Hints & Tips
| For new Landlords in Scotland: |
| Brief Guidelines re Legal aspects of Letting Property for New Landlords in Scotland |
| Guidelines for Tenants re reduction of risk of Legionnaire’s disease |
| Reduce Dampness, Condensation and Mould in your home |
| Tenancy Deposit Schemes - prescribed information required to be provided to tenants under Section 42 |
| Tenant Info Pack - acknowledgement form |
| For Landlords: |
| There has been a massive growth in "spam" e-mailing - usually in an attempt to encourage the recipient to buy some unsolicited product, to bombard the recipient maliciously with virus attachments, or more deviously or fraudulently to impart some useful information such as bank details, possibly vacant property address etc. (See foot of this page for example of recent circulating probable fraudulent e-mail originating from West Africa). |
| An associated risk is that any e-mail on any public website can be "trawled" by spammers and copied to appear to then send out malicious e-mails to other unsuspecting recipients. (For this reason, some advertisers may opt to open a new e-mail account, e.g. with hotmail or yahoo, for their advert, therefore protecting their "personal" e-mail address. |
| General suggestions: * Make sure your computer anti-virus and firewall software is up to date. * Always try to meet with a potential client (at the very minimum, ask them to telephone you to discuss matters - possibly the only option for overseas tenants). * Consider using a Reference Agency: Insist that a potential client agrees to and pays for a reference check. This includes providing proof of address. * When requesting fees for reference checks, try to avoid giving out bank details, request cash or a cheque. * Tenants on DSS Housing Benefit must also provide guarantor who must undergo referencing. * If a potential tenant refuses a reference check, reject them politely and firmly. * The request for the referencing fee may sort out the serious people from the nuisance callers. * Don't be put off - there are genuine tenants out there! |
| Suspicious e-mails:
fall into the following categories - consider deleting them: * Any e-mail with attachments - these may contain a virus unless you have asked for large files (consider contacting the sender to check authenticity / safety of attachment. * Sob stories: widowed, pregnant lady with the teenage son moving at doctors advice. Insist on a reference check! * E-mails to your mail box but with a different user name to your own. * Advertising e-mails. Don't even open them just hit "delete" responding just encourages more of the same. * E-mails with obscene/inappropriate titles - again just hit "delete". |
| For Tenants: |
| * When viewing a property, we advise that you are accompanied by a friend - for security, and as a second opinion (they may notice something that you do not). |
| * If sharing a flat - be careful who you share the property with, particularly if you are all signing the same tenancy agreement - by doing this you may be making yourself liable for their share of the rent as well as your own. |
| * Gas Safety: If there are any gas appliances in the property, your landlord must have these inspected by a CORGI registered plumber every year and give you a copy of the certificate confirming this, both when you go into the property and annually thereafter. |
| * Don't be put off - there are decent landlords out there! |
| Probable
fraudulent e-mail originating from West Africa .....
How are you doing today
?I am Brenda Gent,based here in the UK.A widow with a teenage son and I
recently lost my spouse to death couple of months ago. My obstetricians
advice that it would be most helpful that I change my immediate
enviroment ASAP,as this would go a long way to speed up my recovery from
my grief so I have decided to relocate.Regarding to your advert in
respect of the Central large refurbished furnished studio flat you have
for rent, I'm very interested in this Central large refurbished
furnished studio flat and as a matter of urgency I would love to move in
as soon as it's avaible.Pls e-mail me your conditions and other needed
things I need to know. Looking forward to your quick response. Spelling, grammatical & punctuation errors in this e-mail + healthy cynicism on the part of the potential landlord raised suspicions. Subsequent check using McAfee firewall utilities revealed that the sender's IP address was in Lagos. Others .....
Goodday,
I was survering throught the net when i saw your advertised home-rent.So I picked interest in it, ,kindly get back to me if it is still avaliable for rent. Also i will like to know if you will accept a bankers draft or a certified cheque for the payment.Since I have not seen the pictures i will like to know it's; Autual rate if per-month or weekly? The Furniture therein? I will soon emback on a business trip somedays now so i will be very much appreciated your fast responce. Cheers. ...................................................................................................................................
If I may, let me give you a profile on myself
and what I am searching for.
I am a single male, retired military,
non-smoker, avid golfer. HAVE A PET. The pet weighs 25 pounds.Crate
trained,house trained, obedience trained, non-barker, and always
leashed when outside. He is a quiet, friendly dog. He is put in his
indoor kennel when I cannot take him with me. He does not jump on
furniture. I am searching for a 1 BR FLAT, FF, W/D, SHWR. Not
located in a student complex. Monthly rent not to exceed 350.
Council tax? I am a member of the Murcar Golf Club. Therefore, I am
searching for a flat as close to the club as possible. Having bus
transport close to the flat that can take me to within easy walking
distance of Murcar would be a plus. 6-12 month lease. Occupancy to
begin 15 October or later.
Respectfully,
(name)
U.S.M.C. Ret.
(e-mail address)
|