Blog: Landlord

WINNER PRESS RELEASE – ESTATE & LETTING AGENTS
Issued 21st October 2024

Self Assessment Tax Returns for Landlord

If you're a landlord in the UK and need to complete a self-assessment tax return, here are the key steps and considerations:

1. Determine Your Tax Status

If you...

The Most Expensive Areas to Rent/Buy in Taunton

Taunton, the county town of Somerset, is known for its historical charm, beautiful countryside, and thriving community. In most recent years, Taunton has become an...

Management Takeovers Explained

Are you a landlord that is unhappy with your current Letting Agent? If you are looking to move to SJM Properties, we want to make it as easy and pain-free as possible! With NO TAKEOVER...

What we have been up to at SJM Properties!

As always, it has been a busy few months here at SJM Properties, and we are excited to share some key updates and a bit about what we have been up...

Pest Control

In UK lettings, responsibility for pest control can depend on various factors, including the terms of the tenancy agreement, the nature of the pest problem, and whether the...

‘Wear and Tear’ Explained

When it comes to deposit deductions, understanding the boundaries of "wear and tear" versus "damage" is crucial for both landlords and tenants....

How the Labour Government Could Affect the Rental Market

The rental market is a dynamic landscape, heavily influenced by political shifts and government policies. With the Labour Party often advocating for...

Renting - The Do’s and Don’ts

With the Taunton rental market still busy as ever, it is easy for applicants to feel pressured to make snap decisions on properties or to forget to complete necessary admin once moved...

Summer Holidays with Children

The summer holidays are fast approaching which, for many parents means 6 weeks of entertaining small children, so aside from the beaches... please find below a list of 10 places...

How Can Landlords Adapt to Changing Regulations?

UK regulations are constantly changing and with the new Renters Reforms underway, now more than ever is it essential landlords take a proactive approach and here...

Referencing

Tenant referencing is the process that checks an applicant's suitability for a property. At SJM Properties, this check is performed through Rightmove and generally takes...

Deposit Protection Scheme

The Deposit Protection Scheme or otherwise referred to as the DPS, is a government approved and insured scheme used to safely look after tenants' deposits...

Guarantor’s Explained

What is a guarantor? 
A guarantor for renting is someone that agrees to pay the rent should the tenant be unable to afford to.

Who can be a guarantor? 

Right to Rent Checks

By law it is a responsibility of the letting agent or landlord to check an applicant's right to rent before granting them a tenancy, failure to do so could result...

Love where you live!

The spring season is upon us which means it is a beautiful time for some scenic spring walks! If you are currently living in Taunton or thinking about moving nearby, here...

The Importance of Reporting Maintenance Issues

Tenants, it is paramount that maintenance issues do not go unreported and are brought to our attention promptly once identified. This enables us to take quick and...

Choose Local

SJM Properties is a Taunton based Letting Agent with our offices situated at The Crescent in the heart of Taunton Town Centre. All our managed properties are in close proximity to us, mostly residing...

Inventories Explained

If you are an applicant thinking of renting a property through a letting agent, an inventory is a crucial document that will be sent to you on your move in day....

Why become a Landlord?

Monthly Gains

The continued monthly rental gains are undoubtedly the biggest incentive for becoming a landlord. With rents being at an all-time high,...

ESTAS Awards!

We have entered the ESTAS Awards! ESTAS is a popular customer review platform that selects award winners based solely on verified reviews from existing customers....

Rent Increase Regulation

With rents on the rise, we thought it might be useful to provide a little bit of information for both landlords and tenants on the legislation that controls rent increases....

It's that time of the year again when we publish our Winter Newsletter for all to read. We are constantly improving our business, improving ways of doing things and we really enjoy posting our blogs to assist and help both...

Finding the best tenants for you

Finding the most suitable tenant is our number one goal, so how do we make sure it is the right fit for you and your property?

We are very fortunate in the current market...

Why choose SJM Properties?

As a small independent letting agent based in the heart of Taunton, we have ample knowledge of the local market and surrounding areas. Our locality has enabled us to build great relationships...

