020 7060 0450

Landlords

This agency is focused on establishing long term relationships with all of our client landlords. This considered it is essential to us that, as well as the obvious requirement to let your property for the maximum rental income and in the applicable time frame, we always find you the most suitable tenant.

Whether you are looking to let a property for the first time or are an experienced landlord, possibly with a portfolio of property, we would be pleased to assist you. We can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 020 7060 0450.

Our Lettings Services

This includes:

  • Rental evaluation of your property.
  • Marketing your property and advice as to the presentation of it. We have your property professionally photographed and produce a floor plan. We advertise on our website and on the main property portals of On The Market, Rightmove, Primelocation and Zoopla amongst others. We will also tweet your property and place it on our agency Facebook page. We will circulate your property to all applicant tenants (including corporate tenants) on our system and to all search consultants we deal with and have relationships with.
  • Making arrangements for prospective tenants to view the property, undertaking accompanied viewings and providing full, comprehensive and, where necessary, candid feedback to you.
  • Introduction of a tenant and collection of a holding payment.
  • Liaising between you and the prospective tenant and managing any negotiations.
  • Full reference check of prospective tenant by a professional agency. This includes a credit check, employer/income references and also managing agent/landlord references. We will advise you as to the suitability of any tenant, however, the final decision as to whether a tenant is suitable remains with you.
  • Drawing up the tenancy agreement and organising its signing. We can advise you on the various tenancy agreements and the various clauses.
  • Conducting the ‘Right to Rent’ checks on the Tenant at the commencement of the tenancy but not to undertake any further checks during the tenancy, as occasionally may be required. The responsibility for checks during the tenancy is yours.
  • Serving on the Tenant the EPC, the Gas Safe certificate and the electrical installation condition report (EICR) of the Property, where this has been provided to us by the Landlord.
  • Collection of the first rental payment and deposit, and transfer to you (less our fees). It is your responsibility to register the deposit with one of the deposit protection schemes. We can provide further information on these schemes.
  • Organise an inventory and schedule of condition be drawn up and a check-in to take place (at additional cost).
  • Instructing the tenant to arrange for a standing order for the payment of rent to your nominated account.

Please note that whilst we are happy to advise you broadly of the steps to be taken in arranging or undertaking the end of tenancy procedures, you will be responsible for this.

Our fees and terms of engagement

Commission

For sole agency we take a commission of 9% + VAT (10.8% inclusive) of the rent for the entirety of the tenancy and this is payable at the commencement of the tenancy or at the commencement of any extended fixed term or periodic tenancy. For multi-agency the commission is 11% + VAT (13.2% inclusive).

Tenancy agreement

We charge £240 (£200 + VAT) to the landlord to draw up and organise the signing of the tenancy agreement. If the landlord provides us with a tenancy agreement drawn up and ready for signing then the fee is £96 (£80 + VAT) to organise the signing of the agreement by the tenant(s).

Marketing Period

We request a minimum marketing period of 6 weeks, whether this be as sole agent or on a multi-agent basis, and for 7 days’ notice in writing or by email if you wish this agency to cease marketing your property after the initial marketing period.

This agency is a member of a redress scheme and that scheme is The Property Ombudsman. This agency is a member of Money Shield, a client money protection scheme, our membership number is 57972775 and we link you to the scheme rules here.

Guide to Letting Your Property

This information has been provided to help you understand the processes involved and the responsibilities you have as a landlord when letting your property. We hope this information answers many of the questions you may have. For further information, or should you require clarification on any point, please contact us.

Our Lettings Guide

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the largest reform of the private rented sector in decades. The main tenancy reforms came into force on 1 May 2026 but other provisions are being introduced in later phases. The Act abolishes Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and replaces assured shorthold tenancies with assured periodic tenancies, meaning tenancies no longer have a fixed end date. Landlords must instead rely on specified legal grounds to end a tenancy. Landlords cannot end a tenancy in the first 12 months but tenants can generally end a periodic tenancy by giving two months’ notice. Other key changes include stronger rules around rent increases whereby rent can only be increased once a year, a right for tenants to request a pet, offers of rent above the listed asking rent cannot be accepted by a landlord and rent cannot be paid more than monthly in advance. The Act also provides for a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman and a Private Rented Sector Database, with these measures being introduced from late 2026.

If your property is mortgaged, then you may need to obtain your mortgagee's written consent to the letting.

If you are a leaseholder then you may need to obtain the written consent of the freeholder to the letting.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to insure the property and any contents you may leave in the property (i.e. furniture, electrical goods). A landlord should always inform their insurers that the property is to be let as this may affect the premium and affect or invalidate the cover. Leasehold properties are usually insured under the block’s building insurance, paid for through the service charge, however, landlords should check this with the freeholder or the building management company. With freehold properties you will need to have stand alone building insurance. Tenants may wish to insure any contents which they bring to the property however they are not required to insure any contents you may choose to leave

Council tax is the responsibility of the occupier. You should inform your local authority that you are leaving the property. During vacant periods the charge reverts to the owner but usually at a substantially discounted rate. Please contact the relevant local authority for more information.

It is mandatory for all rental properties being marketed to have a Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This provides a rating for the property showing its energy efficiency and environmental impact on a scale from A-G (A being the most efficient). Thomas Michael can arrange for an EPC for your property. As the Barbican Estate is a listed building Barbican flats are exempt from requiring an EPC.

