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hello there...Welcome to Brand Vaughan award winning lettings and sales.

In October 2015, award winning agencies Cambridge Residential and Brand Vaughan merged after many years of referring clients to one another.

We are an ‘ARLA Licensed Agent’, and have been providing lettings services across Brighton & Hove since 1997. We are proud to be known as the leading independent lettings specialists in the city. In fact, recent statistics show that we consistently top the charts for letting properties and on average find a tenant within just 6 days. (source: rightmove intel)

We hope you will find our brochure helpful as an introduction to the services that we offer and a guide to letting property in Brighton & Hove.

You’ll also find answers to many of the most common questions landlords ask us on our new website; brandvaughan.co.uk.

We look forward to working with you.

Tom Ghibaldan | Lettings Director.

You’ve bent over backwards to help me with everything and made it the best experience I’ve had with a letting agency.

- I. Danilla | Sept 2015

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The lettings team [are a] real gem! Professional, intelligent and on-the-ball, they are exactly the people you want in charge of your property.

- J. Carne | Landlord

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top lettingWe understand that two of the most important requirements for Landlords are achieving strong rental income and finding the right tenants as quickly as possible.

We know from measuring our performance that we excel in these areas.

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Properties Let between July 2nd 2015 - August 1st 2015(bn1, bn2, bn3)

1st for let propertiesout of 91 agents. source: Zoopla Pro

1st1st

for new listings out of 155 agents. source: Rightmove Intel

for fast lettingon average we let our properties in just 6 days.

You found a new tenant within three days. I cannot think of any way you could have improved your service. Absolutely brilliant all round.- S. Tanner | Landlord

13381

72

5150

45

4442

3837

Source: Zoopla Pro

brand vaughanagent 2agent 3agent 4agent 5agent 6agent 7agent 8agent 9

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professional photographyProfessional photography is a crucial part of marketing a property. Everything from lighting and positioning to staging and post production has to be perfect and capture your home in the best possible way.

Our head of photography Andy Sturmey is a qualified member of the British Institute of Professional photography (BIPP) and leads the photography team.

The photos were incredible, I’m sure this was one of the reasons why it let so quickly. - J. Walker | Landlord

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Research has shown that properties with high-quality photographs attract much more interest online, resulting in a faster let at the best price. - Tom Ghibaldan | Director

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great marketingFrom newspapers to magazines, websites to property portals and prominently located offices, we market your property in Brighton & Hove’s most popular property pages and lifestyle magazines, as well as the UK’s most popular property websites.

We’ll make sure your property is seen by the right tenants through targeted, eye-catching advertising, showcasing your property in the best light.

Our high page-ranking website attracts new tenants from all over the country, while giving them lots of information about your property and the Brighton & Hove area.

As Brighton & Hove’s top letting agency, we have the largest database of active tenants and will match your property instantly with our regular property alerts & tenant newsletter.

Traffic to our website has trebled year-on-year thanks to the impact and reach of our online and printed advertising. Eye catching and unique, we’ll make your property stand out from the crowd. - Mike Everett | Marketing Manager

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part management service

which service?At Brand Vaughan we have 3 lettings services for you to choose from, depending on your needs. We find that these provide for most clients but we will of course be happy to tailor them to suit you.

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Advise on your property’s likely rental value

Advertise on Rightmove and other key portals

Advertise on our website

Accompany viewings with prospective tenants

Provide feedback on viewings

Compile and check references, obtain proof of funds or employment, carry out credit checks

Prepare tenancy agreements

Prepare Inventory & Schedule of Condition

Accompany tenants on moving-in day

Arrange annual inspections to ensure the property complies with gas, electrical eqpt, and fire regs

Arrange Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with FREE floorplan

Register tenants’ deposits

24 / 7 emergency call out for tenant issues

Arrange any repairs/maintenance required

Handle any insurance claims that arise

Carry out periodic property inspections

Collect rent, pass on to you same day

Enable you to access your account online

Send renewal or termination notices to tenants at end of tenancy

Carry out end-of-tenancy check out

Release deposits

Update you on legislation changes

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+ £90 inc VAT for tenancy agreement

+ £48 inc VAT to register deposit

+ repairs or maintenance

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Guide price: 2 bedflat - £96 inc VAT

£90 inc VAT inc FREE floorplan

£48 inc vat Mand. for Full Mgt Service

2 weeks’rent

8% + VAT (9.6%) of rent

10% + VAT (12%) of rent

full management serviceWe’ll find the right tenants, collect the rent and look after any maintenance or repairs needed. This is designed for landlords who want us to take care of absolutely everything. We’ve been doing this since 1997, so you can imagine we’ve dealt with every issue imaginable!

