaucratic irritation rather than a necessity, the EPC gained more traction recently when the introduction of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) meant that from April 2018 it will be difficult, but not impossible as some suggest, to let a property with an Energy Efficiency Standard below Band E on its EPC. There are exemptions that can be registered, but these are subject to re-application every five years, and it is by no means certain that this will continue ad infinitum. Indeed, it’s expected that the rules will become tougher and eventually exclude Band E properties.

With that in mind, it could be beneficial to review the EPC for your property even if you are not yet required to replace the original purchased 10 years ago. In fact, some landlords are relying on an EPC that exists from when they purchased the property, and therefore was provided by the vendor rather than themselves.

Where a property is Band F or G, but also for those with a low score in Band E, having a new EPC assessment could make the difference between 10 years of worry-free letting and the stress of not knowing whether an exemption granted in time for April 2018 will be renewed in 2023.

The energy assessor who provides the EPC will check for items such as double glazing, boiler efficiency, radiators, and insulation for the hot water tank, walls, and loft. The results are fed into a software program that produces a figure for the EPC, which in turn determines the banding in some instances. The assessor can override the program if there’s visual or written evidence that standards are higher than the software assumes.

Where you are borrowing to fund the purchase of a lettings property, your lender may want confirmation of its energy efficiency standards, especially where the current banding could make it borderline in the future and therefore bring a possible diminution in its asset value. Therefore, taking care of what was once regarded as a merely administrative necessity could pay dividends.

Certain classes of building are exempt from the need for an EPC. As far as residential landlords are concerned, the principal category concerns those that are officially listed as of historic interest.

From April this year, tenants have had the right to ask their landlords to approve their installation of energy efficiency measures. Originally this would have fallen under the Green Deal - a scheme that already had drawbacks before its funding was withdrawn because of low take-up.

Improvements were supposed to be funded through energy bills applicable to a property, provided the benefits of the improvement outweighed the cost of making them.

But it’s much better to make these improvements independently, as part of an investment in your lettings property, rather than using a scheme that allows tenants to take charge, as this may ultimately restrict which energy company you can use in the future, as not all energy providers are involved. While this may seem insignificant, consumers are growing more energy aware and may resent having their opportunities to switch curtailed.

My recommendation is that where tenants ask to carry out an energy survey, you allow it to go ahead, but then consider whether or not it’s to your advantage to implement the improvements yourself so you retain control. It may also be that the work can be completed at lower cost than the tenant’s chosen contractor offers.

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Prescribed forms changed

As a clear reminder of how vital it is to keep on top of legislative changes, amendments have been made to prescribed forms for assured tenancies and for assured agricultural occupancies.

The Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 came into force on April 6th 2016. The regulations prescribe forms for various provisions under the Housing Act 1988.

There is a new prescribed Section 8 Notice Seeking Possession under the Housing Act 1988 (Form 3). This is the notice that you serve when ending a tenancy, typically for rent arrears or other breaches of tenancy. It’s the third time it has been updated in a year, but this time only for England as in Wales the previous updated form is still current. Here’s a link to the new regulations and forms.

The Section 13 notice (form 4) used when rent is being increased for an existing tenant without the issuing of a new tenancy agreement and form 5, which applies to agricultural tenancies, have also received minor amendments to correct formatting and drafting errors and in respect of the Section 8 notice to refer to the new form 6A prescribed form for giving notice under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Do not ignore them. These prescribed forms must be used on or after April 6th 2016.

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Our lettings team shortlisted for Best Letting Agency Group in ESTAS Awards 2016

I have pleasure in announcing that our national lettings team has reached the final stages of the ESTAS Awards 2016, having been shortlisted for the Best Letting Agency Group. 

In the ESTAS regional categories, the Carter Jonas Barnes, Bath, Cambridge, Newbury, Wandsworth Common and Winchester offices have also been shortlisted. The ESTAS are one of the largest and longest running awards in the UK property industry and winners are decided purely on ratings provided by a firm’s clients. This year, the shortlist was announced based on the biggest-ever number of customer surveys. 

To be shortlisted for these awards is a real honour for our national lettings team and is testament to the hard work that we put in to ensure our clients receive the best possible service.  We’re extremely proud to be rated so highly by our clients and thank them for this. 

