the principal terms of the proposed disposal, the property and the interest. However, there will be no price or deposit mentioned (nor is the landlord required to divulge the reserve price); Outline of the right of pre-emption given to qualifying tenants when their immediate landlord is disposing of his interest. For a brief summary see the Right of First Refusal fact sheet. Although the procedures are simple and provide generous time frames for the tenants, there are certain matters which must be borne in mind:

you will be prohibited from using a section 21 notice to gain possession from the tenant if you fail to provide the tenant with copies of the energy performance certificate, gas safety certificate and the ‘How to rent’ guide

either party may be deemed to have withdrawn – if the landlord does not send or exchange contracts (steps 4 and 6 above) in which case the landlord cannot dispose of the interest for 12 months following deemed withdrawal , or if the nominated person does not return the signed contract (step 5 above) the party is deemed to have withdrawn. In this case the landlord may dispose of his interest during the 12 months following withdrawal but subject to conditions.

Harassment can be anything a landlord does, or fails to do, that makes a tenant feel unsafe in the property or forces them to leave. Qualifying tenants who have been denied the right of first refusal can pursue their rights of remedy even if the new landlord sells the interest on to another. If the qualifying tenants do not serve the acceptance notice, or serve it outside the offer period, the landlord is free to dispose of the interest on the open market, but not on different terms or at a price lower than that proposed to the tenants in the Offer Notice.

Changes over time for: Part IV

The nominated person can be a person, one of the qualifying tenants, or a corporate person, a trust or, more probably, a company formed by the qualifying tenants for the purpose. There are no controls or qualifications in the legislation governing selection of the nominated person and the qualifying tenants are free to choose whoever they wish, by whatever means of selection. You can withhold part of their deposit to compensate for any damage caused to your property, furnishing costs or reasonable cleaning costs, but not for reasonable wear and tear. You should carry out an end of tenancy inspection, ideally with the tenant present, and with the inventory agreed at the beginning of the tenancy to hand. Take note of anything you consider to be missing, damaged or insufficiently clean. Take photos as evidence and try to reach agreement with the tenant.

The notice must include the usual details and information on the interest and terms of the disposal as required under sections 5A to 5D, whichever is applicable, but, of course, no price or other consideration unless any part of the disposal consists of money. You must ensure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced if you are informed that they are faulty.abiding by the provisions in the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which bans charging unfair fees to tenants in connection with a tenancy and also caps tenancy and holding deposits It is a landlord’s responsibility to keep the property they rent out in good repair, fit for human habitation and free of hazards. If your tenant raises concerns about the condition of the property, it is your responsibility to assess the condition and make necessary repairs. Your tenant may also ask the local council to carry out an inspection. Look after the property and get their landlord’s permission before attempting repairs or decorating Make sure you have a written agreement with the agent that sets out exactly what they will do on your behalf. If this is not clear, it might cause problems for you and your tenants.