Worthing Borough Council

• Letting Agents in Worthing

Letting your property

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01273 263034

jemma.seaton@adur-worthing.gov.uk

There are three ways you can let your property: through a lettings agency who will, for a fee, manage the process and the tenancy for you; through the council run Opening Doors Scheme; or alternatively you can find a tenant yourself.

• There is a scheme currently running of National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS)  approved lettings agents. Lettings agents who are part of this scheme must provide a professional service to both landlords and tenants. NALS is supported by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who all operate similar schemes to ensure high professional standards for lettings agents.
• If you wish to act as landlord yourself there are options available to you. Worthing Council’s housing advice service runs an ‘Opening Doors’ landlord scheme, which support and help landlords find tenants and give support and advice on managing a tenancy. Alternatively you could contact the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) who can provide information on letting.

If you are thinking of renting out your home, it is vital that you are aware of your legal rights and obligations. When you let your property to a tenant, the tenancy is automatically an assured shorthold tenancy - unless you agree otherwise in writing.

Shorthold tenancies

A shorthold tenancy means that:

• you have a guaranteed right to get your home back after six months if you need to
• you can charge a 'market rate' for rent, that is, the going rate for similar property in the area
• you can get your home back if your tenant owes you at least two months or eight weeks rent
• you can evict tenants who are causing a nuisance to local residents

An Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) can last for an agreed period (known as a 'fixed term') or you can leave it open-ended.

You can end an AST without giving a reason after six months, as long as the agreed fixed term period has ended. You would have to give your tenant two months written notice that you want your property back. You can also end the tenancy at anytime if certain legal grounds are broken, these include, rent arrears, anti-social behavior and damage by the tenant. Again you need to give written notice to the tenant and the amount of notice you need to give them will depend on the reason you are ending the tenancy.

Useful information

If you are considering renting your property it would be worthwhile reading some of the information available of the websites detailed below. You could also visit your local Citizens Advice Centre, or speak to the Empty Properties Officer on 01273 263034.

Landlord responsibilities

There are some things you have to do, to comply with the Law when letting out your property:

• A gas safety check and certificate by a Gas Safe
  See www.gassaferegister.co.uk
• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) by an accredited energy performance assessor
• Tenancy Deposit protection scheme, landlords can use one of three Government approved schemes 

There are also other good practice recommendations, that will make being a Landlord easier and provide a good home for a tenant. For more information, and fact sheets about these topics please contact the empty properties officer.

Useful Information - these websites may be of use to you:

• www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/assuredassuredlandlords
• www.citizensadvice.org.uk
• www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/epcsrentinglandlords
• www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosingandusing/findasolicitor.law

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