Since we began our lettings service to operate alongside our residential sales offering, it has been our aim from the outset to be included among the best national lettings agents, and so we are delighted to be recognised in this way. 

The winners of all categories will be announced at the annual ESTAS Ceremony held in April at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. 

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

The 7 deadly sins & 7 heavenly virtues of buying and selling

In all parts of life there are things that can raise the blood pressure; likewise there are the lovely things which smooth the ride, put the spring in one’s step and, basically, bring out the best in everyone.

The seven deadly sins are listed as lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. And the seven contrary virtues are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility.

In estate agency, we see the good and the bad highlighted on an almost daily basis and we might adapt The Old Testament sins and virtues as follows:

THE SINS

The pursuit of perfection: The ideal house has never been built and never will be. Look at properties with an open mind, heart and soul. You can make it into your perfect home with a little bit of imagination.

Refusing advice: Agents help people buy and sell houses on a daily basis; good agents know their market and have a constant finger on the pulse. Just as you would listen to your doctor’s advice, it’s a good idea to listen to your property professional. However, we do acknowledge this is likely to conflict with some armchair and dinner party experts.

Disloyalty: Disloyal buyers are on a par with disloyal sellers. Some sellers think that by changing their agent a whole new crop of buyers will miraculously appear. That rarely happens. If a house isn’t selling, it’s probably the price. So don’t be seduced by the touts. If your agent doesn’t return calls, advise on the price or put in the hard work required however – it’s a good decision to move on.

Greed: Cheeky bids are as unhelpful as unrealistic expectations on price.

Untidiness: People love to buy a lifestyle – they like to see tidy lifestyles even though they might not lead one themselves!

Poor planning: Squeezing 10 viewings into one day and wholly relying on SatNav – maps may be old fashioned but they work in Suffolk!

Rudeness: Estate agents are humans too. We’re here to sell your house as best we can and to find you the loveliest house we can. We do our job because we like people and want the best for them. People can forget this.

THE VIRTUES

The virtues are simple and straightforward and, as obvious counterpoints to the sins, require no elaboration:

Trusting your agent; possessing an open and imaginative mind; realistic expectations; loyalty; patience; tidiness; appreciation.

And remember our business is minding other peoples’ – choose an agent with integrity. Buying and selling is as much to do with people as it is to do with houses.

Caroline Edwards
Partner
Residential Sales, Long Melford
T: 01787 888622
E: caroline.edwards@carterjonas.co.uk

Child safety should be the focus

Child safety is at the forefront when many people are shopping at this time of year but, professionally, it should also be a concern for landlords.

This is especially so in the home with regard to anything used for internal blinds or curtain tracks including, but not limited to, vertical blinds, roller blinds, Roman blinds, and plantation shutters which are now subject to 40 pages of regulations published by the British Standards Institution and based on European standards.

If that sounds over complicated, the British Blind and Shutter Association has a very helpful leaflet on-line that explains what’s needed - click here - where’s helpful video content and a downloadable explanatory pdf.

Where new blinds are being fitted, they must comply with the regulations and have built-in safety systems but where this is not feasible due to window shape or location separate safety systems can be used such as chain or cord tensioners.

In either case, there are regulations governing the lengths of cords or chains.

Properties where blinds are already installed can still be made safe – the relatively simple installation of cleats on which to wind cords when not in use may be an efficient and cost-effective solution to prevent young children being strangled in the loops created by cords or chains.

Of course, such devices are only effective when they are used. If your properties are furnished, cots, playpens, and other furniture should be placed away from windows to avoid children climbing up, an activity they all seem to love.

The regulations apply to all premises where children aged between 0-42 months are present or likely to have access – almost everywhere!

Our property managers are available to assist with adjusting existing installations and, where applicable, installing new blinds or curtain tracks.

Lisa Simon, 

Partner Head of Residential Lettings

T: 020 7518 3234 

E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Immigration checks guidance causes confusion

Not for the first time, landlords and lettings agents have been left mystified by Government plans for them to become partly responsible for policing immigration.


We have all been aware for some time that, come October, we would have to be responsible for checking tenants’ immigration status. Now Government guidance has been issued that leaves things even cloudier rather than clearer.


The guidance issued first on August 7, withdrawn in the early hours of, and then reissued a short time later, on August 8, appears to have watered down the requirements and speaks only of an introduction “in late Autumn 2014”.


