About
*Our Services
- Tenant finding service – 6% inc VAT
(We find you a tenant and organise the tenancy agreement, leaving you with the day to day running of the let.)
- Rent Collection Service – 8% inc VAT (paid monthly)
(We find you a tenant and collect monthly payments on your behalf, leaving you to maintain the property.
)
- Full Management – 8% inc VAT (paid monthly) - ********2% off for BARK CUSTOMERS ONLY***
(We find you a tenant and collect monthly payments on your behalf and provide a comprehensive and hassle-free service. Whatever you or the tenant need, we take care of it.)
*Harvey W James was established by our desire to simply do things better. Harvey W James ethos from the very start has been to offer a professional, friendly and ethical service, whilst retaining the flexibility only a strong independent company can offer its clients.
Our 25 years of working successfully within one of the most dynamic and diverse property markets in the UK, means we are uniquely placed to give the very best advice to all our customers. We understand that you, our client, has a hectic and varied schedule. We are here to help you every step of the way.
Our experienced team specialise in the letting and management of all types of property in the East London & Dockland areas. We offer honest, impartial and ethical advice and pride ourselves on our no-nonsense approach. We are members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)
*Whether you are thinking about becoming a Buy to Let Landlord or already have a large portfolio, Harvey W James will give you:-
- Achieve the best price with best offers
- We're on the biggest letting portals
- Open and transparent fees with no setup fees, free marketing and No Hidden Cost.
- 24/7 online My Account and just a phone call away
- Free professional photography & property dressing service
- Expert and up to date lettings legal information
- Independent appraisals of quality properties
- Properties let within an average of 1-2 weeks
- All referencing & credit checks completed
- Free Tenancy Agreements are comprehensive and fully up to date with current consumer legislation and -created by PainSmith Solicitors
- Free property licensing updates (automated notifications sent when anything changes that affects your property)
- All tenant/s are Checked-In by Harvey W James
- Free fire safety, smoke & carbon monoxide alarms test compliance at Check-In
- Right to Rent checks carried out by Harvey W James at Check-In
- Rents paid to landlords within one working day (usually the same day)
- Provide you with a rental income for the duration of your let and provide services to protect your property asset
- Free household utility switching service
- Professional property inventory services
- Rent guarantee & Tenant eviction protection insurance
- Home emergency cover
- Dedicated maintenance platform - Click Here
- No contracting fees, our negotiations with contractors are on your behalf – not ours.
- As a member of ARLA, we ensure that we have the best knowledge and accreditation within the business
Propertymark client money protection scheme (CMP)
- Being landlords ourselves we promise we will look after your property as if it was our own
*Finding a good Letting Agent
The Association of Residential Letting Agents ARLA has a database of member agents, searchable by area. Using an ARLA agent is highly recommended. Although anyone can set up as a letting agent without any qualifications or experience, ARLA ensures that its members have basic industry qualifications.
It also requires them to comply with a stringent code of practice. All members are bonded, so that if a member does fold, owing money to clients, those clients can claim their money back. Members are also required to have professional indemnity insurance and procedures for dealing with complaints.
Many letting agents work alongside estate agents, who deal with property sales, based in the same office. While it can seem reassuring to go with a large agency, particularly if they are part of a recognised brand, some agents suggest clients receive a better service from specialist letting agents.
Some estate agents only have one desk dedicated to lettings and see it as a side business, preferring to concentrate on sales. Estate agents deal who mainly in property sales are used to short-term relationships with their clients, who they will probably never see again once the sale is completed.
They might not have the experience to offer quality, long-term, customer care needed in lettings.
To provide our clients with the peace of mind, we have chosen to regulate Harvey W James registering with the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and the Property Redress Scheme (PRS) who are leaders in property compliance and best practice.
https://www.arla.co.uk/letting-agent-directory/london/harvey-w-james-b0100918.aspx
*What you should look for when choosing an agent?
Ask the agent how often they let out properties in your area. Go for an agent that has a lot of experience letting out your type of property in your area. Ask if they have an extensive client list – both landlords and tenants. Perhaps they can put you in touch with a landlord who has used their services.
They should have a history of letting to reliable, trustworthy people on a long-term basis. You want your tenants to pay their rent on time on a regular basis and stay in the property as long as possible.
You should also ask how the agent vets tenants. Some will do a full credit check, others simply ask for copies of bank statements or personal references.
Ask the agent how they intend to market the property. Small agents with limited resources might simply put a sign up outside the property and a small ad in their shop window. Bigger companies might charge a slightly higher rate, but they will have the resources to advertise in the press, which will reach more people.
Ask if the agent can provide rent guarantee and legal expenses cover. This type of insurance ensures you will be compensated if a tenant defaults on their rent and will also cover expenses for legal action you take to evict them. From £69 - £109 (6/12 Month Polices)
Above all, a good agent is trustworthy. They should be happy to answer all your questions and be upfront about their fees, services and procedures. All the paperwork should be transparent and easy to understand. For standard lets, they should use a model of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement or something based on it.
