Landlords Cardiff - The Umbrella Homes

The team at The Umbrella Homes realizes the role of an efficient and effective managing agent in marketing a property to generate a handsome rental income from it in order to deliver optimum benefits for the Landlord. Learning from our own experience of being a Tenant and witnessing the dealings of Landlords with the managing agents, we understand the apprehensions of Landlords. We value our Landlords and distinguish our dealings tailored to curb their apprehensions/concerns. We aim to deliver the best solutions to the concerns of our Landlords securing their fair interests. We guarantee to get the best deal for our Landlords and take the burden of attending to the needs of their properties off their shoulders, the whole year round.

We at The Umbrella Homes consider Landlords as part of our family and treat their properties as if they were our own. We aim to be the first port of information for all your requirements. Keeping you updated on the latest legal/safety requirements is our primary concern, as you deserve to be free from a constant vigil regarding the continuously changing mandatory legal/safety regulations. The latest updated targeted in this respect is for our valued Landlords owing properties in the Cathays Community ward of Cardiff. Under this regulation all landlords owning properties in the Cathays Community Ward of Cardiff are obligated to get an additional license for housing in multiple occupations from July 1st, 2010 till July 1st, 2015. Kindly note that the Housing in Multiple Occupations (HMO) is redefined by the Cardiff County Council recently and now HMO is considered as either three storeys or more or with five persons or more. This does not apply to houses split into flats. However, in certain cases this may apply to flats having two storeys located above commercial properties. As per the revised regulations all rented properties must also have energy performance certificates and must show proof to have met the legal safety standard. Please note that failure to attain the required license is an offence under section 72(1) and may be penalized heavily for non-compliance.

Further details on the above mentioned aspects and/or other useful legislation also are found on the Licensing page on Cardiff Council Website and may be consulted for a fuller grasp on the content. Please click on the provided link to direct you to the Cardiff Council website.

We acknowledge that every Landlord has a different approach and requirements. Hence we dwell on originality and offer customized services to cater to the requirement of individual landlords. Our aim is simple; to provide you with the various alternatives and avenues at hand so that you and your family may reap the full benefits of your property investments. We offer open and candid advice on how to maximize your rental income and allow you to choose the option that best matches your prerogative and interest. Whatever your decision, The Umbrella Homes will match your pace and march along with you to ensure that you get the best service possible. We will intrepidly endeavor to maximize your fair interest and provide you the unfaltering support all along.

We at The Umbrella Homes assure that finding new tenants every year and upkeep of your property never becomes a hassle for you again.

Tenant Finder

We have been providing landlords across Cardiff with a range of quality letting services for a number of years. Over time we have been able to finely tune the process that we have in place, which means the letting of your rental property has become a hassle free and smooth service. Umbrella Homes provides landlords with an unrivalled property letting process, regardless of whether you are letting one property or a portfolio of properties.

If you're worried about finding suitable tenants for your property, there's no need.

We find and select people who’ll treat your property with respect. We run background checks, and meet with them in person before you need to get involved.

Our Tenant Finder service includes:

Appraisal of your property to determine how much you can let it for in the current lettings market
Market your property to attract high quality tenants
Handle all viewings of your property on your behalf
Take up references, undertake background checks (including credit ratings) and personally evaluate prospective tenants
Deal with deposit registration for you.
Speak with one of our friendly agents today to see how we can help you.

Houses In Multiple Occupation

Landlords require a HMO (a House in Multiple Occupation licence) if they wish to rent out a property to tenants who form more than one household and share bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you let or are planning to let to tenants in a shared house, a bedsit, or take on a lodger in your home, you may need a HMO.

A HMO needs a licence if the property is three or more stories tall, or is occupied by five people or more who make up more than one household. A household is made up of relatives or a family living together, or a single person living alone.

You must ensure that your HMO is well maintained and meets all health and safety requirements. This will include ensuring that all gas and electrical appliances are safe and checked regularly, and by supplying well-maintained smoke alarms.

How to apply for a HMO licence

You will need to get in touch with your local council to find out if you need a HMO licence, and to get a HMO Licence application form. There will usually be a fee involved when applying, which is non-refundable. This fee varies so check with the council for pricing. If you use a property management agent you can ask them to apply for you. The licence will last for five years, and needs to be renewed before it runs out.