The “factsheet” now states that checks will only come into force in one area of the UK this year and may then be rolled out more widely during 2015.


But so far there is no clue as to where that area will be and the draft Codes of Practice, guidance, and on-line resources for making the checks, including an aid to help landlords and tenants identify whether they are affected and, if so, how to conduct a check will be published at the same time.
In some ways this is a relief – it could take the pressure off many landlords. But the downside is that none of us knows whether or not we are affected so we still have to be vigilant, prepared, and await the announcement as to which area of England will be the policy pioneer. No landlord, or letting agent, can be sure they are off the hook temporarily because they are not in the launch area or permanently because the latest guidance also infers that rolling out the checks more widely may not happen.


The Government says the checks will be very simple and in most cases can be carried out while avoiding the need to contact the Home Office. But the Government has also promised it will provide a comprehensive set of services to help in conducting the checks, including both on-line and via a local-rate telephone helpline providing general information as well as a checking service for more complex cases.


In the meantime, it’s suggested landlords and tenants take a look at the right to work check (www.gov.uk/legal-right-to-work-in-the-uk), which is similar to the resource being introduced for landlords. The Government says the employers’ resource has “attracted praise as being user friendly, quick, and easy to use”.


Landlords and lettings agents who fail to carry out the checks will be given a civil penalty up to a maximum of £3,000. Thankfully this means it is not a criminal conviction but there is no explanation as yet as to who imposes the penalty or assesses its scale.


Checks will be “simple and straightforward” to complete. Landlords will need to obtain and copy documents demonstrating an individual’s right to rent in the UK, such as a passport or biometric residence permit. In most cases there will be no need for landlords to contact the Home Office but to be safe the credentials of all tenants, even those apparently “British” will need to be checked, if only in the interests of racial equality.


The case-checking service will be used for status verification where the prospective tenant has an outstanding immigration application with the Home Office or the Home Office has their documents. This service will provide a clear yes/no response within two working days. If a landlord has not had an answer from the Home Office within two working days, they can go ahead and rent without risk of incurring a penalty.


Landlords will only have to conduct checks on new, and not existing, tenants from the implementation date.


Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the guidance from the Home Office is the note at the end: “August 2014 – All information in this factsheet was correct at the time of publishing but is subject to change.” So even though we have guidance, we have no definite idea of what is to come!
However, rest assured we are watching developments closely and I will update you immediately there is confirmation, when we also put in place appropriate internal procedures.

The Home Office factsheet can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341876/Factsheet_Landlords_Aug_14.pdf



Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234 
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Section 21 notice simplified by the Appeal Court

It's not inevitable that the landlord/tenant relationship will reach a stage where serving a notice to end the tenancy is required - but sometimes it is unavoidable.

A wrong choice of the legislative section under which to serve the notice, and how the termination date was recorded in it, has been exploited by some tenants to swerve round the notice and continue occupation.

However, the Court of Appeal has issued a new decision on Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 which governs notices (Spencer v Taylor [ 2013] EWCA Civ 1600).

The effect is likely to simplify serving notice to terminate statutory periodic Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST).

In the case under appeal, the tenant argued that the notice to quit given under Section 21(4) was invalid because it gave the termination date as a Saturday when it should have been a Sunday and that the customary "saving provision" in the notice to ensure its efficacy made it uncertain as it provided two different termination dates.

Lord Justice Lewison, a leading property QC during his time at the bar, gave the leading judgment and dismissed the appeal. Firstly, he held that the two different dates provided by the use of the customary saving provision did not invalidate the notice. However, more interesting was that he also decided the notice served was valid under section 21(1)(b) of the act and so the landlord's expiry date, which was more than two months from the date of service, was all that was required.

Previously, it was considered that a notice under section 21(4) must be used where possession was required after the end of a fixed term tenancy and must give two months' notice to expire at the end of a relevant period.

This is no longer the case. The law now states that a landlord wishing to gain possession of a property let on an AST, which was a fixed term and has now become periodic, simply gives two months' notice in writing in accordance with the terms of the tenancy agreement and with section 21(1)(b). There is no need for concern with regard to working out the "period" of the tenancy.

Whilst the new law is good news, I still recommend that landlords are cautious as the case could be still be subject of appeal to the Supreme Court and there could be confusion surrounding the new case law.

