Latest News

Latest News 2010

PORTSMOUTH NORTH END BRANCH NOW OPEN

PORTSMOUTH NORTH END LANDLORDS REGISTER YOUR PROPERTY NOW!

Due to Tenant Network's continued success in the Portsmouth residential lettings sector. We are pleased to announce the opening of our Portsmouth North End Branch which is now open. Landlords in Portsmouth can register their property now and take advantage of our promotional offers during 2010. Tenant Network have rapidly expanded into the North End area of Portsmouth and are now marketing properties in the primary area of Portsmouth North End and other areas such as Cosham, Paulsgrove, Port Solent, Porchester and Southsea. Portsmouth & Southsea Landlords Register Now!

Morgan Ebert Director of Tenant Network comments

"After successfully taking the lettings market by storm in Southsea I'm excited at the opportunity to continue our growth into North End, Portsmouth. Tenant Network is part of the Tenant Group which has offices in Southampton trading under the name of Tenant Direct. The Group are planning to open more offices along the South Coast and I'm delighted to be part of such a flourishing organisation"

If you are a landlord looking for Portsmouth letting agents you need look no further than Tenant Network. Anyone looking to rent a property in Portsmouth or Southsea can easily search for a property on the Tenant Network website.

 

CORGI REPLACED BY GAS SAFE

April 1st 2009

From 1 April 2009, Gas Safe Register™ replaces the CORGI gas registration scheme in Great Britain* and launches a campaign to make the nation gas safe. New research from Gas Safe Register reveals that when it comes to gas safety, Brits are far too trusting.

Alarmingly, over half** of Great Britain's population said they took it on trust that their gas engineer was properly registered and never checked that they were. A trust which if broken can make the difference between life and death.

With 14 people dying from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning last year due to badly installed, repaired and maintained gas appliances, keeping the public safe is Gas Safe Register's top priority. The 'make Britain gas safe' message is simple. Be safe, use a registered engineer and always check the card.

Pete Eldridge, chief executive of Gas Safe Register said: "As the new hallmark for gas safety in Great Britain, Gas Safe Register will make it much easier for the public to be gas safe because in the wrong hands, gas can kill. Our message is simple. To keep you and your family safe, always use a Gas Safe registered engineer when you have any gas work done in your home."

Pete Eldridge continued:

"We will raise public awareness of the importance of always asking for the ID card and checking the unique licence number. Different types of gas work requires different skills, so it's important that you check the back of the ID card to make sure your engineer is qualified to carry out the work you want them to do."

Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Health & Safety Executive said:

"We welcome the new Gas Safe Register that will give a fresh impetus to this important area of public safety. There will be new publicity initiatives on gas safety as a result of the change, whilst reducing the costs to registered gas engineers."

Gas Safe Register will offer the public an improved service making it easier to find and check an engineer. To find a Gas Safe registered business and to check each individual engineer to see what work they are qualified to do visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk or call the dedicated helpline on 0800 408 5500.

Every Gas Safe registered engineer has a photo ID card with a unique licence number, and details of the work they are qualified to do. To check this information simply enter the engineer's licence number on the website or call the helpline.

The new register will aim to reduce the number of gas-related deaths and injuries every year caused by incorrectly installed, badly repaired and poorly maintained gas appliances by raising awareness that appliances should be inspected regularly by a qualified engineer. Shockingly almost a fifth of households (19.05%) with a gas boiler had not had it serviced for at least three years. Gas Safe Register recommends that all gas appliances are safety checked and serviced at least once a year.

From 1 April, all work on gas installations or appliances must only be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Gas Safe Register's top tips to keep you and your family gas safe:

1) Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any gas work in your home - and check their ID card.

2) Make sure your gas appliances are safety checked and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines, or at least once a year.

3) If you live in rented accommodation, your landlord must arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out a safety check every year on all gas appliances.

4) You should be given a copy of the safety certificate before you move in or within 28 days of the safety check. If you don't have this certificate, ask your landlord.

5) Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm, which will alert you if dangerous levels are present in your home.

6) If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak: turn off the gas at the meter, extinguish naked flames, open windows and leave the area. Seek medical advice if you feel unwell. Call the Gas Emergency Freephone number 0800 111 999.

