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	Finding Tenants
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To maximise your return on investment, it is important to find a tenant quickly and at the right price. There are three stages in which we are normally involved in finding a tenant:

B.T.C Residential recognise that more tenants that know about your property, the better chance you have of a suitable tenant making an inquiry and seeking a viewing. There are various ways in which we will advertise your property:

           - Online
.
           - Local and National Newspaper

           - Direct Mail &/outsourcing/about/about.htm8211; i.e. door to door leaflets

           - Free Ads

Loot and other specialist classifieds : Most regions of the country have their own classified newspapers that complement the larger national publications of the same type. These are often one of the first places that home-hungry tenants look for property.

Shop windows

Public noticeboards : i.e libraries, universities, supermarkets, hospitals etc.

Local housing offices : Some areas have accommodation centres run by the local council.

Recruitment agencies : local and overseas, i.e. agents in Australia and New Zealand sending teachers for London schools. I.T graduates coming from India.

Very few tenants will rent a property without viewing it first, so you should make sure youre that the property is prepared and presentable. Furnishing a property does not absolutely guarantee that you will be able to charge more rent for it. In most cases you will be able to, but the difference is not as much on a monthly basis as you might expect. Having said that, some exclusive properties will almost be required to be furnished to an exceptional standard.

Legally there is no difference in the type of tenancy agreement.

Unfurnished : An unfurnished property will have only the bare minimum. This must normally include carpets or other floor coverings, curtains and white goods such as a fridge and freezer, oven and possibly a washing machine. You won't get beds, lounge furniture or much else in an unfurnished property apart from the things already mentioned.

Furnished : Furnishing the property usually gives it a broader appeal as there are generally more tenants looking for furnished property. 'Furnished' means different things to different people, with some properties that get let as furnished containing little more than the items mentioned above.

The bare minimum is kitchen appliances, fittings and fixtures, curtains, carpets and beds and often lounge furniture. Then again, you can find landlords who will provide absolutely everything, right down to bed linen, kitchen utensils, cutlery, pots, pans, crockery, curtains, shelving units, bedside tables, a microwave, toaster, kettle, vacuum cleaner - basically everything you can think of that you would find in a normal home, apart from personal artefacts.

The crucial thing is that a furnished property should be ready for immediate occupation. For this reason, they are often offered on an 'as seen' basis, which means that you get everything that is in the property apart from the stuff that belongs to the tenants.

One of the major downsides to providing furnished property is the increased cost of equipping the property in the first place. This can add a substantial amount to the overall cost of the venture. Also, the higher the standard in the first place, the greater the cost of maintaining the standard. B.T.C Residential can take on the headache of furnishing the property at discounted prices on your behalf via our regular suppliers.

Administration : To minimise the chance of your tenant turning out to be a complete nightmare and to give yourself the maximum legal and financial protection if they do, there is a reasonably exhaustive administration process which that we will follow on your behalf, before your prospective tenant has access to the property

Holding deposits

Referencing

Credit Card & Guarantors

The Inventory

The Bond and the Rent

How long it will take to find a tenant depends entirely on the market and the demand for the type of property you are letting at the price at which you are offering it. One to three weeks is a normal length of time. Many properties are let much more quickly than this, some almost overnight, but you should neither expect this, nor depend on it financially.

Don't forget that referencing can take up to a week, even when you've found a tenant that seems suitable. It is possible to fast track the process, which means you should have them back within 48 hours, but this may cost you extra.