Estate Plan
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Based in Brighton & Hove

Serving Kent, Brighton & South Coast

For landlords

Your property, without the day-to-day

I take on property from landlords who want a steady income and less work. Either my company takes it on a company let and pays you a fixed rent, or I manage it for you. Every arrangement is agreed per property, after I have seen it, in a solicitor-drafted agreement.

Tell me about your property How it works

Letting has become a job

For many landlords the problem is not the property. It is the time it takes, and the rules changing underneath them.

The rules keep moving

Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force, tenancies run on with no fixed end date and the paperwork has grown. Licensing schemes overlap and each has its own dates and conditions.

Empty months cost you

Between tenants, the mortgage, council tax and bills still need paying. A slow re-let can wipe out a good year.

It takes more time than you planned

Viewings, references, repairs, deposits and late-night calls. Many owners never meant to run a lettings business, they meant to own a property.

What I offer

Two ways to work together. Which one fits depends on your property, your mortgage and how much of the upside you want to keep.

Company let

A fixed rent from my company, set out in the agreement

My company takes the property on a company let for an agreed term. It pays you the agreed rent whether or not the property is occupied, and it finds, houses and looks after the occupiers.

  • Rent agreed for your property after I have viewed it
  • Rent paid in advance where we agree it in the agreement
  • Term, break clauses and rent review agreed up front
  • I handle the occupiers, the day-to-day and the compliance that comes with them
  • The property comes back to you at the end of the term in the condition the agreement sets out

Management agreement

You keep the rent; I run the property for a fee

If you would rather keep the upside, I manage the property for you. You keep the rent and the market risk, and I take the work off your plate.

  • Finding and checking occupiers
  • Rent collection and clear monthly reporting
  • Maintenance coordinated with trusted local trades
  • Safety certificates and licence conditions tracked
  • Fee agreed per property after a viewing

How it works

  1. 01

    Tell me about the property

    Use the form below. Address or area, size, current use, whether it is mortgaged, and whether it is freehold or leasehold.

  2. 02

    I view it

    I look at the property, its condition and its paperwork, and I tell you honestly whether it suits either option.

  3. 03

    Written proposal

    If it fits, I send you the terms: the option, the term, the rent or fee, how rent is paid, and who is responsible for what.

  4. 04

    Consents

    You get your lender's written consent, your freeholder's if the lease needs it, and confirm your insurer is happy with the arrangement.

  5. 05

    Solicitor-drafted agreement

    The agreement is drafted by a solicitor. I recommend you have your own solicitor check it before you sign.

  6. 06

    Handover and reporting

    I take over the day-to-day, check in on the property regularly and keep you updated in writing.

What you need in place

These protect you as much as me. If one isn't in place yet, tell me and we'll work out whether it can be.

  • Written consent from your mortgage lender to a company let or to the management arrangement (unless the property is mortgage-free)
  • Your freeholder's or managing agent's consent, if you own a leasehold flat and the lease requires it
  • Buildings and landlord insurance that covers the agreed use, with your insurer told about the arrangement
  • Current gas safety certificate, electrical report (EICR) and EPC, or an agreement on who will get them
  • The right planning use for how the property will be occupied. I don't convert family houses into shared houses under someone else's ownership
  • Every legal owner of the property happy to sign

I can't give legal advice on your lender, lease or insurance. Your own solicitor and broker should confirm each of these.

Why talk to me

I have been the owner in this deal

My own six-bedroom house in Brighton was let to an operator on a company let paying a fixed rent. I know what an owner should ask for, because I have read these agreements from your side of the table.

I hold an HMO licence

I am the licence holder for that Brighton house in multiple occupation and I now manage it myself: the licence conditions, the safety checks and the occupiers.

20 years in corporate housing

I held director roles at Roomspace and The Apartment Service, housing people in rented homes for a living before I started Estate Plan.

Questions owners ask

How much rent will you pay?

I don't quote a figure until I have seen the property. The rent depends on the property, its condition, its location and the term we agree. You get it in writing in the proposal, before anything is signed.

Is the rent really guaranteed?

Under a company let, my company is contractually committed to pay the agreed rent for the term, whether or not the property is occupied. It is a contract with my company, not an insurance policy, so read the agreement and take your own legal advice on it.

Do I carry any risk?

Yes, some. You still own the property, so your lender, your freeholder and your insurer need to know about the arrangement. Responsibility for repairs is split in the agreement, and structural items often stay with the owner. Since the Renters' Rights Act, an owner can in some cases face a claim if the person running the property breaks the rules. That is why compliance is the first thing I sort out, and why I'll show you how.

Who deals with licensing and safety?

I handle the licensing and compliance for the occupiers I place in your property, and the agreement records who holds any licence. Owner items, such as the building, its structure and your own insurance, are set out clearly so nothing falls between us.

Can I get the property back?

Yes. The term, any break clause and the notice periods are agreed before you sign, so you know when and how it comes back to you.

Where do you work?

Brighton and Hove first, where I own and manage property myself. Elsewhere in the South East, ask me and I'll tell you whether I can do it well.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. I can explain how I work, but you should take your own legal and tax advice before entering any agreement.

This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Every arrangement depends on the property and on a written agreement. Please take your own legal advice before signing anything.

Tell me about your property

A few lines is enough to start. I'll reply personally and, if it looks like a fit, suggest a time to view.

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