How much do letting agents in Edinburgh really cost? If you think that your agent’s ‘full property management’ fee covers everything, you are more than likely to be wrong – most agents charge at least a marketing fee on top of the full management commission. Some letting agents in Edinburgh and beyond may entice you...

How to rent a property in Scotland if you are a full-time student Private rental sector in Scotland has its own rules, some of which are enforced by mortgage lenders, some stem from the guidelines of leading professional bodies (ARLA/Propertymark, The Property Ombudsman) or Scottish government legislation (for example Private Rental Tenancy Agreement, introduced in...

How to waive carpeting requirements The Edinburgh Council has recently upgraded their website and, unfortunately, the section with template HMO noise exemption forms is no longer active; the previous hyperlinks no longer work. As per our conversation with the Licencing Team in early January 2020 – the old forms available in 2019 are still acceptable....

New, more detailed HMO inspection reports In late 2019 the Edinburgh Council inspectors started using new electronic inspection forms, containing 10 to 36 fields per room. Hallway has 10 items, bedrooms 26 items, kitchen 36 items, so the new inspection regime is, in our opinion, more thorough than the previous system as it is less...

When can multiple tenants rent a flat without an HMO licence in Scotland? Most bigger flats with multiple sharers require an HMO licence, but it is a general rule with some exceptions. Sometimes 3 or even 4 students can legally rent a non-HMO property. In short, Houses of Multiple Occupation are any living accommodation occupied...

We try to make lettings easier Edinburgh Letting Centre has recently introduced a few changes to the way we conduct viewings and advertise our properties. We always try to be on the forefront of tenant and landlord friendly letting and property management in Scotland – and that is why we have introduced online viewings and...

The role of referencing in Scottish lettings Good letting agents reference all applicants, even viewers known to their landlord clients. We recommend carrying out referencing even in non-typical circumstances – like letting a property to landlord’s relatives or, in case of HMO lettings, like letting a property to a group of students including the landlord’s...

COVID-19 related changes Coronavirus, or COVID – 19, is going to have wide-reaching ramifications for all letting agencies. Edinburgh Letting Centre will keep up to date with the latest guidance on the coronavirus and put the appropriate plans in place to ensure our agency can continue to operate. Contact Us Changes in lettings and property...

Both tenants and contractors who need to collect keys should arrange the collection in advance. Contact Us Keys Even if restrictions are lifted in early April, it will not mean that life will come back to normal – unless it is a ‘new normal’. COVID-19 and its threat will be with us until either a...

Landlord advice: Long-term lets are basic necessities. Holiday lets are not. COVID-19, in just a few weeks, drastically reduced demand for holidays lets and Airbnb-type of services in Edinburgh, in particular, and in Scotland, in general. Some holiday lets can be used by NHS staff transferred to fight the virus in hotspots (bigger cities like...