How to Prepare your Property for Winter

The cold weather is on its way and the Christmas wrapping paper is already in the shops! Therefore, we have put together a small list of things you can do to prepare and...

Bleeding your radiator

How to tell if your radiator needs bleeding:

Have you noticed you aren’t getting as much heat from your radiators as normal? To touch does your radiator feel warm...

Landlords can breathe a sigh of relief as plans to introduce energy efficiency targets are axed!

Furnished or Unfurnished?

Perhaps you’re thinking about renting out a property but are unsure whether to rent it out as furnished or unfurnished? Let us talk you through what these really mean and the benefits and...

Property Visits

Conducting regular property visits are a crucial part of our fully managed service. At SJM Properties we undertake an initial inspection three months after a tenant has moved in and (provided everything is...

Are HMO’s trending in 2023?

HMO is an abbreviated term for ‘House in Multiple Occupation’, specifically it is a house or flat shared by a number of tenants who rent their rooms and shared communal space (e.g.,...

Is there a shortage of rental properties?

Yes, from our experience the shortage is very apparent from a supply and demand perspective. This can be explained by the higher interest rates making it more costly to obtain a...

Legislation you need to be aware of pre-move in!

It can be tricky to keep up to date with the ever-changing legislation so please find below a brief checklist of legislation to consider before you can rent your...

Landlord Insurance

Landlords, if you have been keeping up with our blogs, you’ll know we recently explained Rent Guarantee Insurance and the benefits of it but while we are on the subject, we thought it important to...

What does a ‘fully managed’ service consist of?

Have you bought a buy to let property and found yourself debating whether to have it fully managed or not? Perhaps you are wondering what ‘fully managed’ really...

How to Add Value to Your Property

With current rental values being almost at peak, its unlikely landlords will reap the benefits of costly renovations so we thought we could suggest five simple ways of maximising rental...

What do applicants look for when renting in Taunton?

In general, our properties have had a record high volume of interest, this could be put down to the dramatic hike in interest rates making it so expensive to obtain a...

Happy Spring everyone!

The season is nearly upon us and after those chilly winter months its finally time to open the windows and get outside to enjoy the daffodils and smell of fresh cut grass! And why not take the...

Local Things to Do in Taunton

Hestercombe Gardens - Famous for its four century old gardens across 3 acres, Hestercombe is a beautiful place to explore for walks or attend events. They have anything from arts and...

Rent Guarantee Insurance Defined

Rent Guarantee Insurance is a form of landlord cover whereby in the event a tenant defaults on their rent, the insurer will pay it instead. In addition to providing up to 15 months...

10 steps to preparing your property to rent

1. Ensure all structural repairs are completed.

2. Use ‘tenant friendly’ décor. It is advisable to source neutral, plain or light-coloured paint/wallpaper as it...

It has been a long time coming but I am excited to annouce our very first newsletter for SJM Properties, please click on

At the beginning of 2022, I was looking at how to take SJM Properties to the next level and gain more exposure in the hope of attracting more landlords and subsequent business. I explored several advertising options and soon...

Why Choose an Independent Letting Agent?

You might be wondering why using a smaller local letting agent is so much more beneficial than going to a bigger (perhaps more familiar) company, well, allow us to...

Causes of Damp and Mould

Did you know that condensation is scarcely a building fault and is actually caused by how we live inside our homes?

Mundane tasks such as washing/drying clothes, taking a bath or shower,...

INTERNET SAFETY WARNING

Sadly, due a recent scam attempt we are writing this to warn you to stay safe online!

A few days ago, a man falsely posed as a landlord for one of our advertised properties in order to...

Where are we now?

So, the big question is where are we now? Well, two and a half years later and we are still here so that’s a good start! Despite opening during an uncertain time, we are pleased to announce that SJM...

What is normal? And why are we trying to get ‘back’ to normal? Everyone has experienced some form of change over the last few months, whether it’s a change in job role, change of work place or a...

The government is implementing new electrical safety standards from 1st July 2020 to improve the safety in all residential let properties. This will affect all landlords.

My first time writing a blog, so here it goes! So who saw the lockdown coming? I certainly didn’t when I decided to set up as an independent letting agent, SJM Properties. With the help of my...