When you browse the site, we do not collect personal information about you. The only way we will get any kind of personal information is if you give it to us. The company requires that consumers supply personal information, including e-mail and physical addresses, during the enquiry and booking process. These details maybe passed onto 3rd party suppliers ONLY for the purpose of fulfilling the transaction agreed. The details will not be passed onto 3rd parties for marketing purposes.
Keeping it Simple...
- We do not share any personal information we collect on you with any other organisations or individuals.
- We keep all information you provide to us, no matter how or why you provide it, completely confidential.
- Only those employees and contractors we specifically employ with relevant business duties may access personal information, and only to perform their duties. They are strictly prohibited from any other use.
- No personal information will be provided to any third party, except of course in the unusual event should we be required to do so by law.
- By using any of the forms on our website, you implicitly agree to be bound by our privacy policy and legal disclaimer.
- By using any of the forms on our website you agree to have your email address added to our mailing list.
- You may receive periodic mailings from us with information on services or news. If you do not wish to receive such mailings, please let us know by contacting us. All emails sent will give you the option to unsubscribe.
- Whilst we take all reasonable precautions to protect any personal data users may input via this website we cannot be responsible for and therefore exclude all liability for loss or misuse of personal data which is intercepted or otherwise accessed by unauthorised persons.
- We comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and its requirements.
- You have the right to ask us for a copy of your personal data and have the right to amend or delete the data.
- If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us by phone, email or post.
Lettings Legislation and Safety Regulation
At A Home To Rent we take safety regulations and legislation very seriously as it helps to protect both our tenants and our landlords. Here we outline some key safety regulations and landlord responsibilities when letting out a property.
Electrical regulations
You are required to ensure that any electrical devices within the property are safe for use. We recommend an Installation Survey or Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) so you can be sure you are compliant.
Gas Safety
A Gas Safety Record (GSR) is in place to ensure that all gas appliances, pipes and flues are in safe working order. It must be carried out by a qualified Gas Safe Register engineer. This needs to be checked every 12 months. A Home To Rent removes the stress by arranging this for you.
Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMO)
When you let to sharing occupants who are not a family group you will need to comply with rules around Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Income Tax
All landlords could be liable to pay tax on their rental income, whether they live in the UK or are based overseas. Further information can be found on the Inland Revenue’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs
There are specific tax rules for overseas landlords
Furniture and furnishing regulations
If you are furnishing your rented property, you must ensure that all furnishings comply with these regulations. A Home To Rent can give advice on which furniture items will be compliant, and all compliant furniture must display standard labels in a prominent position. This is to reduce the risk of fire within the property.
Legionella
As a landlord you have a duty of care to your tenants to make sure your water supply is working properly to protect them from Legionella. A Home To Rent offers a service for arranging a Legionella test.
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Regulation has been introduced which requires all landlords with properties in England to have at least one smoke alarm on every storey of their properties, even where only a bathroom is located. And, if any room contains a solid fuel burning appliance, such as a wood burning stove, a coal fire, an open fire place or where biomass is used as fuel, a carbon monoxide alarm has to be present. The alarms must be correctly checked on the first day of any new tenancy but it is then the responsibility of the tenant to regularly check the alarms are in working order - the Department for Community and Local Government recommend once a month and, if they are not working, report it as a maintenance issue.
Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
Introduced as part of the Housing Act 2004, the HHSRS allows local authorities to assess the condition of the property and any potential hazards. The aim is to maintain good standards in the private rented sector. Here at A Home To Rent we can help you understand how this legislation may apply to your property.
Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)
Landlords and letting agents are required to register a tenant’s deposit with an approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A Tenancy Deposit Scheme protects the tenant’s money and can help to resolve any disputes at the end of the tenancy. At A Home To Rent, we register deposits with a scheme such as Tenancy Deposit Service. We will handle the administration of the protection of the security deposit and provide your tenant with all the details of the scheme. https://www.depositprotection.com/
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC for short, is a report detailing the energy efficiency of a property. It gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. All landlords are required to purchase an EPC for a property before they let it. It is also a requirement that letting agents display the EPC when marketing the property. If a property does not have an EPC when marketed, the landlord and the agent risk a fine. When you let a property through A Home To Rent we can help you obtain an EPC.
The How to Rent Guide a checklist of renting in England
A new tenant should always receive a Department of Local Government and Communities How to Rent Guide at the start of their tenancy from their lettings agent which gives practical advice about what to do before and during a let. A Guide which the tenant must confirm they have seen at the start of a new tenancy. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/821379/6.5707_MHCLG_How_to_Rent_v4.pdf
Right to Rent checks
The Right to Rent scheme, which helps to make sure that people renting property in the UK have a legal right to be here, was rolled out across England in February 2016. You will now need to make sure you get an acceptable proof of residency or risk a fine.
Changes to this policy
We will post any changes to this policy on our website. Those changes will then apply to any future use by you of our website.