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Cleaning at the End of Tenancy

Some of the most common disagreements between landlords and tenants could be easily avoided with a little bit of education. Cleaning at the end of the tenancy is a good example. As long as landlords and tenants both know their responsibilities, things tend to go very smoothly. We want to clear the air by outlining the basics of cleaning at the end of the tenancy. Please be aware that what you read constitutes general guidelines only. Your situation may be different depending on your circumstances as a landlord, letting agent, or tenant.

Meeting All Tenancy Requirements It is the tenant's responsibility to adhere to all requirements laid out in the tenancy agreement between him or her and the landlord. Where cleaning is concerned, this usually means returning the unit to what is known as 'move out inventory'. The simplest way to understand this as the tenant is to think of it as returning the unit to the landlord in the same condition you received it. Tenants who tend to be neat throughout their tenancies may be able to get away with broom cleaning. A broom-cleaned unit is one requiring minimal cleaning like sweeping the floors, vacuuming the carpets, etc. A broom clean may not be appropriate for tenants who tend to be on the messy side. Who Actually Performs the Work Landlords are not allowed to require tenants to hire professional cleaners at the end of the tenancy. They can suggest it, but ultimately the tenant has the right to choose who cleans. As a tenant, you might want to save a little money by doing the cleaning yourself. That's a fine decision if you're confident in your own abilities to return the unit to move out inventory. If you don't think you will be able to meet that standard, you might want to consider professional help. Typical Cleaning Requirements Before the tenant starts cleaning, it's a wise idea to contact the landlord and ask for a final inspection checklist. This checklist lays out specifically what the landlord or letting agent will be looking at during checkout. The tenant can then concentrate on those things. Cleaning at the end of tenancy usually involves the following: 1. Kitchen – all cupboards and shelves, floors, sink, fridge, etc. 2. Oven and Cooker – remove all grease build-up, burnt food, crumbs, etc. 3. Living Area – cupboards, cabinets, shelves, floors, and any furniture being left behind. 4. Bathroom – sink, bath, toilet, floor, tiles, etc. 5. Everything Else – as determined by the tenancy agreement, this could include everything from windows to curtains to the garden and exterior spaces. When tenants clean with the goal of returning the property to the landlord in the same condition in which it was found, things tend to go fairly smoothly. If you are a landlord, you need to be reasonable about your expectations. You might want to take a picture of the unit at the start of the tenancy so you can show tenants what you expect at the end.

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The Letting Ecosystem Explained

Here at Domino Estates, we often refer to the relationship between landlords, tenants and letting agents as an ecosystem. Not only do we believe the 'ecosystem' term to be more accurate but we also believe that employing the ecosystem model is a better way to handle rental property. In this post, we will explain how the ecosystem model works and why it's so beneficial to everyone involved. The place to start is defining what an ecosystem is. In biology, an ecosystem is a group of living organisms that work together in conjunction with non-living resources to create a complete, interdependent system of survival. An ecosystem in a business setting is very similar. It consists of a number of partners that all work together with the resources they have to create an environment in which all parties thrive.

The letting ecosystem involves three 'living organisms', so to speak: 1. Property owner 2. Letting agent 3. Tenant. There are some cases in which property owners and tenants work together without the services of a letting agent. That's fine. However, a scenario in which letting agents are involved is one in which all three stakeholders rely on one another for success. Consider this: - the property owner relies on the tenant to pay rent and maintain the space, and the letting agent to manage the property; - the letting agent relies on the tenant to meet the obligations of the rental agreement, and the property owner to supply the resources needed to maintain and manage the property; and - the tenant relies on both the property owner and the letting agent to properly manage the property to a satisfactory standard. If any one stakeholder in this ecosystem does not meet his or her obligations, problems begin to emerge. Failing to address those problems quickly can lead to the total collapse of the ecosystem. No one wants that. Why the Ecosystem Model Works Domino Estates employs the ecosystem model because we know it works. Approaching rental property from the ecosystem mindset makes it clear to all stakeholders that they have a role to play in the success of the business relationship. It also puts all three ecosystem members on the same relative footing. If they all depend on one another, no single stakeholder possesses a superior position. In the absence of the ecosystem model, landlords and tenants are left with the parent-child model. In this model, the landlord is the parent and the tenant is the child. The letting agent acts as the counsellor who tries to settle disputes between the two. This is no way to rent property, as either landlord or tenant. If you would like to learn more about the rental property ecosystem, please feel free to contact Domino Estates at any time. We are property experts in Glasgow, dealing in both commercial and residential properties for sale, rent, or as investments. We can help you make the most of your property goals in Scotland's most dynamic and exciting city.

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Rental Property Expected to Do Well in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Despite tepid enthusiasm about the rental property market throughout the UK over the next five years, the outlook for Scotland's two biggest cities looks very good. Recent research suggests that both housing prices and rents in Glasgow and Edinburgh will outpace the rest of the UK through to 2022. Property Wire reports that research from JLL suggests rental growth in Edinburgh of 20.5% over the next five years while growth in Glasgow will come in at just over 18%. Growth in housing prices for both cities is estimated at 23.4% and 15.4% respectively.

If those estimates prove to be correct, now could be a very good time to get involved in buy-to-let investments in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Both cities have a lot to offer in terms of property development and city centre rentals. In fact, Property Wire and JLL are especially enthusiastic about city centre opportunities. Fewer Worries in Scotland Major city centres tend to be adversely affected during economic downturns because of the perceived instability of the rental market. But as we observed in the previous two downturns, city centres were the first to start rebounding when property prices and rents began increasing. Why is that important here? Because property experts suspect that England's housing market could drop off if the UK suffers a hard exit from the EU. A hard exit is not expected to have a significant impact on Scotland for a number of different reasons. We will not get into those reasons here, but the JLL research seems to indicate city centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh would do just fine even if London, Manchester and other English markets decline. Here in Scotland, land for new builds is at a premium. Builders are moving outside cities for many of their new projects as space in city centres gets harder to come by. That may sound like a bad thing for property investors, but consider this: a city centre with high occupancy rates is one where renters want to live. So as properties are snapped up by investors, it means higher rental rates and even more demand among renters who want to live in up-and-coming locations. We Can Be Your Sourcing Partner There is obviously no way to know if the JLL estimates will prove correct short of waiting it out. That said, property investors would be foolish to ignore the research without doing some investigating on their own. Here at Domino Estates, we are keeping an eye on the investment market in Glasgow. We want to make sure we're always offering the best investment opportunities we can find for our clients. If you've been thinking of purchasing rental property in Glasgow, give us a call. We would be happy to explain how we can help along with giving you an idea of the kinds of properties we source for our clients. We can be your sourcing partner by helping you find desirable properties with excellent potential.