This is probably everyone’s biggest concern. In our experience, you can expect your property to incur normal wear and tear as a result of being occupied, often at capacity, by guests. By the same token a well-presented, clean and cared-for property generally commands the greatest of respect. To ensure peace of mind we require a security deposit for each booking which is refundable subject to no loss or damage following an inspection of departure.  We do wish to highlight to homeowners that reasonable wear and tear should be expected.  Cutlery, crockery and glassware do go missing occasionally and breakages do happen.  Walls will scuff and towels and bedding will wear over time.  We expect such small issues to be absorbed by the homeowner and your rental income will offset this.  However, if there is material damage to your home or something of value goes missing, a portion of the security deposit will be retained to replace or repair the item.

When letting your property there are no guarantees. However, Wellies & Windbreaks take several steps to mitigate this: we send a comprehensive set of booking conditions explaining the Terms & Conditions and restrictions on occupancy for all houses to all guests interested in holidaying with us. We require all guests to complete a booking form detailing the names and ages of all members of the party staying in the house. We are also available on the phone to speak to all guests and answer any questions they have, either prior to or during their holiday. We always recommend that clients do not choose to let their properties to stag parties or ‘end of exam’ school leavers.

From our experience there is always a demand for quality self-catering holiday homes in the Witterings area. There are a variety of tax benefits available for offering your second home as a Furnished Holiday Let and it is worthwhile consulting your accountant on this. Together with the rental income, this can significantly help with the general running costs of your house and towards achieving a healthy return on your investment.

Wellies & Windbreaks is happy to offer an assessment of the potential rental income achievable from your property. Just give us a call and we’ll arrange a visit. There is of course no obligation or cost for this service.

Wellies & Windbreaks is confident that we will let your property for as many weeks as you make available without having to list on any external sites, however, there are a number of options available to you. Options include listing organisations such as Beach Lets, Sawdays, Airbnb, Trip Advisor, VRBO and airbnb. We regularly list on Beach Lets and occasionally on Sawdays and Airbnb. We prefer not to list on Trip Advisor, VRBO, or any of the other myriad of listing sites but ultimately it is up to the homeowner.

We will liaise directly with your chosen cleaner / cleaning agency, sending them a weekly schedule detailing upcoming arrivals & departures and specific housekeeping instructions where relevant.

We can also recommend gardeners and maintenance contractors. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure the house is well maintained and continually presented to the high standard which its rental rate commands and which guests expect. This includes gardening, window cleaning and general property maintenance.

Wellies & Windbreaks can offer advice on how to get your home rental ready. We have a very detailed Homeowners Guide which we share with all new clients. This tells you all you need to know about preparing your home for paying guests and has a room-by-room guide to what you need to provide.

We ask all our owners to provide house notes for guests. This will include information on how to work the TV, washing machine, heating system and any house-specific information that guests will need.

Wellies & Windbreaks can advise you on the content if required and can also send you information about the local area to include in your house notes.  Wellies & Windbreaks will provide a branded folder for you to put all of the information into.

You are also required to provide a fire safety risk assessment with clear and detailed information as to how guests can escape the property in the event of a fire.  Wellies & Windbreaks will help you to create a “Safety & Security” document for your house and this must be available for guests to read in the folder.  You are also required to have a copy of your gas safety certificate in the folder for guests to see.  This must be updated annually by law. Visit http://www.communities.gov.uk/firesafety and download the free guides.

Each month you will receive an Owner Statement of Account, showing income generated from rentals, less costs, for the previous calendar month.  These costs will include Wellies & Windbreaks’ 18% + VAT commission and any other costs incurred on your behalf for example the cleaners, tradespeople etc. Payment will be made by bank transfer into your nominated account.

Wellies & Windbreaks remit your income less our commission at the month end during which the guests have stayed.

Absolutely not – it is your home and you are free to use it as and when you wish. Obviously, you need to ensure there are no existing bookings in place for your dates and it is important to let us know in advance to ensure that we do not book it out to guests at the time you want to stay in it. We will not be able to cancel an existing guest booking once it is in place.

