Q I am a tenant in an apartment and am suffering from 'noisy neighbour syndrome'. My neigbours come in very late at night and have music on very loudly during the day. How can I improve the situation and where can I go to complain? Susan Moore, Birmingham
Marie Shipway comments: This is not an uncommon problem and I do sympathise. Firstly, you'll need to establish exactly where the disturbance is coming from and once you've identified the apartment then you should take your complaint to your managing agent. Your agent should then send a formal letter of complaint to the tenants who are making the noise and advise their agents, too. You should also ask your agents to register the complaint with your landlord. If all else fails and your neighbours carry on causing a huge disturbance, your landlord will be aware of your suffering and will be more open to ending the Tenancy Agreement earlier than agreed.
Q I am a tenant looking to rent a new apartment and I have been quoted an administration fee. What does this fee cover? Rachel Billington, Birmingham
Marie Shipway comments: The administration fee will cover all of the work which goes into setting your tenancy up, such as the references, the Tenancy Agreement, taking the meter readings, informing the utility companies of the let, etc. The inclusions may differ slightly from agent to agent, but it is worth considering that the fee is designed to make your new tenancy start more smoothly and to ensure that all the small considerations, which may otherwise be overlooked and create issues later in your tenancy, are dealt with at the outset. These fees will also differ in amount from agency to agency, but the average fee is around £150-200 plus VAT.
Q I am buying an apartment in Birmingham to place on the lettings market and have looked at numerous developments. I want to know which ones are the most popular with tenants? Sian Atkinson, London
Marie Shipway comments: This is a difficult question to answer, as no two tenants are the same; each has their own individual requirements. Tenants have become wiser and keep an eye on the marketing through the newspapers. When you consider that the big developers such as Crosby Homes, KingsOak and Cala Homes obviously have a very large promotional budget, this results in the larger schemes like Centenary Plaza, Liberty Place and Broadway Plaza becoming more recognised. These combined facts do mean that, for example, Centenary Plaza is very popular amongst many searching tenants, but many tenants also search for individuality in schemes. Smaller schemes, such as Essex House, become sought after as they offer less, more intimate surrounds. From week to week, the popularity will shift with the current trends, so all developments go through phases of popularity.
Q Having recently bought a 'buy-to-let' property, it occurred to me that I am unsure as to who is responsible for my service charge and ground rent. Robert Donalds, Coventry
Marie Shipway comments: The landlord is responsible for the service charge on their own properties, as well as the ground rent. This charge can be somewhat recovered through the rental price, but it is essential that every landlord ensures that the invoices are always sent direct to their home address, not the rental apartment. If your invoices go unpaid, the management company will seek recompense from the landlord, not the tenant.
Q I am moving to another city but want to rent out my apartment in Birmingham. Should I furnish my apartment or leave it unfurnished? Mark Terrence, Great Barr
Marie Shipway comments: Since city living landed in Birmingham, the market has favoured the fully furnished apartment over the unfurnished. This does not mean there is never a requirement for unfurnished, but when you bear in mind that around only three per cent of tenants seek unfurnished, this greatly reduces the chances of letting your property swiftly Tenants range from foreign national students and professional trainees, through to football players and directors, all of whom will demand the same high level of furnishings. For a list of expected furnishings, talk to any of the city's interior furnishing companies, as they are all extremely au fait with requirements.
Marie Shipway is a residential lettings expert at property consultancy BK in Birmingham. If you have a lettings query you would like her to answer in CityLiving Magazine, email marie.shipway@bkonline.co.uk