Since April 2018, all rental properties under new tenancies need to have a minimum energy performance rating of E or above. From April 2020 this will apply to all tenancies. There are some exemptions, but make sure your property is registered on the National PRS Exemptions register if they apply to you. Further information from the Government on this new minimum rating and applicable exemptions can be found here

Further information

A deposit (usually equivalent to 5 weeks rent) is taken from a tenant prior to the start of a tenancy. This is to cover breakages, missing items and any damage over and above normal wear and tear. All deposits taken on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy are required to be held according to the terms of a tenancy deposit scheme. We provide the deposit to you as it is your responsibility to register it with one of the schemes. We are happy to advise you of the various schemes and details of these schemes are set out here: Click here. The deposit is refunded to the tenant (less any deductions) after the end of the tenancy.

It is advisable that an inventory of contents and schedule of condition be prepared, in order to avoid any misunderstanding or dispute at the end of a tenancy. Without an inventory and schedule of condition it may be difficult for a landlord to prove any loss, damage, or significant deterioration of the property or contents. Thomas Michael can arrange for the inventory and schedule of condition to be prepared.

When the landlord is resident in the UK, it is entirely his responsibility to inform HMRC of rental income received, and to pay any income tax due. Many lettings expenses can be offset against tax on the rental income. These include letting agents fees, insurance, ground rent, legal and accounting costs, loan interest, wear and tear and repairs.

Where the landlord is resident outside the UK during a tenancy, unless an exemption certificate is held, the tenant (or the letting agent where he is collecting the rent and forwarding on to the landlord) is obliged to retain and forward to HMRC an amount equal to the basic rate of income tax from rental received, less certain expenses.

Further information may be obtained from HMRC: Click here

From 1 February 2016, all private landlords in England will have to check new tenants have the right to be in the UK before renting out their property. Under Right to Rent, landlords or their agents should check identity documents for all new tenants and take copies. For further information please:

How to check

Right to rent - Check a user guide

Finally, we link you to the Government’s general information on being a private rental landlord: Click here

The information provided here is only a guide and independent professional advice should be sought if you require clarification on any matter.

Safety Regulations in Letting Your Property

The following safety requirements are the responsibility of the landlord:

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 all gas appliances in tenanted premises must be inspected annually by an authorised and registered engineer. A record must be kept of the inspection and of any defects identified and remedial work undertaken. The certificate of the inspection passing must be provided to tenants at the commencement of any tenancy. Non-compliance is a criminal offence and carries serious penalties. Further details can be found: Click here

New regulations introduced in July 2020 require landlords to commission an EICR for a property. These new regulations require landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person, who is qualified and competent, at least every 5 years. Landlords have to provide a copy of the electrical safety report to their tenants, and to their local authority if requested. These reports cover the electrical installations (essentially the mains wiring, plug sockets and light fittings) in properties. The regulations state that a landlord must ensure that electrical safety standards are met, and that investigative or remedial work is carried out if the report requires this. This means that all landlords now have to do what good landlords already do: make sure the electrical installations in their rented properties are safe. Further details can be found: Click here

A HMO is defined as a property occupied by three or more persons forming more than a single household. The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 require HMO’s to have fixed electrical installations and wiring inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals not exceeding five years. Further details of HMOs can be found: Click here

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) provide that specified furniture and furnishings supplied in the course of letting property must meet minimum fire resistant standards. The regulations apply to all upholstered furniture, and beds, headboards and mattresses, sofa-beds and other convertibles, nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows, and non-original covers for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or furniture made before 1950, bed clothes including duvets, loose covers for mattresses, pillowcases, curtains, carpets or sleeping bags. Therefore all relevant items as above must be checked for compliance, and non-compliant items removed from the premises In practice, items which comply will have a suitable permanent label attached. Items purchased recently and from a reputable supplier are likely to comply. Further details can be found: Click here

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015 came into force on 1 October 2015. A smoke alarm now is required to be located on each floor of a property, so a terraced house with three floors will need a smoke alarm on each separate floor. Apartments will only need one, unless they are split level, but it is advised to have more than one if it is a big space. Carbon Monoxide alarms are only legally required to be provided in the same room as any solid fuel appliances, such as log or peat burning stoves, wood fired ovens however we do advise landlords to consider providing one in any property where there is a gas boiler or appliance. More information can be found here: Click here

The risks from hot and cold water systems in most residential settings are generally considered to be low owing to regular water usage and turnover however implementing simple, proportionate and appropriate control measures will ensure the risk remains low. More information on Legionella and your responsibility as a landlord can be found here: Click here

The information provided here is only a guide and independent professional advice should be sought if you require clarification on any matter.

Landlord Testimonials


  • When I instructed Thomas Michael to find a tenant, I was already with a large Barbican letting agency which I was not totally comfortable with. Within a short space of time, a suitable tenant was introduced. Thomas Michael are responsive and helpful.
    Dickson & Yoon Chan Breton House, Barbican, EC2Y

  • Tom as fantastic, extremely professional. Always prompt to answer any queries and best of all found me a tenant as soon as the flat went online. Absolutely perfect, highly recommended.
    Raul Arantes The Lexington, City Road, EC1Y

  • Professional, effective and reliable service. New tenant found immediately.
    Christopher Murphy Minories, EC3N

  • I have been using Thomas Michael to let out my rental flat since 2012. They have found 5 excellent tenants for me in that time and I have had nothing but the most professional and efficient service from them. It makes such a refreshing change from the more well-known estate agents that I have dealt with in the past. I only ever deal with Tom (rather than a never-ending rotation of contacts), I'm not bombarded by marketing phone calls or emails and the fees are excellent value. I rarely ever post reviews on the web but I'm very happy to recommend Thomas Michael.
    Cindy Chan Milton House, Little Britain, EC1A.

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