This really depends on your circumstances, but landlords usually want to take possession of their property at some point. To be able to do this, we recommend an Assured Shorthold Tenancy so there’s always the opportunity for possession to be regained at the end of the tenancy.

It is up to you and we can guide you. You will usually get a higher rent for a furnished property, but there’s always the chance of wear and tear on your belongings. If you’re letting your own home (as opposed to an investment property), you’ll probably not want to run the risk of damage to your furniture. You will also need be aware of the cost of depreciation of furnishings, as well as complying with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

We usually recommend that you let your property for an initial period of six months, which is long enough to encourage enquiries but short enough to regain possession if the tenant turns out to be unsatisfactory. If you have a good tenant who wants to renew at the end of the first sixmonths, we usually suggest that the next tenancy is extended to a year, and this also reduces your administration fees.

It is impossible to guarantee to let any house in a specified period, but we know what we’re doing and we don’t hang about. We have always got tenants registered looking for a new home and while enquires are affected by market conditions, it also depends on the type of property, its location, the rent and sometimes, the restrictions around the tenancy. More expensive properties with conditions excluding pets, smoking, children may take longer to let. We look to find and qualify a suitable tenant for you within three to fourweeks. It depends on market conditions, but we may be able to let your property sooner. Call us to find out more.

Our experienced management team will guide you. The rent could vary depending on the supply and demand, but we know the market and we will maximise the return without pricing you out of the running.

We normally require all tenants to pay by standing order every month. Our accounts system has a direct link to our bank account, and we monitor the standing orders every working day. Standing orders are effectively cleared funds, and we will prepare your statement and send you the rent (minus our fees and any repair bills) directly to your account two days after the standing order has been received. The rent will be credited to your account two working days later. Tenants' cheque payments must be cleared and we always allow five working days before sending rent to you.

All prospective tenants are referenced through the Homelet Referencing Service which checks for County Court judgements, previous landlords’ references and employment history. Generally, we cannot recommend any tenant who fails this checking procedure, although there may be special circumstances where a tenant could still be accepted such as if they pay the full six months' rent in advance.

The answer is yes, but be aware that housing benefit is usually paid two or four weeks in arrears so your tenant will always be behind with the rent. The rent gets paid eventually but any change in the tenant's circumstances can lead to considerable delays. We normally recommend that a guarantor is provided, and that will be essential to potentially benefit from the Rental Warranty Insurance.

This is a matter of personal choice and if you’re really unlucky, the property may need flea dis-infestation and deodorising. We can usually include a special petclause in the agreement to give conditional consent to certain pets.

The tenant's deposit is held to cover the cost of any damage. In the unlikely event that there is damage, we hold the tenant’s deposit until the cost of repair is established and we refund the difference once the works are completed. If this is disputed by the tenant, it is passed to the Deposit Protection Scheme. We take preventative measures against damage and carry out regular inspections, the first being 12 weeks after the start of tenancy. It is usually possible to establish the nature of the tenant at that stage.

We recommend that a deposit equal to five weeks rent is taken including the 1 week holding deposit, as security against damage. We hold the deposit as members of the Deposit Protection Scheme and the money does not belong to the landlord. We only return it to the tenant at the end of the tenancy if you’re happy with the condition of the property. The Tenancy Deposit Scheme gives tenants the right to challenge retention and apply for independent arbitration of disputes.

With our Full Management Service, we will arrange the repairs for you using a reputable and competitively priced contractor from our own list, or we can use your own preferred supplier. Either way, we will attend to urgent problems, such as water leaks, defective central heating and electrical problems the same day, and other non-essential repairs will be dealt with within seven days. We will pay contractors, with your agreement, from rent received. With larger works, we may have to ask you to send additional funds. No additional charge will be made by us as this is part of our management service.

Under the Gas Safety Installation User Regulations 1994, all gas appliances (whether mains or bottled gas), let property must be checked annually by a CORGI registered tradesman and each appliance must be provided with a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate. It is a criminal offence not to have a valid certificate and you should also be aware of the need to comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

An EPC is an Energy Performance Certificate and as from 01/10/08 it is mandatory to have one before a property is marketed for sale or rent. It is prepared by an independent qualified assessor and rates the energy efficiency of the property and recommends appropriate improvements. It lasts for 10 years and costs approximately £50 - £75 depending on the property size.

You have a duty of care to your tenants to ensure that the electrical installation is safe and on a first letting, it is our policy to ask landlords to provide an up to date certificate from an NICEIC qualified contractor. We can arrange on your behalf – just ask. Charges vary around £80 plus VAT and experience tells us that most properties require some repairs or upgrading of the installation for which the testing contractor will give a separate price. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, you have a legal obligation to have all appliances tested annually at a cost of around £35 plus VAT.

Our letting only fee is 50% of one month's rent with a minimum of £375 plus VAT. If you use our Full Management Service, there is an initial setting up charge of £175 plus VAT and a monthly management fee once the property is let. Our Full Management fee is 12% of the monthly rent, plus VAT. We are always looking to offer special rates where a portfolio of property is managed and will be pleased to quote specific fees after inspection of your properties. Click "Charges" for details of other charges which may apply to different areas of the management of your property.

Tuffins is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the National Approved Lettings Scheme. In the unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with our service, we will do whatever we can to put matters right. If we can’t satisfy you, there is a grievance procedure which you can follow to independent adjudication and ultimately to either the RICS and NALS. As part of our commitment to excellence and the service we provide, we will help guide you through this if you wish.

Click here for Complaint Handling Procedure