Based on advice we have received from Pain Smith solicitors we suggest continuing to serve notices on behalf of our landlords that comply with section 21 (4)(a), at least for the near future.


Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234 
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Leaving your property empty could come at a high cost

More properties will be caught in the net of increased taxes following the Budget announcement this week. Particularly in London, where property values are at their highest, the extension of ATED (Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings) to property valuing £500,000 and above will affect the capital’s mainstream market. I anticipate that more owners of properties in a corporate structure might consider renting out their property rather than leaving it empty. This is one way of mitigating the tax which, on a property valued between £500,000 and £1,000,000, would cost £3,500 per year if left empty from April 2016.

See our press release '2014 Budget: Effect on Prime Residential Property market'


Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234 
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Legionella checks could be vital

Most people associate Legionnaires’ Disease with exotic climates or big hotels and conference or leisure centres.

But it can be much closer to home than you think - quite literally if you have a wet air conditioning system, swimming pool, or open water tanks in your property.

If the property is let, to comply with the Health and Safety Executive’s Code of Practice, landlords need to ensure that the risk of exposure to legionella in the property is properly controlled and where necessary carry out a risk assessment prior to letting.

Legionnaires’ Disease is the result of legionella bacteria infecting the lungs. It is usually contracted through breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. It is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person.

Legionella bacteria is commonly found (often in harmlessly low numbers) in sources of water, such as rivers and lakes. However, the bacteria can rapidly multiply if they find their way into artificial water supply systems such as air conditioning.

Large buildings such as hotels, hospitals, museums and office blocks are more vulnerable to legionella contamination because they have larger, more complex water supply systems in which the bacteria can quickly spread. But with the increasing complexity of domestic properties, the threat should not be ignored.

Carter Jonas' heads of lettings and property managers have Legionnella and, Water Safety training and where they identify possible risk of Legionnaires’ Disease, will recommend an external consultant to carry out a risk assessment.

For more information visit The Health and Safety Executive’s Code of Practice.


Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234 
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Short Listed for the ESTAS 'Estate and Letting Agent Awards 2014'

I am delighted to report Carter Jonas Residential Lettings have been short listed for the ESTAS ‘Estate & Letting Agent Awards 2014’.

The ESTAS determines the best estate and letting agents in the country through research carried out amongst their Clients about the service they have received from their agent.

This year 32,000 surveys have been submitted and we have been short listed for four Regional Categories and ’ Best Medium sized chain’.

The results will be announced by Phil Spencer, TV Property expert at the 11th annual ceremony on 9th May 2014. We are thrilled to have been shortlisted and are very grateful to our Clients who took the time to complete and submit surveys regarding our service.


Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234 
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Eliminating the silent killer - carbon monoxide

No human sense can detect it, yet very quickly it can overcome its victims with disastrous consequences. It kills 50 people in the UK every year.

Carbon monoxide detectors are now a legal requirement in Scottish lettings properties, where new boilers or gas appliances are installed, but not in England. It’s a curious situation where someone in Gretna is legally protected, yet their friend in Carlisle currently legally neglected!

The Government has just added enabling powers to the Energy Bill, during its passage in the Lords, to introduce a requirement for carbon monoxide and/or smoke alarms in private rented properties and a review is promised not only of whether smoke or CO2 alarms should be mandatory but also of minimum standards for private rented properties.

A Derby landlord was recently prosecuted after a tenant who had reconnected a condemned gas boiler was subsequently killed by the fumes it gave off. During tests after his death, so much carbon monoxide was present that four neighbouring properties had to be evacuated.

Gas appliances had not been tested subsequent to a test arranged by the agent who introduced the tenant. The agent was not contracted to manage the tenancy and no further tests were carried out.

Landlords are culpable if tenants die in their properties from a defect that could have been foreseen or prevented, such as carbon monoxide build-up.

Here at Carter Jonas, we have taken the decision to advise landlords to adopt best practice and install carbon monoxide alarms. New appliances should already go some way towards protecting tenants, often it’s older appliances that cause the problems. The only way to manage this risk is to eliminate it by use of alarms.

