Landlord FAQs
 

 

What Service does Cullen Property Provide?

At Cullen Property, we provide our Landlord clients with a ‘stress-free ownership’ experience by doing everything for them so that they don’t worry about their property asset at all. We do this by providing every client with a dedicated “Trio Team”, comprising of a Property Manager, a Contracts Manager and an Accounts Manager. Between them, they will always keep you informed and up to date and ensure that every aspect of being a Landlord is being done properly on your behalf. We limit the Trio Team portfolio size, to a maximum 90 properties and they actively manage the property at every point.  For example, we don’t outsource inventories, inspections or check out reports as these are a very important part of knowing the property, and the tenants!


What will my journey look like when becoming a Landlord client with Cullen Property?

If you are interested in finding out an instant property valuation, then head on over to our web page here: . From there, one of our team will contact you to offer a free, no obligation property appraisal. The appraisal will equipe you with all of the information on the rentability of your property, the current market value, and all necessary items required to bring to market. At this stage, it is all about providing you with free information to assist in coming to a decision on what to do next. Following the appraisal meeting, we will outline the step-by-step process to you, should you wish to move forward with us here.


What are my requirements as a Landlord?

You are required to register as a Landlord with Edinburgh council. Once an application for Landlord Registration has been submitted, you have 14 days to ensure all safety certificates are in place.  This is why we look to ensure they are completed before asking you to begin the Landlord Registration application. To register, please visit https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/ and follow the instructions.  All owners (as listed on the title deeds) need to register. Please note that you will also need to add our Agency Registration Number against the property too which is LARN1811026. We have a very helpful contact at the City of Edinburgh Council so can assist in any way through this process.


What Safety Certification is required in order for my property to meet current legislation?

For non-HMO properties, the safety certificates that are required are as following: Energy Performance Certificate (EPC – 10 year validity), Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR – 5 year validity), Gas safety certificate (GSC – renewed annually), Portable Appliance Test (PAT – renewed annually), Legionella Risk Assessment (LRA – renewed every 2 years), Installation of Smoke and Head Detector certificate.

For HMO properties, the following certificates are required in addition: Emergency Lighting (ELC – renewed annually), Fire Fighting Equipment (FFE – renewed annually), Sprinkler System (if required – renewed annually)

We here at Cullen Property will ensure you are notified of any certificate that is due for renewal, and confirmation we are organising for our trusted contractors to see these are carried out in a timely fashion prior to their expiry date.


Should I market my property as Furnished or Unfurnished? What is expected from a Furnished Property?

This is a question that will depend on your property type, and your personal situation. The market for good quality furnished and unfurnished properties in Edinburgh are almost as equally as strong as one another, however furnished propositions tend to command a slightly higher rental than their unfurnished counterparts. Conversely, unfurnished properties tend to promote longer tenancy lengths, with the added logistics of moving furniture from property to property. This is something we would best placed advise at our initial, no obligation appraisal, where our property experts will advise on the best solution for your property and needs.


Is it possible to switch the Cullen Property from another Property Management company?

Absolutely. Once notification has been given to your current letting agent, we will take over all the work from there. We will contact your current agent and obtain all relevant tenancy documents (including lease, inventory, inspection reports), all safety certification associated with the property, all key sets and anything else relating to the smooth and seamless transition of the property to our managed portfolio. You will have full introduction with your dedicated Trio Team so you know exactly it is who you are dealing with moving forward.


What happens when a tenancy starts at my property?

On a tenancy start date, tenants will collect keys from our office at an agreed time. From there, we will send the photographic inventory along with a welcome email, which details basic information on their first stage of moving into the property. Your Property Manager will propose a welcome meeting with the tenants, to show them the basic functionalities of the property with items such as the boiler, and where the stock cock is located. Your Accounts Manager will then confirm the tenancy information to Edinburgh Council, for council tax purposes, and also the utilities where appropriate.


How will Cullen Property oversee any maintenance issues within my property?

For any and all maintenance issues that may arise in your property, tenants are instructed to report this through our online FixFlo platform. This feeds through instantly to our CRM system, where your Property Manager will pick up in an appropriate and timely basis. Depending on the report, you will then receive correspondence from your Property Manager on the actions taken to remedy this. We ensure your Property Manager knows exactly how to handle any issue that arise in your property, and how you as a Landlord would like communication to be received.


How often do we inspect your property and what can you expect following that inspection?

Your Property Manager will inspect your property 2 times per year. This frequency is sufficient enough to ensure the property is being well looked after, maintained and in order, without intruding too much in the tenants day to day living! Once an inspection has been carried out, your Property Manager will send you a detailed, photographic inspection report, highlighting any issues, recommendations and remedy solutions.


When can I expect to be paid every month?

The net rent payable to you as a landlord client is sent on before the 8th working day every month. We haven't missed that deadling for over 20 years and so our landlords never need to contact us to chase this very important part of the service.



How Do I Pick An Edinburgh Letting Agent?

The best way to pick an Edinburgh Letting Agent is by considering the following points: Are there any hidden fees? Are they qualified? Are they recognised through ARLA? Are they a registered Edinburgh Letting Agent? Do they prioritise providing good customer service? If for some reason they are not registered, don't commit to the training of their team, keep up with best practice through ARLA and charge hidden fees, we would advise to consider another option.


 
What Does An Edinburgh Letting Agent Do?

Put simply, an Edinburgh letting agenct acts as an intermediary between the resident and the landlord who owns the property. At Cullen Property, our unique 'trio teams' assigned to each client handle the demanding contractual, operational and numerical aspects of managing a rental property in a compliant way.


 
Why Use An Edinburgh Letting Agent?

Perhaps the biggest benefit of instructing an Edinburgh letting agent to manage your property is that it saves you time and energy which is best spent in other areas of your life such as raising your family, focusing on your career or building your business(es). At Cullen Property, we believe managing rental properties is a full-time job. We believe this because it's our full-time job, and any property we manage we do so with the utmost care and attention as if it were our own! Also, managing residential properties comes with a high level of legal responsibility. With an Edinburgh Letting Agent, you can be sure that you are doing right by your resident and the law as ARLA qualified agents such as ourselves are required to keep up with frequently changing best-practice and legislation.


 
What Does An Edinburgh Letting Agent Charge?

Edinburgh letting agencies all charge differently. Generally an Edinburgh Letting Agent will charge a percentage fee of rent each month, but many letting agencies in the city will charge ongoing and often 'hidden fees'. For example, some of our competitors charge marketing fees and reletting fees, but at Cullen Property everything is included with your agreed percentage management fee which is only deducted on receipt of rent. In short, if for some reason we can't find tenants for your property or receive rent on time we won't get paid either. Therefore it is in our best interest to do right by landlords and residents!