As with the Part Managed Service, we’ll collect your rent, chase any late pay-ments, forward the rent to you and let you have full access to the landlords’ log-in so you can check your statements online.

PLUS, before the tenancy, we’ll:• ask an independent specialist to prepare an Inventory and Schedule of Condition and meet your new tenants on the day they move in to show them round and obtain their signed agreement• maintain accurate records to ensure that your property complies with all safety regulations• arrange any inspections that are necessary, like the gas safety check, EPC (in which case we’ll also compile a floorplan).

During the tenancy, we’ll:• handle problems or questions from your tenants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week• arrange any maintenance or repairs necessary, using professional and trusted local contractors• update you on any new legislation• carry out regular property inspections, complete with a written report where appropriate• handle any insurance claims.

At the end of the tenancy we’ll:• send renewal or termination notices to tenants• complete a thorough check-out inspection as an independent view on any damages or dilapidations• oversee the return of deposits and any correspondence with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme• arrange any cleaning or maintenance and check it afterwards.

We’ll find the right tenants and collect the rent for you. Ideally suited to landlords who want to manage any repairs or maintenance to their property, but don’t want the hassle of protecting deposits, collecting rent and renewing tenancies.

The part management service includes:

• advising you on your property’s likely rental value• compiling full colour details for your property• marketing it far and wide• accompanying prospective tenants for all viewings• providing you with feedback• compiling and checking references• obtaining proof of employment or funds• carrying out credit checks• preparing the tenancy agreements and progress to the onset of your new tenancy

Plus we’ll:

• protect the tenancy deposit with our accredited scheme, TDS• collect rent and forward it to you monthly by BACS transfer• supply you with monthly statements and a log-in to check your account on our website• send renewal or termination notices to tenants at the end of the tenancy• renew annual safety certificates for gas installation• update you on legislation changes

With this service we would normally give tenants your contact details for repairs etc and our details for other ongoing tenancy queries.

tenant introduction serviceWe’ll find the right tenant for you. With our Tenant Introduction Service, we will:

• advise you on your property’s likely rental value• compile full colour details for your property• market it far and wide• accompany prospective tenants for all viewings• provide you with feedback

We can also compile (for a small extra fee) an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if you don’t have one already – and you’ll get a free floorplan with it. Then, once we’ve found potential tenants for your property, we’ll:

• compile and check references• obtain proof of employment or funds• carry out credit checks• prepare the tenancy agreements and progress to the onset of your new tenancy

part management service

ARLA licensing

we love letting

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) are the leading and most rigorous voluntary membership body for Letting Agents nationwide, recognised by Trading Standards groups and central government.

With strict codes of conduct for members, mandatory training and regular legal updates as well as a requirement for Client Money Protection Insurance for members, they have done much to improve standards amongst agents throughout the private rental sector for many years.

We are proud to have been approved and awarded their ‘Licensed Agent’ status, a voluntary scheme that very few Brighton & Hove Letting Agents have joined. We think this demonstrates our knowledge, professionalism and desire to provide the best and most thorough service in Brighton & Hove. On top of this you have the added benefit of knowing that we subscribe to various insurances to provide you with peace of mind.

We put a lot of effort into making sure we’re as prominent in as many places as possible, and so a natural stop for tenants. This means that we’re always talking to our extensive database of applicants and tenants, representing you and your property.

In particular we always receive great comments about;

• Our well-thought-through website with really useful information and lots of great photographs • Our regular Property Updates and Tenant Newsletters• Our 3 prominent and modern high street offices throughout the city• Extensive Portal Advertising – if it’s out there, we’re on it!