Combustion appliances fuelled by solid fuel, oil, or gas all have the potential to cause carbon monoxide poisoning if they are poorly installed or commissioned, inadequately maintained or incorrectly used. As of 1 October 2010 alarms have been mandatory for newly installed stoves but this does not extend to every potentially dangerous situation.

As part of our management service for landlords, we are recommending and arranging for carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted in their properties over the next few months to both protect the occupier and give our clients peace of mind.

Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings
T: 020 7518 3234
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Obscure court case causing problems

A seemingly obscure case in the Court of Appeal is proving a headache for politicians and could be a problem for some residential landlords.

A seemingly obscure case in the Court of Appeal is proving a headache for politicians and could be a problem for some residential landlords.

The effect of the ‘Superstrike’ case, the name of one of the parties involved, could have far reaching effects for landlords who have had the same tenants in a property since before deposit protection legislation came into effect in April, 2007.

In Superstrike, what’s known as a Section 21 notice was served to evict the tenant but the move failed because the tenancy dated from January, 2007, and then continued in 2008 under what the appeal court determined was a separate statutory periodic tenancy.

The court ruled that this in effect created a new tenancy but the deposit had not been protected with a tenancy deposit scheme so the landlord was prohibited from obtaining the eviction order. However, politicians say this was not the outcome intended when legislation was drafted and they are now looking at how to correct the anomaly.

In the meantime, landlords who have not protected deposits need to do so using one of the approved schemes. They are obliged to serve the tenant with what’s called Prescribed Information and the scheme leaflet for the tenancy deposit organisation they use.

There are various options to overcome the situation and every landlord needs to be confident that they are in the right position individually with regard to deposit protection and also be aware that further court rulings or legislative amendments from Government could further affect their position.

 

For further information; ‘Likely Implications of Tenancy Deposit Protection Case Superstrike Ltd v Marino Rodrigues’, has been produced in collaboration between the industry bodies ALA, BPF, NALS, NLA, RLA RICS and UKALA.

I will happily point landlords in the right direction for the advice they need and in some instances may recommend that the deposit is returned to the Tenants prior to serving a Section 21 notice.

Lisa Simon, 
Partner
Head of Residential Lettings, Mayfair
T: 020 7493 0676
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

A con that can legally steal your house

It can happen. Section 58 of the Land Registration Act 2002 provides that if a person is listed as the proprietor of a legal estate with HM Land Registry it is conclusive evidence of ownership.

Imagine losing your house after it was effectively stolen because the law favours a third party.

Case law (Barclays Bank plc v Guy 2008) dictates that while the rightful owner can restore his or her name as owner, if the mortgage was granted through the lender relying on indisputable title, albeit one effectively stolen, the mortgage charge remains and must be repaid.

Worse still, if the house had been sold to a third party everything would be lost.

The case law involved a house where a tenant registered the title fraudulently and used it to obtain a mortgage from Barclays. The owner wanted complete ownership of his house returned but only managed to re-register the title. Barclays kept its charge on the property so the money would have to be repaid when the house was sold – unless the fraudster could be found with the money.

You can prevent becoming a victim by popping in the post a simple form ‘COG1’ (Up-dating Registered Owners’ contact address) with evidence of identity. It tells HM Land Registry to amend the record for your property to provide your current address for correspondence. You post the form with evidence of your identity and its job done.

For more information visit the Land Registry website

Lisa Simon, Partner
Head of Residential Lettings, Mayfair
T: 020 7493 0676
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas enters The ESTAS Awards 2014

Our Residential Letting branches have entered the Estate & Letting Agent Awards.  http://www.theestas.com/ The scheme recognises the best agents based on research conducted through Landlords around the UK. The awards, known as the ESTAS measures the quality of customer service provided by agents through the rental process.

I am very pro these awards as they give our Clients the opportunity to provide feedback to us.

Phil Spencer, TV Property Expert says “I think it says a great deal about company who’s prepared to stand up and announce to customers and competitors that they believe in providing the best possible service and they’re happy to prove it.

These awards help agencies to focus on customer service levels and that’s why so many sign up each year” “Taking part in the ESTAS sets agents apart from their competitors. It sends a clear message that they are passionate about customer service, prepared to go that extra mile for their clients and keen to listen to feedback”.

Lisa Simon, Partner
Head of Residential Lettings, Mayfair
T: 020 7493 0676
E: lisa.simon@carterjonas.co.uk