7) Find and check a Gas Safe registered engineer by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or by calling 0800 408 5500.

 

TENANT NETWORK BUY OUT QUAY LOCATIONS

Jan 23rd 2009

Tenant Network race into 2009 by buying out the respected Quay Locations letting agency based on Osborne Rd Southsea. Tenant Network are delighted to take over the business and continue to offer the highest level of customer service to all existing clients and to offer a wide and mixed range of property to prospective tenants who on the look out for properties in and around the Southsea area.

Chay Ebert Director of Tenant Network comments "This was a great opportunity for Tenant Network to increase our managed Portfolio and offer a wider range of property stock, we foresee that 2009 will be an excellent and very buoyant year for Tenant Network"

Landlords register your details now! Tenant Network 100% dedicated to the letting and management of your property.

 

ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES

October 1st 2008

Landlords are reminded that from October 1 onwards, they must provide Energy Performance Certificates whenever a new tenancy is due to begin.

This means that landlords will have to organise an EPC in advance of a new tenancy, as the law requires you to show prospective tenants copies of the EPC on request, and to provide the EPC to the eventual tenant before the agreement is signed.

Any landlord who is expecting a new tenancy to start between October 1 and the end of the year is strongly advised to act now, in order to make sure of having an EPC in time.

This is because EPCs can only be delivered by trained and accredited Domestic Energy Assessors who are likely to be overwhelmed with work over the next few months.

Even in a quiet market, EPCs have been taking up to a week to arrive, and with so many extra properties now being caught by the requirement, this time is expected to at least double.

Landlords of student properties which they are not expecting to rent out until next summer are also advised to get their EPCs organised now. This is because students start looking for accommodation months beforehand and will be entitled to see an EPC if they request it.

An EPC on a rental property lasts for ten years, whether or not improvements are carried out. In other words, if you carry out works such as extra insulation, you do not need to have a new EPC. However, if you do, then you are obliged to show this latest current EPC to prospective and eventual tenants.

You risk being fined for failing to produce an EPC.

Looking for Student Property in Portsmouth?

Checklist:

EPCs must be produced on all residential properties that are on the market for sale or for rental from October 1, 2008.

EPCs will take time to produce over the next few months because relatively small numbers of Domestic Energy Assessors face a flood of work. Allow at least three weeks from the time of ordering.

Ensure that the DEA will be able to gain access to the property. Give existing tenants as much notice as you can and explain that you need to observe the law.

You do not need to produce an EPC if an existing tenancy is renewed. However, you will need to produce one if the same tenants stay on but the tenancy agreement is changed.

An EPC rates the property on energy efficiency and environmental impact, and makes recommendations for improvement. You do not, however, have to follow any of the recommendations.

All commercial buildings on the market for sale or rent (shops, offices, hairdressing salons, car showrooms, restaurants, takeaways, hotels, etc) will also need energy certificates from October 1. The Government has, however, rushed through regulations allowing them until January 1 to meet this obligation. Commercial buildings have a different inspection regime and a different set of inspectors.

A difficulty still to be resolved is for landlords who own flats above commercial premises which they also own. If both are on the market together, offered as one lot, it is not known what the inspection regime should be. Flats above commercial premises which are being independently marketed should be inspected by a DEA.

COMPLIANCE AND PENALTIES

Failure to produce an EPC does not constitute a criminal offence but Trading Standards will police this. The penalty for failing to provide an EPC when selling or renting out commercial property is 12.5% of the rateable value of the building, with a minimum of £500 and a maximum of £5,000. The penalty for residential properties is £200 which can be reapplied for continued offence.

Simply paying the penalty will not work as an alternative to obtaining an EPC, as once the penalty has been imposed, if an EPC is not produced, further penalties might be imposed until one is produced.

However, if the shortage of assessors prevents EPCs from being produced, there is a limited defence excusing the payment of a penalty. If the seller or landlord made a request for a certificate at least 14 days before the relevant time (which will usually be when the property was first marketed) and despite making reasonable efforts it was unable to obtain a certificate by such time, this might excuse payment.

Tenant Network can provide EPC's. Landlords Please call 02392 293300 if you would like to arrange an EPC and one of our Energy acessors will be delighted to visit your property/properties to provide a quote.