LETS is Cardiff Council’s Landlord Enquiries and Tenancy Support Services. We aim to make it simple and straight forward for you to let and manage your property.
We recognise that letting a property can feel daunting and complicate, especially with the introduction of new legislation. That is why our service has been designed to match your needs as a landlord.
Through our schemes, we can offer:
- no management fees,
- guaranteed rent (if the property is occupied or not),
- home improvement grants of up to £15,000,
- a full property management service where we take care of any repairs and servicing, and
- pre-tenancy assessment with prospective tenants to make sure they are suitable for your property.
We are currently offering 2 schemes for private landlords:
- The Private Rented Sector Scheme (let through us)
- The Private Rented Sector Leasing Scheme (managed by us and funded by the Welsh Government). This is also known as the Leasing Scheme Wales.
These schemes are designed for landlords who would like to take a step back or prefer a more involved approach with the day-to-day management of their properties.
If you are not sure which scheme would work best for you, please check out our comparison sheet for more information on each scheme.
Private Rented Sector Scheme (let through Cardiff Council)
Through our Private Rented Sector scheme, we aim to create successful relationships between you and your contract-holders by providing pre-tenancy and resettlement support.
We understand that a lot of landlords would like to stay involved in the day-to-day management of the property. If you would like to stay involved, this is the perfect scheme for you.
This scheme lets you to maintain a hands-on approach to your property and contact with your tenant. You will also get support from the LETS team with no management fee. You will get a tailored financial package to help both yourself and your tenant.
We provide a dedicated point of contact to guide you through the journey to a successful let with a range of different benefits to support you and your tenant.
The benefits of this scheme are:
Landlord benefits
- Contract-holder matching service – we will identify a few suitable contract-holders. This gives you the opportunity to choose which contract-holder you feel would be most suitable for your property.
- Contract-holder affordability – we will make sure that the prospective contract-holder can afford the rent and is aware of their responsibilities.
- Accompanied viewings – we attend all viewings with prospective contract-holders to support both them and you.
- No management fees.
- Support and financial assistance to register with Rent Smart Wales.
- Free property inspections by our qualified Property Conditions Assessor.
- Health and safety package with renovation grants available if needed.
Support will be available to all households throughout the term of the occupation contract. - This package lets you continue to independently manage your property.
Property renovation and improvement
If your property needs some renovation to meet standards for renting, you may be able to get financial help.
You can get a non-repayable grant if you need to carry out improvements.
You can get your own quotations for the work with local contractors.
A full property inspection will be carried out when before and after the work is complete.
Information needed from you
If you lease your property with us, you will need to provide:
- Valid Gas Safety Certificate.
- Valid Electrical Safety certificate
- Valid EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
Private Rented Sector Leasing Scheme (funded by the Welsh Government)
Our Private Rented Sector Leasing Scheme is a scheme funded through the Welsh Government and managed by us.
The scheme aims to take the pressure off if you would like a hands off approach to managing your property. The leases are available for up to five years.
The scheme offers you the full property management package
which includes:
- guaranteed rent,
- renovation grants of up to £15,000, and
- all repair and maintenance of the property (including gas and electrical servicing).
We also provide ongoing housing support to the contract-holder, with regular property inspections, to help maintain a successful tenancy. The property will be returned to you in the same condition (taking into account wear and tear).
The benefits of this scheme are:
Landlord benefits
- A guaranteed fixed income even if the contract-holder decides to move and the property is empty. The amount that you will receive is set at the local housing allowance rate.
- Payments made directly to you.
Support will be available to all households throughout the term of the lease. - No need for any contact with the contract-holder.
- Property inspection and maintenance throughout the term of lease.
- During the lease period you will not need to carry out any repairs or maintenance works. You will not need to carry out yearly gas safety inspections, or electrical testing every 5 years (if they fall within the lease period) as this will be carried out by us. If there is any contract-holder damage, this will also be fixed at no cost or inconvenience to you.
- The property will be returned to you in the same condition as when the lease started (taking into account wear and tear).
Property renovation and improvement
If your property needs renovation to meet standards for renting, you may be able to get financial help.
You can get a non-repayable grant of up to £5,000 if you need to carry out improvements.
An additional non-repayable grant is available up to £5,000 to help with energy efficiency at the property.
If your property is classed as an empty home on council tax records, you may be eligible for an another £5,000 in renovation grants.
In total, you could get up to £15,000 in non-repayable grants on this scheme.
We will carry out a property survey and identify any need for improvements.
You can get your own quotations for the work with local contractors.
A full property inspection will be carried out before and after the work is complete.
Information needed from you
If you lease your property to us, you will need to provide:
- Gas Safety Certificate
- Electrical Safety certificate
- Energy Performance Certificate
- Asbestos survey (if available)
- Fire Risk Assessment (if available)
- Buildings insurance (including public liability)
- Confirmation that you have the appropriate insurance to take part in the scheme
- Written permission (by letter or email), confirming that your lender agrees to you taking part in the scheme for 5 years (if the property is mortgaged)
- A copy of the land registry certificate and plan
You will still be responsible for paying any service charges related to the property and for any external works to the property.
Our commitments
We are committed to providing the best possible service to you, our landlords in Cardiff.
By placing your property in our hands, you can be rest assured that our team will support you through the letting journey from start to finish.
We are committed to working in the best interests of you and your property.
A testimonial from one of our landlords who have used the service has said:
“We decided to rent our 1-bedroom flat through Cardiff Council’s Leasing Scheme.
Rent will be received whether the flat is occupied or not. Any problems will be dealt with by the Council leaving us free of any future concerns that may arise.
All in all, a headache free rental.”
Contact us
If you have any questions or want to discuss the benefits of each scheme, please contact us. We can also send you an expression of interest form.
- Tel: 02920 537 292
- Email: LETS@cardiff.gov.uk
- Visit us at Central Library Hub.
We host Cardiff’s Landlord Forum at County Hall. The forum takes place every 2 months. Visit the Rent Smart Wales to find out when the next landlord forum is.
Please complete the online form if you would like to be signed up to our landlord mailing list to get updates on:
- services,
- initiatives, and
- incentives.
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