This agreement is flexible and straightforward and is recommended by ARLA. Any terms of the agreement that are not standard should be explained clearly.
In general, you should not have to pay any fees until the property has been let, but check this with each agent.
*Can I Instruct more than one letting agent at the same time?
Yes, you can. Instructing multiple agencies means that you can have as many letting agents as you wish promoting your property for you...providing you are willing to pay multiple fees that are usually charged at a higher rate, of course.
In fact, the vast majority of letting agents would prefer you to offer your property for rent on a sole agency basis, and the reason why is obvious: As sole agents, they will be guaranteed the commission should your property be let.
Therefore, multiple agency are not ideal for either party: agents or landlord. Letting agents don't like them and landlords often don't receive the service they deserve, despite inflating their costs considerably.
*So, why would anyone use multiple agents?
Good arguments for doing so are few and far between. Many people mistakenly believe that taking on multiple agents will increase visibility, speed up the let, and ultimately bring in more money, but this can often backfire.
Let's address each one individually:
- Increased visibility and reach - Property portals such as Zoopla make it easy for renters to search by area these days, regardless of the letting agent they are registered with, so increased visibility isn't really a good enough reason for renters to pay a higher rent/fees.
- Faster Let - It's certainly true in some instances that signing a multiple agency agreement will result in a quicker let, but at what cost? Will the faster let be because of pushy agents fighting tooth and nail to get low offers accepted just so they get the commission instead of their competitors?
- Better price - Many believe that pitting agent against agent will result in a higher price for their property but, as we mentioned in the previous point, this is often not the case. It's also worth pointing out that renters in the higher end of the market are shrewd and aren't interested in playing games. In short, many prospective tenants will be put off by an unscrupulous agent's shenanigans. They simply will not tolerate being played off against other renters, and rightly so.
*What do we think?
As a letting agent, we have an on-going relationship with our landlords which tends to develop and deepen over time.
Such a relationship is built very heavily upon trust. The landlord wants the agent to accurately appraise the property’s worth. He assumes that the agent will then market the property in the best possible light and as widely as possible. He requires the agent to ensure that the best possible tenants are secured and, more importantly, that the entirely inappropriate applicants are politely declined.
The agent surely has a better knowledge of the legal implications and will keep the landlord fully compliant. The deposit will be kept legally and monies due to the landlord will be paid expediently, accurately and properly accounted for. The property will be visited periodically and, for the duration of the tenancy, the landlord’s interests will be of paramount importance.
If at any time in this relationship, the landlord has issues with Harvey W James, then it is entirely right and proper that he has an opportunity to raise such issues. And it is fair to expect them to be resolved, or for the landlord to express his displeasure by terminating his agreement.
Whilst a landlord must sign terms of business with us, we don’t insist on such an agreement being on an exclusive basis. That said, we will invariably disinstruct ourselves in the very unlikely event that a landlord wishes to appoint another agent. That might sound contradictory, but in fact, it isn’t. What in effect we are saying is that we believe that we will do a very good job and keep our promises and, therefore, a landlord will have no need to look elsewhere. If, however, he wishes to do so, for whatever reason, then he is free to do so with our blessing and without penalty. But at that juncture, we’ll choose to distance ourselves from the whole process. It goes without saying that we wouldn’t be happy to lose a landlord, but why keep one exclusively against his wishes?
The bottom line is that as a result, we are very definitely accountable for our actions. We genuinely do only promise what we can deliver and we do then genuinely take all steps to ensure that we come across.
*What Happens Next?
Once you have found an agent you are happy with, they should get the ball rolling quickly. They should keep you informed of any developments and interest shown in the property. You can ask to meet prospective tenants so you can get a better idea of who you are renting to.
If you have asked the agent to manage the property, they should keep you informed of any problems or work that needs to be done. Unless you have agreed otherwise, they should always ask for your approval before any work is carried out. If work is likely to be expensive, ask the agent to get quotes from at least two different tradespeople.
*Our Details
- Harvey W James LTD trade as a Limited company registered at Companies House (Reg. No 11169043)
- Registered address: 1st Floor, 415 High Street, Stratford, London, E15 4QZ
- Office number: 020 •••• •••• / Enquires: i•••••@••••.com
- Our Working Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 7:00pm / Saturdays: 10:00am - 5:00pm / Sundays & Bank Holidays: Closed
Assuring you of our best attention at all times.
Harvey W James
*Know a Landlord?
Introduce us to a new Landlord and we will reward you with £50 of M&S vouchers
If you know a landlord who is looking for an agent to take care of their property, then introduce them to us and we will reward you with £50 worth of M&S vouchers for every property we successfully let as a thank-you.
That’s right - £50 for each and EVERY property we let - so start spreading the word and then you can get shopping!
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