Yes.  This is critical and it is important that you have adequate cover as you could be held liable for significant damages if a guest has an accident on your property and sues you.  Whilst guests do sign a terms and conditions document when they book, which stipulates that they use the facilities at their own risk, this may still be challenged if a case is taken to court.  In many cases your existing home insurer will cover holiday letting (probably for a small additional premium). You will need to ensure that your policy covers you for sufficient Public Liability and the standard is £5million with a minimum of £2million. Should your current insurer not cover for holiday lets there are several specialist insurers who provide holiday-let insurance.  It is also important to inform your mortgage company that you intend to let your home out to paying guests.  Wellies & Windbreaks cannot let your home out for you without confirmation on the above from your insurance company and mortgage broker.

Every Wellies & Windbreaks client is listed on our own website and some are also listed on one or two of the other property rental websites.

In addition to website marketing, we have a well-developed social media marketing strategy including Facebook and Instagram marketing and a regular email newsletter to our established database of previous guests and enquirers.  We are constantly developing our marketing strategy in order to keep ahead of the competition and secure valuable bookings for our clients.

A one off set up fee of £300 + VAT is charged when you agree to let us manage your property, which covers the cost of developing your property listing.

There are certain statutory and other requirements that you as the property owner are responsible for prior to letting your holiday home:

INSURANCE: Your existing home insurer will probably cover holiday letting for a small additional premium. It is worth calling them first. At the very least you will need to ensure that your policy covers you for sufficient Public Liability (a minimum cover of £2,000,000 is recommended). Should your current insurer not cover for holiday lets there are several specialist insurers who provide specific holiday let insurance.

FURNITURE REGULATIONS: All beds and upholstery must comply with The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended in 1989, 1993 and 2010)

GAS: The Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations came into force in 1994 and state that an annual safety check must be carried out by a suitably registered engineer. All appliances must conform to the current legislation and be maintained safely. For further details please contact your local Health & Safety Executive.

ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS:  All owners must ensure that all electrical equipment is checked regularly and is of a standard and condition in accordance with legislative requirements, including carrying out ECIR and PAT testing at appropriate intervals.  As of 1^stJune 2020 it is law for private landlords to have electrical installations inspected and tested and a copy of the most recent electrical safety condition report (EICR) must be available in the Property for Guests to see.   The checks must be completed by 1^st April 2021 and must be carried out every five years.

It is also recommended that a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) be undertaken by a suitably qualified engineer on a regular basis. Any new installations or alterations must be undertaken by a qualified electrician and formally approved by a member of the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation.

FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT: As property owner you must ensure that your property has a clear means of escape, warning systems installed and appropriate fire fighting equipment available at all times. Statutory records must be kept to verify annual equipment tests and ensure fire certifications are always up to date.  To enable this process to be completed effectively it is recommended that an independent contractor should undertake a risk assessment at your property, supply and install any required fire fighting equipment, maintain a log book, issue a fire safety certificate and provide a leaflet of instructions for your tenants on what to do in the event of a fire. The contractor will also need to carry out an annual inspection of your property to ensure that you remain compliant and will implement any changes should the laws governing fire regulations alter.  However, you can do this yourself. Visit https://www.communities.gov.uk/firesafety and download the free guides. Wellies & Windbreaks can help you to create a “Safety & Security” document for your house and this must be available for guests to read in the folder.

Your property will require the following equipment:

SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEM: A 10-year lithium battery smoke alarm to BS standard is recommended and a minimum of two smoke detectors will be required (at least one on each floor)

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR: (properties with gas or oil supply only)

FIRE BLANKET

2KG DRY POWDER EXTINGUISHER for small kitchen fires

WATER FIRE EXTINGUISHER (only be required for properties with an open fire or properties that have a thatched roof)

Failure to comply with these fire safety laws will almost certainly invalidate any landlord insurance cover you may have, so investing in the services of a certified fire safety professional to review your property is well worth considering.