A 10-step guide for landlords letting in Tunbridge Wells — valuation, service tier, presentation, compliance, marketing, viewings, offers and ongoing management. Written from the inside, not the brochure.
By Mike Heath
MARLA · FNAEA · Director, LettingsUpdated
A home that lets well is a home that shows well.
Letting a home well isn’t complicated, but it is layered — ten or twelve discrete decisions strung together, each of which compounds the next. This is the same path we walk every landlord through at their valuation. We’ve put it in writing so you can read it before we meet, ask sharper questions when we do, and start from a stronger position whichever agency you instruct.
01
Step 01: Book a rental valuation
Start with a director-led valuation. We'll visit, walk through the home, give you an honest, evidence-based view of achievable rent in your area, and run you through the legal certificates you'll need before tenants move in.
Director-led visit — Mike Heath (MARLA · FNAEA) leads every valuation personally
Comparable evidence from recent local lets — not an inflated number to win the instruction
Plain-English run-through of the certificates and obligations that apply to your property
Pick the level of involvement that suits you. Bronze is a one-off introduction; Silver adds monthly rent processing; Gold is hands-off ownership with a dedicated property manager and full Renters' Rights Act compliance handled; Platinum is our flagship tier — rent protection insurance, free photography, free renewals, twice-yearly inspections.
Bronze · Let Only — 100% of one month's rent inc. VAT (£900 minimum, no ongoing commission)
Silver · Let Only + Rent Collection — 14.40% of monthly rent inc. VAT, 50% of one month's rent set-up, £144/month minimum
Gold · Fully Managed — 16.80% of monthly rent inc. VAT, 50% of one month's rent set-up, £144/month minimum
Platinum · Fully Managed+ — 20.40% of monthly rent inc. VAT, 50% of one month's rent set-up, £180/month minimum
Pricing is the single biggest lever on time-to-let. Pitch too high and the home goes stale in the first fortnight; pitch too low and you give up income for the entire tenancy. Our knowledge of comparable lets across Tunbridge Wells, Southborough, Pembury, Langton Green and the surrounding villages means we pitch where the market actually is.
Pitched against recent comparables, not aspirational headline figures
Reviewed against your specific property's strengths — light, layout, outside space
Adjusted for season and current tenant demand
04
Step 04: Decide on property management
Many tenants prefer a managed home — they want a single point of contact for repairs, a 24-hour emergency line, and a professional inventory and check-out process. Managed properties typically command a small premium and tend to retain tenants for longer, both of which compound over a tenancy.
Tenant enquiries handled by a named property manager
Emergency repairs — 24-hour line, vetted contractors at preferential rates
Utility transfers, rent collection and arrears chasing handled in full
Compliance dashboard tracking gas, electrical, EPC and Right to Rent renewals
First impressions matter — particularly online. Tackle outstanding DIY, repaint where it's tired, and declutter before the photography slot. Our professional photographers cover both stills and floorplan in a single visit, with the strongest possible ambient light.
Address outstanding DIY before photography
A fresh coat of neutral paint pays back inside the first month's rent
Declutter — tenants need to be able to picture their own life in the rooms
Professional photography and floorplan in a single visit
Presentation is what a tenant rents before they rent the rooms.
06
Step 06: Prepare the property for tenancy
A professional inventory and schedule of condition is the single document that protects both you and the tenant at end-of-tenancy. We arrange a third-party inventory clerk before move-in so the record is independent and dispute-resistant.
Independent inventory & schedule of condition
Pre-tenancy professional cleaning where needed
All certificates current — gas, EICR, EPC, PAT where applicable
07
Step 07: Find tenants with maximum exposure
Marketing exposure determines viewing volume; viewing volume determines tenant choice. Every Kings Estates instruction goes live on the major portals simultaneously and is alerted to our pre-registered tenant database before the listing surfaces publicly.
Pre-registered tenant database — 386 active tenants, alerted on day one
Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and PrimeLocation, simultaneously
Email and SMS alerts to matched applicants
Featured-portal placement for premium instructions
Representation from our prime Tunbridge Wells office
Marketed at its best hour, to the right tenants, on day one.
08
Step 08: Accompanied viewings
Every viewing is accompanied by a senior team member — never a junior, never a lock-box pickup. We pay close attention to the applicants we believe will be the right fit, and brief you on each one within twenty-four hours so you can make a properly-informed decision.
Senior-team accompanied viewings only
Tenant suitability assessed against your specific brief
Application filtering — you see qualified applicants, not every passing enquirer
Twenty-four hour feedback loop after every viewing
09
Step 09: Receive and accept offers
Offers come in with full details and any special conditions, surfaced through your Street.co.uk landlord account so you can track and compare in one place. Once you accept, we run referencing, Right to Rent, the tenancy agreement and the moving-in payment — and coordinate any pre-tenancy compliance.
Multi-stage tenant referencing & credit check
Right to Rent verification
Tenancy Agreement preparation, signing and deposit registration (TDS)
Gas Safety Inspection coordination
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
Portable Appliance Test (PAT) where applicable
Legionella risk assessment
Pre-tenancy professional cleaning where needed
10
Step 10: Completion and ongoing management
On move-in day, keys are released to the tenant against the signed inventory. For managed properties, the tenant receives the contact details for their dedicated Tenancy Manager — and your compliance dashboard goes live, tracking every renewal date so you never miss a deadline.
Inventory-based key handover on move-in day
Dedicated Tenancy Manager assigned to managed properties
Compliance dashboard live from day one
Renewal reminders, rent reviews and Section 13 notices handled at the right time
A well-run let is a quiet one — for years, not months.
Legal & compliance
The non-negotiables every landlord must have in place.
These are the certificates and documents that have to be current before a tenant moves in — and that we keep on top of for every managed property via the compliance dashboard. Miss one and you risk fines, void months, and exposure under the Renters’ Rights Act.
Gas Safety Inspection (CP12) — annual, before tenancy starts
