Hi,
I am looking to rent a second home in Cornwall as a holiday let. I need to make a business plan to propose to the bank for a buy-to-let mortgage. I want to do small lets, the house sleeps 4/5, and also need to formulate a contract.
Does anyone know where I can find templates of such documents, or have any other advice of entering this market?
Many thanks, Reta
Holiday let in Cornwall
Welcome to the forum, Reta. 
Here are a couple of threads where we discussed this and people posted their own contracts which you could borrow from:
viewtopic.php?t=109
viewtopic.php?t=808
Here are a couple of threads where we discussed this and people posted their own contracts which you could borrow from:
viewtopic.php?t=109
viewtopic.php?t=808
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
Thanks everyone!
I will have to start work on a contract.
One worry I do have is getting the keys to the tenants. What is the standard way of doing this?
Thanks
Short lets of up to a week or so is what i'm looking at. No 6 month lets or anything like that.Hanorah wrote:Hi Reta are you planning long term rental or short lets? The two are very different.
I will have to start work on a contract.
One worry I do have is getting the keys to the tenants. What is the standard way of doing this?
Thanks
Assuming you live nowhere near the house there are a few options:Reta wrote:One worry I do have is getting the keys to the tenants. What is the standard way of doing this?
1. You will have a caretaker/cleaner nearby who can meet the renters with keys, or they can go to her house first to get the keys.
2. You post the keys before their stay.
3. You leave the key somewhere agreed, like under a plant pot.
4. At the property you have a locked box with the key in and when you send directions you include the combination for the padlock.
I use option 4 and it works very well. If you don't meet and greet you have to make sure you leave a folder with instructions for how everything works.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
Hi,
Option 4 looks preferable, though we would need to change to combination on a regular basis. There is a passage next to the house the box could be situated.
Is it frowned upon to not meet and greet the tenants?
We have a cleaner arranged who lives opposite the property, so leaving the keys with her is a possibility. No idea what sort of charge to expect, would £20 for a two hour clean be reasonable? We are getting a tumble drier fitted in the next few weeks for linen.
Right now the property has to be modernised, hopefully ready for the summer!
I'm very grateful for finding this forum, as you can tell i'm new to this so a little guidance is necessary!
Thanks
Option 4 looks preferable, though we would need to change to combination on a regular basis. There is a passage next to the house the box could be situated.
Is it frowned upon to not meet and greet the tenants?
We have a cleaner arranged who lives opposite the property, so leaving the keys with her is a possibility. No idea what sort of charge to expect, would £20 for a two hour clean be reasonable? We are getting a tumble drier fitted in the next few weeks for linen.
Right now the property has to be modernised, hopefully ready for the summer!
I'm very grateful for finding this forum, as you can tell i'm new to this so a little guidance is necessary!
Thanks
Hi Reta
I don't know how big the property is, but it would have to be very small for one person to get everything ready in two hours. People do not aways treat the property with respect, and cleaning ovens, windows, etc every changeover is not unusal.
Regarding the linen, it is far better to have two sets of linen for each bed and have your cleaner wash and iron them during the week. Trying to wash iron and re-make beds on the same day as cleaning is not generally a good idea. Even for a one bedroom property I wouldn't recommend it.
Ju
I don't know how big the property is, but it would have to be very small for one person to get everything ready in two hours. People do not aways treat the property with respect, and cleaning ovens, windows, etc every changeover is not unusal.
Regarding the linen, it is far better to have two sets of linen for each bed and have your cleaner wash and iron them during the week. Trying to wash iron and re-make beds on the same day as cleaning is not generally a good idea. Even for a one bedroom property I wouldn't recommend it.
Ju
No, it works fine for me. You have to make everything very easy to understand - email the directions along with maps, the exact location of the key (I include a photo of the lock-box), and leave instructions on how everything in the house works, where to go to buy essentials, get more firewood, etc.Reta wrote:Is it frowned upon to not meet and greet the tenants?
By the way, I would say that two hours is enough time to properly clean a very small property indeed, unless your cleaner has 6 arms.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
Hi Rena
We don't meet and greet, we post keys off with a map etc and have a binder full of tips and useful info about local services. Also have a binder with handbooks from vacuum, boiler and anything else that comes with a booklet.
Ours is a small cottage, 2 bedrooms. Dave and I do this ourselves on a Saturday, we strip and change beds together, i clean the kitchen and bathroom. Dave vacuums and dusts and we do what is needed in the garden. The time for the two of us varies from 1 hour if it has been left exceptionally clean and tidy (although I still can't resist wiping over the loo and bath again) to over 2 hours if we've had mucky folk or people who haven't cleaned up their dogs hairs very well.
I have 3 sets of linen for each bed. That way if I get a 2 week booking who I've left a change of bedding for I've got a clean set to take for the next guests. All gained through painfull experience!!! Good luck.
We don't meet and greet, we post keys off with a map etc and have a binder full of tips and useful info about local services. Also have a binder with handbooks from vacuum, boiler and anything else that comes with a booklet.
Ours is a small cottage, 2 bedrooms. Dave and I do this ourselves on a Saturday, we strip and change beds together, i clean the kitchen and bathroom. Dave vacuums and dusts and we do what is needed in the garden. The time for the two of us varies from 1 hour if it has been left exceptionally clean and tidy (although I still can't resist wiping over the loo and bath again) to over 2 hours if we've had mucky folk or people who haven't cleaned up their dogs hairs very well.
I have 3 sets of linen for each bed. That way if I get a 2 week booking who I've left a change of bedding for I've got a clean set to take for the next guests. All gained through painfull experience!!! Good luck.
Hi,
this is finally getting off the ground!
We've got our first 2 bookings for august, charging about 40% less than our competition. This is because the house isn't in a condition to warrant a full price, and they are friends of family.
We have also had a booking form & contract drawn up. If someone could check these over it would be appreciated!
Our next step is to develop the website (basic one at first) and improve the house.
Thanks!
this is finally getting off the ground!
We've got our first 2 bookings for august, charging about 40% less than our competition. This is because the house isn't in a condition to warrant a full price, and they are friends of family.
We have also had a booking form & contract drawn up. If someone could check these over it would be appreciated!
Our next step is to develop the website (basic one at first) and improve the house.
Thanks!