Leasehold Forum 7 October 2014

Why do our leaseholders need a forum? Julie and I are always on the end of the phone if you have questions or issues But - the same questions keep coming up – and it is clear that not all leaseholders really understand the terms of their lease We want to keep you informed about leasehold issues and the services provided by the Council We want to give you the opportunity to hear from our service providers and to speak directly to them

Renting out your flat According to your lease: The prior written consent of the Landlord (which shall not be unreasonably withheld) is obtained To ensure that at all times the Council has written notice of the name home address and home/contact number of the tenant (the leaseholder)

Not only do we need your contact details. We appreciate that you may no longer be living locally Please provide contact details for your tenants, any key holders and your managing agent if you are using one We need to be able to contact someone local if there are any problems with the flat such as a burst water pipe Contact details

Still your responsibility! We will still send you the bills for the ground rent, insurance, service charges and maintenance as you are still the leaseholder and so are responsible for these charges. make sure that your tenants keep to the terms of the lease, as you are responsible for their actions.

It’s also your responsibility To tell the Council Tax Department. They will set up a new council tax account for your tenants. You should also tell the water, gas and electricity suppliers who is responsible for paying their bills. You should let your mortgage lender know you are renting the property to tenants. Decide who your tenant should contact if they need a repair. Make sure they know what the Council is (and is not) responsible for.

Buildings Insurance The DBC Buildings Insurance will not be valid if your flat is empty and unoccupied for 30 days or more This is because plumbing leaks can go unnoticed if there’s nobody living there Please bear this in mind when tenants move out.

Other issues The tenancy agreement must keep to the latest laws and be correctly signed in two parts You should get a certificate to confirm the electrics are safe. You should consider Landlord insurance which will cover damage caused by the tenants or unpaid rent Legal requirements: Get a gas safety certificate every year Current energy performance certificate (EPC) Join a deposit protection scheme

Options Join a landlords’ organisation such as the National Landlords Association or the Eastern Landlords Association. The DBC Help to Rent scheme is a way for us to guarantee the deposit for tenants who are claiming Housing Benefit. the local Dacorum Rent Aid Charity can put you in touch with tenants who are getting support from the charity to manage their finances and tenancy. The charity will pay their deposit.

Please give us your feedback Please give us your feedback on: requests for future meeting topics and times any personal issues you may want us to look into invoice queries. We will get back to you after the meeting regarding individual queries.