It is accepted industry wide that the best way to captivate your applicant audience is great photography. We’ve been ahead of the game for years and to keep this momentum we now have dedicated professional photographers at each of our offices, ready to capture your property in the best light possible.

Even better, we now provide this service free of charge to all our clients. There’s never been a better time to make your property look this good.

tenant referencingOur extensive experience in Brighton & Hove lettings tell us how vital it is to find the right tenants and not just the first ones that walk through the door.

Our in-house referencing is meticulous and detailed - including rental history, employment history, credit referencing, electoral checks, bank enquiries and guarantor take-up where necessary.

This is all measured against what we’ve been told and against the rental liabilities being proposed.

property managingOur job doesn’t finish once your property is let and occupied. What if something goes wrong in the property? If you choose our Fully Managed Service, you’ll find our years of experience and dedicated team of property managers will be able to get the problem sorted quickly with minimum hassle and cost.

Fly-by-night contractors are not welcome! We always select contractors we’ve used and relied on for many years to keep our clients’ properties as they’d expect. With property management, lack of experience here can cost you dear.

As a Landlord you have certain responsibilities for your Tenants and there are various legislative areas that will likely apply to you and your property at some point during the letting process. It is important to ensure that you and your property comply with all relevant legislation for your Tenants safety and of course to protect your interests.

Landlords Gas and Electrical Safety RegulationsAll gas appliances, meters and pipework must be inspected and certifi-cated by a GasSafe contractor every twelve months – the ‘Landlords Gas Safety Certificate’. A copy of this must be provided to tenants.

You must also ensure that all electrical installations and equipment are safe and if any portable appliances are supplied, these will be need to be PAT tested every twelve months. There are additional requirements for HMO licensed property.

We can of course instruct our recommended contractors to carry out required inspections for you at short notice and competitive rates.

Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide DetectorsFrom October 2015 new legislation took effect for ALL rental properties in England and Wales. The key areas to note are that smoke alarms are now required on EVERY FLOOR of every rental property with habitable rooms, even where these rooms are bathrooms or storage.

Additionally, a carbon monoxide detector is required in any room in a rental property where solid fuel is burned. Solid fuel under these defini-tions does not include gas.

Furniture Fire SafetyAll furniture and soft furnishings must be maintained in a safe condition and comply with the appropriate regulations. We will be happy to check any furniture that you intend to supply with the property to verify compliance.

HMO LicensingThere are two separate schemes for HMO licensing in Brighton & Hove, the National & Additional schemes.

In summary, where a property is let to three or more ‘households’ (read unrelated persons) it may require an HMO license. As well as requiring inspection and approval by the local authority, changes will likely need to be made in terms of layout and additional fire precautions.

This is a complicated area and we provide plenty of detail on our website at brandvaughan.co.uk/hmo. One of our Consultants will be happy to explain the scheme in more detail and discuss the implications for you and your property.

Your responsibilities

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)You must have an EPC in place before marketing commences on your property and before any tenancy is entered into. The EPC provides a measure of the energy efficiency of a property.

We can arrange this for you at competitive rates and will display the relevant information on our marketing materials and provide written copies to your Tenant prior to signing a tenancy. What’s more, our EPC comes

Tenancy Deposit ProtectionDeposits must be protected in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Tenancy Deposit Protec-tion Scheme. You need to provide your tenant with the details and any ‘prescribed information’ within 30 days of the start of the tenancy.

InsuranceIt is vital that your property buildings and any contents are properly insured to protect your investment and belongings.

Most ordinary home insurance products do not cover rented properties so it is important to have the appropriate insurance in place for letting a property.

Without the correct insurance you may not be able to claim and could face serious financial losses.

TaxLike all income, profit from rental income in the UK is subject to tax whether the landlord lives in the UK or not. The good news is that many expenses such as letting agents and accounting fees, ground rent and maintenance charges on leasehold property and general repair costs are normally deductible.

If you will be resident overseas throughout the letting period there are specific HMRC regulations that apply. We will be happy to provide the relevant documents and guide you through the process.

If you are a Part or Fully Managed client we will make all the necessary arrangement to ensure you are compliant with the scheme.

with a free floorplan, enabling prospective tenants to better understand the shape, size and layout of the property.

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