Letting Agents

Sinclair Taylor has a range of services built around the needs of letting agents who are managing property of behalf of UK commercial or residential landlords.

We offer a range of comprehensive solutions to help reduce the amount time spent on the administration-heavy management of rental properties. Our services can be taken on an ad-hoc basis or can be fully automated to integrate into your own processes. We can be as hands on as you wish.

Detailed below are the services often taken by this sector.

Former tenant rent arrears are often incurred as the result of a tenant abandoning a property and absconding, or an eviction.

Sinclair Taylor works with commercial and residential landlords, housing associations, and property management firms to recover former tenant arrears. We are committed to recovering overdue and unpaid rents as sensitively as possible. Whilst full settlement is our objective, we will often mediate with the former tenant on a client’s behalf to set realistic payment plans that are manageable and beneficial for both parties and provide ongoing monitoring to assure that payments are made.

In the instance of recovering unpaid rent from former tenants, these often initially require an element of investigation in order that the previous tenant (or perhaps an executor, in the event of death) can be found. We can provide absconded debtor tracing on a no find, no fee basis to reconnect our clients with their previous tenants. Once located, we can progress to collection.

It can be frustrating when a tenant moves on, leaving no forwarding address and a pile of unpaid bills. Sinclair Taylor provides a range of compliant and discreet tracing services to reconnect you with your former tenant.

Our highly skilled trace team understands the most reliable methods to locate gone away individuals and will use an extensive range of research tools to track electronic footprint, resulting in a positive outcome for our clients.

Unfortunately, unpaid rents and damage to property is a very real issue for private and commercial landlords. And that’s why over 90% of UK Landlords implement additional checks and due diligence to ascertain that they are leaving their property in safe hands.

Sinclair Taylor delivers thorough reporting to residential and commercial landlords, property management companies and letting agents to confirm vital criteria to enable them to move forward with a prospective tenant. Our tenant referencing service offers a comprehensive report on any potential tenants, the guarantors, or referees. Our reports will confirm identity, the presence of any detrimental data if it exists, and previous address checks providing you with added confidence.

Our reports provide:

• Details of any CCJs (county court judgements), decrees or adverse credit information which may be of concern
• Confirmation of previous linked addresses
• Confirmation of identity and check of any alternative names or aliases a prospective tenant may have been known under
• We can recover unpaid rents up to five years old

Unfortunately, since the tenant fee ban, landlords are now responsible for tenant referencing and the decision as to whether to conduct checks or not.  We always advise the best practice in any potential rental agreement and reference anyone over the age of 18 who is going to live in a property, so you can make an informed decision. This alerts you to any possible red flags and should help to avoid any negative experiences further down the line.

If you are already having issues with a tenant, the following links below may be of interest to you:

• Former Tenant Debt
• Absconded Tenant Tracing

Forfeiture is a legal way for a landlord to enter a business or commercial premises and formally end a lease agreement, in cases where a rental agreement has been breached by the tenant – for example when rent is unpaid for over 21 days, or the company is insolvent.

Sinclair Taylor can advise of the best route to a peaceful repossession which operates within the law. For example, a Section 46 notice will need to be provided to the tenant prior to any forfeit of lease action.

Within 24 hours, Sinclair Taylor will instruct its professional enforcement officers (also known as bailiffs) to enter the premises and display the correct notices required by law. We will also take final utility readings and change the locks. An inventory will be taken for any items of value left on the premises which will mitigate any disputes further down the line. We can also provide supervised access to the tenant should they wish to recover any possessions from the premises.

Our services are efficient and ethical and executed to the highest standards.

Features of our commercial forfeiture of lease service:

• Same day action
• Advice on best practice
• Peaceful and professional entry
• Ethical and operating within the appropriate laws
• Detailed reporting and photographic evidence
• We will change locks and take final utility readings
• No court and CCJ options available

Removal of squatters or trespassers from your land or a property is not straightforward, and any action must be taken within the law. It is important for land and property owners to know their rights and take professional advice on how to follow processes correctly, as this could hamper any successful removal attempt.

Features of our trespasser & squatter removal service:

• Legal advice in respect of trespasser removal
• Same day action
• Risk assessment
• Project management
• Experienced negotiators and police liaison
• Breach of peace avoidance
• Ethical and operating within the appropriate laws
• Detailed reporting and photographic evidence
• We will change locks and secure the property

Sinclair Taylor is trusted by housing associations, local governments, estate and letting agents and property management companies to provide a range of services to help them meet legal regulations expected from the commercial rental sector. We can manage high volumes with ease and turnaround reports quickly and cost effectively. For a specialist service outside of those listed below, please get in touch.

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Asbestos Management Survey
• Fire Risk Assessment
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)