You will need to declare the people who are interested in the HMO, including the owner of the property, the mortgagee, any long leasehold tenants and the future licence holder.

The council will then assess your property’s suitability for the HMO by looking at the deciding factors; the kitchen and bathroom facilities, the number of tenants and the capability and arrangements of the landlord and management.

If your application is rejected the council will try to resolve the problems with you. If the problems cannot be resolved you can appeal to a Residential Property Tribunal. When a council rejects a HMO they will be able to claim management over the property for a maximum of 12 Months, using an interim management order. Again, you can appeal to the Residential Property Tribunal in order to get your property back.

EPC

About the EPC

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) determines the energy efficiency of your property, and assesses its impact on the environment. You must have a valid EPC whenever your property, in either social or private rented sector, is let to a new tenant.

The EPC is valid for ten years, and consists of a sliding scale from grade A, being the most energy efficient, to grade G being the least. The rating is based on insulation type, lighting, heating, layout, construction and age of your property, and the typical rating for a home is grades D and E.

Why do you need one?

For the tenant, the certificate provides an estimation of how much it is likely to cost the tenant to run the home, and provides them with a comparison in energy efficiency when deciding on a property. The actual fuel costs will depend more on the current cost of fuel and the tenant’s lifestyle.

How to get your EPC

The EPC is only valid if issued by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). To obtain a certificate, you must contact an accredited Energy Assessor. If you chose to use an independent assessor, ensure they are a member of an accreditation scheme. DEA’s can be found at www.epcregister.com. Each certificate has a unique number that will be entered into the national register by the energy assessor for you to access at a later date.

Energy Inspection

Once an assessor has received your call, they will arrange a time and date with you to carry out an inspection. During the inspection, they will collect information from you and the property such as details of construction, internal and external measurements, and type of heating and hot water facilities in the property. The assessor will need to assess all rooms, and have access to the boiler. They may also take photographs.

How to prepare for an inspection

To get the most accurate rating, pull together all the information and documents regarding your property for the assessor. The assessor will want to know;

The date of construction. If you can, find the deeds to the property.
The location of the gas and electric meters, boilers and hot water cylinders. They will also want to know the types of heating fuel the property uses, and the location of heating timers and thermostats.
Whether or not your property has been extended
Certificates as proof of double glazed windows.
The types of insulation in the walls; this could be internal, external or cavity insulation.
After the inspection

After the inspection the Assessor will then put together your EPC and recommendation report. You can then chose whether or not to follow the recommendations, however following the advice will be more likely to attract tenants to your property. These recommendations are split into sections; low cost being under £500 and high cost over £500.

You could be qualified to receive financial assistance in order to carry out the suggestions from the inspection. The Landlords Energy Saving Allowance (LESA) offers grants of up to £1500 towards some efficiency measures. Contact your local authority enquiry centre to find out more.

Points to remember

If Cardiff County Council receives a complaint that you do not have an Energy Performance Certificate for your property, you could be fined up to £200.

If you have a lot of existing data on your rental property, the assessor could be allowed to work with this data. If you own more than one property and the properties are similar, it could be possible to obtain certificates for them all by using a sample. To find out more, visit www.communities.gov.uk/epbd

Rent Smart Wales

Under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, there are legal obligations on landlords who have rental property in Wales.

Rent Smart Wales is helping to raise standards in the private rented sector in Wales. If you own, rent out, manage and/or live in a rented property then this law will impact on you. It is raising awareness by landlords, agents and tenants of their respective rights and responsibilities.

All private landlords are required to register themselves and their properties. If a landlord wants to manage property themselves, they must be licensed, demonstrate that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence and successfully complete approved training. Alternatively, a landlord can appoint a licensed agent to manage property on their behalf.

To become licensed, landlords managing property need to:

Complete a simple application process
Pay a fee
Pass a ‘fit and proper person check’
Stick to the code of conduct

If you wish for a licensed agent such as Umbrella Homes to manage the property on your behalf then there is no need to apply. The licensed agent takes over all management duties and you surrender any rights to manage the property.

To read more about the scheme, visit Rent Smart Wales - Information for Landlords.

Landlord Guide

Guide To Landlords' Fees

Management Fees

Tenant Finding fees:

Other Fees: