Landlords Rent & Property Manager User Guide for Version 8 Award Winning Software – Designed by Landlords for Landlords. www.propertyportfoliosoftware.co.uk Copyright 2005-2011 Tax Portal Ltd
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Landlords Rent &
Property Manager
User Guide for Version 8
Award Winning Software – Designed by Landlords
for Landlords.
www.propertyportfoliosoftware.co.uk
Copyright 2005-2011 Tax Portal Ltd
Copyright notice Copyright © 2011 Property Portfolio Software. All rights reserved.
Except where expressly stated to the contrary, copyright in the text, graphics and information contained
in this publication is owned by Property Portfolio Software.
Permanent copying of the information contained herein or reproduction or incorporation of any part of it
in any other work or publication whether paper or electronic media or any other form is expressly
prohibited.
Notice specific to the document Permission to use this document is granted, provided that,
the copyright notice (shown above) appears in all copies,
use of documents is for non-commercial use only, and,
no modification of documentation is made.
This permission may be revoked at any time by Property Portfolio Software.
Limited warranty Property Portfolio Software makes no warranty about the suitability of the information contained in this
document for a particular purpose.
Limit of liability The entire risk as to the contents of the documents is with you. In no event shall Property Portfolio
Software be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages whatsoever including, without
limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, or any other pecuniary loss, arising
out of the use of information contained on this document.
Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.
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Contents
1 Installing and Registering Your Software ............................................................................................ 1
1.1 Installing Your Software ............................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Registering Your Software.......................................................................................................... 1
1.2.1 Registering On-line ............................................................................................................ 2
1.2.2 Registering by Email .......................................................................................................... 2
2 Portfolio Management.......................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Create/Edit Portfolio ................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Select Portfolio ........................................................................................................................... 4
2.3 Portfolio Wizard.......................................................................................................................... 4
3 Property Manager ................................................................................................................................. 5
3.1 Property Details .......................................................................................................................... 6
3.1.1 Main Information ............................................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 Utility & Insurance ............................................................................................................. 7
3.1.3 Safety Certificates .............................................................................................................. 8
3.1.4 Letting Agent ..................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.5 Property Tasks .................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.6 Gallery ................................................................................................................................ 9
3.1.7 Property Documents ........................................................................................................... 9
3.2 Maintenance and Repairs .......................................................................................................... 10
3.2.1 10% Wear & Tear Allowance .......................................................................................... 10
3.2.2 Maintenance & Repairs .................................................................................................... 10
3.2.3 Furnishing ........................................................................................................................ 11
3.2.4 Fixtures and Fittings ......................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Purchasing & Selling Details .................................................................................................... 12
3.3.1 Purchase Details ............................................................................................................... 12
3.3.2 Selling Details .................................................................................................................. 13
3.4 Rents, Rates & Insurance .......................................................................................................... 14
3.4.1 Rents................................................................................................................................. 14
3.4.2 Rates ................................................................................................................................. 15
3.4.3 Insurance .......................................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Services, Wages & Travel ......................................................................................................... 18
3.5.1 Services & Wages ............................................................................................................ 18
3.5.2 Travel ............................................................................................................................... 19
3.6 Professional, Legal and Other Costs ......................................................................................... 19
3.7 Other Income ............................................................................................................................ 19
3.8 Search ....................................................................................................................................... 19
4 Tenant Manager ................................................................................................................................. 21
4.1 Tenant Details ........................................................................................................................... 22
4.1.1 Main Information ............................................................................................................. 22
4.1.2 Identity and Address......................................................................................................... 22
Contents
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4.1.3 Referees and Emergencies ............................................................................................... 22
4.1.4 Application Form ............................................................................................................. 22
4.2 Tenancy Details ........................................................................................................................ 23
4.2.1 Create a New Tenancy ..................................................................................................... 23
4.2.2 Edit the Details of an Existing Tenancy ........................................................................... 26
4.2.3 Delete Current Tenancy ................................................................................................... 26
4.2.4 Delete Previous Tenancy .................................................................................................. 26
4.2.5 Rolling Tenancies ............................................................................................................. 26
4.2.6 Change Rent ..................................................................................................................... 27
4.2.7 Check-in / Check-out ....................................................................................................... 27
4.3 Rent Schedule ........................................................................................................................... 29
4.3.2 Add New Payment ........................................................................................................... 32
4.4 Tenant Manager - Tenant Charges ............................................................................................ 34
4.4.1 Print Invoice ..................................................................................................................... 35
4.4.2 Delete Payment ................................................................................................................ 35
4.5 Tenant Manager - Tenant Reports............................................................................................. 35
4.5.1 Tenant Welcome Pack ...................................................................................................... 35
4.5.2 Tenant Payment History ................................................................................................... 35
4.5.3 Overdue Rents Report ...................................................................................................... 36
4.6 Mail Merge ............................................................................................................................... 36
4.6.1 Creating Your Own Templates ......................................................................................... 36
4.6.2 Process the Communications ........................................................................................... 37
4.6.3 Process and Print .............................................................................................................. 38
4.6.4 Process and e-Mail ........................................................................................................... 38
4.7 Legal Documents ...................................................................................................................... 40
4.7.1 Inventory List ................................................................................................................... 40
4.7.2 Tenancy Deposit Protection Form .................................................................................... 41
4.7.3 Bank Standing Order Mandate ......................................................................................... 41
4.7.4 Section 8 Notice ............................................................................................................... 41
4.7.5 Rent Increase - Including Section 13 Notice (England) ................................................... 42
4.7.6 Tenancy Extension ........................................................................................................... 42
4.7.7 Rent Demand Letter ......................................................................................................... 42
4.7.8 Reference Requirements .................................................................................................. 42
4.7.9 Tenancy Agreement (Furnished or Unfurnished) ............................................................. 43
4.7.10 Tenant Deposit Receipt .................................................................................................... 43
4.7.11 Routine Visit Letter .......................................................................................................... 43
4.7.12 Section 21 Notice ............................................................................................................. 44
4.7.13 Tenant Manager - Global Invoices & Receipts ................................................................ 44
4.8 DSS Payments Tutorial ............................................................................................................. 44
4.8.1 Method 1: Monthly Payment Interval .............................................................................. 44
4.8.2 Method 2: The Irregular Payment Interval ....................................................................... 46
5 Finance Manager ................................................................................................................................ 48
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5.1 Finance Overview ..................................................................................................................... 48
5.1.1 Offset Interest Against Rental Income ............................................................................. 49
5.1.2 Closing a Mortgage .......................................................................................................... 49
5.1.3 Viewing Expired Mortgages ............................................................................................ 49
5.1.4 Payment Details ............................................................................................................... 49
5.2 Finance Details ......................................................................................................................... 50
5.3 Finance Costs ............................................................................................................................ 51
6 Income Tax Calculator ....................................................................................................................... 52
6.1 Report Notes: ............................................................................................................................ 52
6.1.1 Rental Income .................................................................................................................. 52
6.1.2 Expenditure ...................................................................................................................... 53
7 Contact Management ......................................................................................................................... 54
7.1 Import Contacts ......................................................................................................................... 54
7.2 Export Contacts ......................................................................................................................... 55
8 Report Manager ................................................................................................................................. 56
8.1 Property Details ........................................................................................................................ 57
8.2 Mortgage/Loan Analyser .......................................................................................................... 58
8.3 Capital Gains Analyser ............................................................................................................. 59
8.4 Equity and Yield Analyser ........................................................................................................ 60
8.5 Mortgage Broker Summary ...................................................................................................... 61
8.6 Cost History Report .................................................................................................................. 62
8.7 Profit & Loss Report ................................................................................................................. 63
8.8 Cashflow Analyser .................................................................................................................... 64
8.9 Property Tasks .......................................................................................................................... 64
8.10 Portfolio Income Assessment .................................................................................................... 65
8.11 Valuation Analyser ................................................................................................................... 66
8.12 Cashflow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 67
8.13 Rental Income Report ............................................................................................................... 68
8.14 Property Occupancy Report ...................................................................................................... 69
9 Portfolio Snapshot .............................................................................................................................. 70
9.1 Property Overview .................................................................................................................... 70
9.2 Arrears & Warnings .................................................................................................................. 70
9.3 Portfolio Income ....................................................................................................................... 71
9.4 Valuation & Yield ..................................................................................................................... 71
9.5 Cashflow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 72
10 Early Warning System ....................................................................................................................... 73
10.1 View EW Events ....................................................................................................................... 73
10.2 Edit EW Events ......................................................................................................................... 74
11 The Preferences Menu ....................................................................................................................... 75
11.1 Backup Settings ........................................................................................................................ 75
11.2 Early Warning & Summary ...................................................................................................... 75
11.3 Rent Warnings .......................................................................................................................... 76
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11.4 Rolling Tenancies ..................................................................................................................... 77
11.5 Report Headers ......................................................................................................................... 78
11.6 Costs and Prices ........................................................................................................................ 79
11.6.1 View All Costs ................................................................................................................. 79
11.6.2 Equity & Yield Analyser .................................................................................................. 80
11.7 Proxy Settings ........................................................................................................................... 80
11.8 Database Connection Settings ................................................................................................... 81
12 Networking Options ........................................................................................................................... 82
12.1 Firewall Settings ....................................................................................................................... 83
12.1.1 Router Settings / Port Forwarding .................................................................................... 83
12.2 Connecting to a Remote Database Server Within a LAN ......................................................... 84
12.3 Connecting to a Remote Database Server Over the Internet ..................................................... 84
12.4 Running Landlords Property Manager for the First Time After a Client Mode Installation ..... 84
12.5 Changing the Database Password ............................................................................................. 85
12.6 Reinstalling the Software on a Server ....................................................................................... 85
12.7 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................ 85
13 System Backup and Restore ............................................................................................................... 87
13.1 Backup Database ....................................................................................................................... 87
13.1.1 Backup Recommendations ............................................................................................... 87
13.1.2 Backup Reminder ............................................................................................................. 87
13.2 Restore Database ....................................................................................................................... 87
13.2.1 Restoring to a New Computer .......................................................................................... 87
13.2.2 Please note... ..................................................................................................................... 87
13.3 Importing Your Database from the Non-network Version ....................................................... 88
14 Hints and Tips .................................................................................................................................... 89
14.1 Help ........................................................................................................................................... 89
14.2 Sorting ....................................................................................................................................... 89
14.3 Adding Entries .......................................................................................................................... 89
14.4 View All Costs .......................................................................................................................... 90
14.5 Smart Print Function ................................................................................................................. 90
15 Automatic Updates ............................................................................................................................. 92
15.1 Automatic Check for Updates ................................................................................................... 92
15.2 Manually Checking for Updates ............................................................................................... 92
15.3 Downloading Updates ............................................................................................................... 92
16 Rollback to Previous Version ............................................................................................................ 93
16.1 Manual Rollback ....................................................................................................................... 93
17 Support Services ................................................................................................................................ 94
17.1 Support Manager ....................................................................................................................... 94
17.1.1 Consult the Help File........................................................................................................ 95
17.1.2 View the Video Tutorials ................................................................................................. 95
17.1.3 FAQ and How to Tutorials ............................................................................................... 95
17.1.4 Submit a Support Ticket ................................................................................................... 95
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17.1.5 Contact Support by Phone ................................................................................................ 95
17.1.6 Tell Us What You Think .................................................................................................. 95
17.1.7 Partner Services ................................................................................................................ 95
17.2 Priority Support Service ............................................................................................................ 95
Installing Your Software
1
1 Installing and Registering Your Software
1.1 Installing Your Software If you have downloaded the software, click the Setup file and the software will automatically
install.
Alternatively, if you have purchased the CD version, insert the CD into your laptop/desktop
and the software will automatically install.
It is always recommended to install the software using the “default” setting, which can be
chosen from the installation menu.
1.2 Registering Your Software After the application has been purchased and installed it must be registered (licensed) within
30 days. If it has not been registered within this timeframe then the application will be locked
and you will not be able to use it until it has been registered.
Each time the un-registered (trial) version is launched a registration reminder box is
displayed.
After clicking on the Register button you will be taken to the registration form:
The registration screen can also be called up at anytime from within the application by using
the following menu path: Help -> Register.
Registering the software is easy.
Please click the link below to see how the software is licensed:
Installing and Registering Your Software
2
>> Licence Software
1.2.1 Registering On-line This can be used if you are connected to the Internet.
The automatic (online) registration can be initiated by entering a valid email address and
pressing the Request online button. The email address entered must match the one used for
purchasing the software.
Your license key will then automatically be sent immediately to the email address provided.
1.2.2 Registering by Email You can also register by email.
Please send the following information to [email protected]:
Name
Date of purchase
Email address used when the software was purchased
The Client Unique Key that is displayed in the screen above.
Your license key will then be emailed to you within 2 working days.
Create/Edit Portfolio
3
2 Portfolio Management
The Portfolio Management functionality allows you to create multiple portfolios based on
criteria of your choice. For example you may want to create a portfolio based on property
ownership, for different areas or countries or for even different types.
You can create an unlimited number of portfolios in the software, and for each portfolio you
can create an unlimited number of properties. This means that you have no restriction to the
number of properties that can be managed in Landlords Property Manager.
There are two key activities you can carry out here:
2.1 Create/Edit Portfolio If you select the Edit Portfolio option from the Portfolio Management menu path you will be
able to create a new portfolio or maintain an existing one.
This screen shows a list of all the current portfolios. You can create a new portfolio by
pressing the Add button.
The key data entered when creating/maintaining your portfolios are:
Landlord information (e.g. landlord name and contact details)
Password - if you want to add a password to your portfolio then you can enter it here.
Portfolio Management
4
Ownership type - here you can detail if the property is privately owned or owned
within a company.
Portfolio Currency - here you can select which currency is to be used for the entire
portfolio. For example you can use GBP, USD, EURO, etc. The currency selected for the
portfolio will be used and displayed throughout that specific portfolio
Default - here you specify whether the portfolio is the one displayed when the
software is loaded.
It is important to note that the landlord information entered here will be printed on the
Tenant Welcome Pack report.
2.2 Select Portfolio If you choose the Select Portfolio option from the Portfolio Management menu path then you
can change to a different portfolio. The details of the selected portfolio will then be loaded.
2.3 Portfolio Wizard The Portfolio Wizard is the fastest way to create a portfolio. This easy to use, four step
function allows you to create your portfolio, property, tenant and assign a mortgage/loan in
less than 2 minutes!
The whole purpose of the Portfolio Wizard is to speed up the process for creating your
portfolio.
You can call the wizard up at anytime by choosing the Run Wizard from the Portfolio Wizard
menu path.
When you first start the software the Portfolio Wizard will be displayed. You simply enter the
information as prompted on the screens and your portfolio, first property, tenant and
tenancy will be automatically created.
Portfolio Wizard
5
3 Property Manager
The Property Manager functionality is used to capture all the essential information about
your investment property. In this section it is possible for you to enter the following details
about your property:
Property Details
Maintenance & Repairs
Purchase & Selling
Rents, Rates & Insurance
Services, Wages and Travel
Professional, Legal & Other Costs
Other Income
The screen is split into two main sections.
The top half of the screen is used to enter the various property details. This is known as the
Data Entry area.
The bottom half of the screen simply displays a list of all the properties. By highlighting a
property in this list the details will then be displayed in the top half of the screen.
The list of properties can be sorted by:
Property name
Property type
Furnishing method, etc.
Property Manager
6
3.1 Property Details The Property Details screen is split into the following sections:
Main Information
Utility & Insurance
Safety Certificates
Letting Agent
Property Tasks
Property Gallery
Property Documents
3.1.1 Main Information The Main Information screen allows you to capture all of the essential data for your property.
Here you can capture the following key pieces of information:
3.1.1.1 Property & Address This is where you will enter the address and construction details of the property. You are also
able to specify:
Property Type - i.e. detached, semi-detached or flat, etc.
Furnishing - whether the property is offered unfurnished, part-furnished or fully
furnished.
3.1.1.2 Rooms Here you can define the number of rooms in the property and the dimensions of each room.
There is a simple in-built Dimension Converter which converts metres to feet or vice versa.
If the Is Habitable Room flag is set, this means that this particular room can be lived out of by
a person. This feature is relevant where you let out the individual rooms in your property (i.e.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)). If this is the case then you will assign a tenant to this
room in the Tenancy Details Section.
Property Details
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3.1.1.3 Sales Price Analysis Want to know what properties close to your portfolio have been selling for?
We have now integrated the software with the Hometrack Online sales
reporting system.
Just click on the Hometrack Property Prices button and you'll be provided with a
comprehensive list of exactly what properties have sold for in the past few years.
3.1.2 Utility & Insurance The Utility & Insurance screen is used for capturing information that is going to be vital to
you (the landlord) and also your tenant, when they decide to move into the property.
It is used for entering the following information:
3.1.2.1 Utilities In this section you are able to enter the details for suppliers who provide utilities (i.e. gas,
water, electricity) to the property. By entering these details here you will save yourself
valuable time when a new tenant takes up occupation of the property.
This is because the details of the utility supplier will be automatically printed on the Tenant
Welcome Pack report if you select the Print option for the supplier.
3.1.2.2 Insurance In this section you can enter details of all the insurance policies that are associated with the
property.
Examples of insurance policies include: buildings, contents, central heating breakdown,
electrical appliance breakdown, etc.
Again you can decide whether you want the insurance policy details to print on the Tenant
Welcome Pack report.
For example, you may want your Central Heating Breakdown insurance details to print on the
Tenant Welcome Pack report. Then, if a breakdown occurs, the tenants can call the insurance
company out themselves. If this is the case then you set the Print indicator on the form.
However, you may not want your buildings insurance policy to be printed on the report as it
is for your personal use. If this is the case then you will not set the Print indicator on the
form.
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3.1.2.3 Early Warning System Integration Just to make sure that you do not forget to renew your different insurance policies, they have
been integrated into the Early Warning System.
This means that you are able to specify how far from the policy expiry date you would like to
be notified about the renewal.
3.1.3 Safety Certificates The Safety Certificates section is used to record the details of all certificates that have been
issued for the property.
For example, you are required by law to have a gas safety certificate for the property. You
may also have other certificates including an electrical safety certificate.
The details of the certificate can be recorded here and you can specify whether you want the
certificate details to print on the Tenant Welcome Pack report.
3.1.3.1 Early Warning System Integration Just to make sure that you do not forget to renew your safety certificates, they have been
integrated into the Early Warning System.
This means that you are able to specify how far from the certificate expiry date you would like
to be reminded about the renewal.
3.1.4 Letting Agent The Letting Agent screen is used to capture details of the advertising text that you use to
promote your property to prospective tenants.
3.1.5 Property Tasks The Property Tasks screen is a task management solution, where you are able to assign tasks
to a property. For example if you want to remember to replace items of furniture in a
property then you can enter a task here. When creating a task you can enter the following
information:
Property
Date Due
Priority
Task Completed
Notes
Here you are able to add/edit and delete tasks. The tasks that are entered here are then
displayed in the Property Tasks screen in the Early Warning System.
Property Details
9
3.1.6 Gallery The Gallery section allows you to upload pictures of a property to create a visual record of the
property as an aid to memory. You can create a library of images of the rooms within a
property, chart the progress of repair or maintenance work being done, or record damages to
be repaired for future reference.
You can use any digital camera, or scan in any photograph, so long as that image is stored in
JPEG format (the standard image file format).
Click on the Add Image button and browse to the location of the image on your hard drive, or
on your camera‖s hard drive.
Add a Name for the image and, if necessary, a brief description. The name and description will
appear in the table to the left of the image pane.
When you have finished, click on the Add button to add the image to the library.
Images must be added to each property separately. To add an image to another property,
select that property from the list in the lower half of the screen and click on the Add Image
button, as before.
3.1.6.1 Gallery Backup To back up the gallery, go to the File menu and select Backup. The gallery of images associated
with a property can be backed up by selecting the Back up property gallery images check box
at the bottom of the dialogue box.
To restore the gallery, go to File,select Restore and then choose the Restore Gallery tab.
3.1.7 Property Documents The Property Documents section allows you to upload your own documents and records and
store them in the Property Manager program. You can upload electronic documents and files,
including documents that you have scanned in using a scanner. When uploaded, the
documents will be held in the database against the particular property which you selected
from the list of properties in the lower half of the screen.
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3.2 Maintenance and Repairs The Maintenance and Repairs screen is used to capture any costs that have been incurred
whilst maintaining the property. It is also used to capture the costs of any furnishings or
fixtures and fittings.
3.2.1 10% Wear & Tear Allowance If you have indicated that the property is fully furnished on the Property Details screen, then
you will be able to claim the 10% wear & tear allowance on your income tax return.
If you indicated that the property was unfurnished or part-furnished then you will not be
allowed to use the 10% wear & tear allowance. In such circumstances the following message
will be displayed in the top right of the screen 'Property must be fully furnished to claim 10%
Wear & Tear‖.
3.2.2 Maintenance & Repairs If you have made any major or minor maintenance repairs to the property then they can be
added here. An example of a repair could include the fixing of a broken door.
For this type of cost you can enter the following key information:
The amount paid.
Date of expense - When the work was carried out. For example if the work was
carried out in March 2005, but was billed in May 2005, you enter the March 2005 date
here.
Whether the cost was internal (i.e. inside the property) or external (i.e. outside the
property).
Whether the cost is a Capital Cost. If the cost has increased the value of the house i.e.
a new extension has been made then tick this box. Capital costs are not offset against
the property‖s rental income. Instead they are offset against the property‖s capital
gain when you decide to sell it.
Maintenance and Repairs
11
3.2.3 Furnishing If you have purchased any furniture or soft furnishings for a property then you can enter the
costs here. A furnishing is an item that tenants would be expected to supply themselves in an
unfurnished property. Examples can include curtains, carpets, dining table & chairs,
television etc.
You are only likely to enter costs here if you are providing a fully furnished or part-furnished
property. For this type of cost you can enter the following key information:
The amount paid.
Date of expense - When the goods were delivered or received by the landlord, even
though the landlord paid for them at a later date. Example, John buys a new sofa in
January 2005 for £1,200 and it is delivered on 5th March 2005. He buys it on 6 months
interest free credit, which means that payment is due on 1st July 2005. However the
date entered here is the 5th March as this is the day when the goods were delivered.
Whether the cost was internal (i.e. inside the property) or external (i.e. outside the
property).
The cost type:
Initial cost - If the cost was made for a furnishing item that was not previously in the
property then tick this box. For example, you bought a new bed for a fully-furnished
property when there was no bed previously in the property
Renewal cost - If the cost is replacing another furnishing that was already in the
property then select this option. For example, if you are replacing a washing machine
with a new washing machine then this cost will be classed as a renewal cost.
3.2.4 Fixtures and Fittings Fixtures and fittings are those items that a tenant would not be expected to bring into a
property. The fixture and fittings form an integral part of the property and would be supplied
whether the property is fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished. Examples include
doors, windows, kitchen units and gas central heating systems.
If any such fixtures and fittings are replaced then the costs will be maintained in this sub-
form. For this type of cost you can enter the following key information:
The amount paid.
Date of expense - When the work was carried out. For example if the work was
carried out in March 2005, but was billed in May 2005, you enter the March 2005 date
here.
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Whether the cost is a Capital Cost. If the cost has increased the value of the house i.e.
a new extension has been made then tick this box. Capital costs are not offset against
the property‖s rental income. Instead they are offset against the property‖s capital
gain when you decide to sell it.
3.3 Purchasing & Selling Details The Purchasing & Selling Screen allows you to capture all purchasing and selling related
information for your property. Here you can capture the following key pieces of information.
Purchase Details
Selling Details
3.3.1 Purchase Details The Purchase Details screen is used to capture key information about when you purchased the
property.
You capture the date that the property was purchased and the amount the property was
purchased for.
You will also indicate if the property has multiple owners. If this is the case then you must
indicate the number of people who own the property.
For example, if the property has been jointly purchased between husband and wife then you
will enter '2'.
3.3.1.1 Purchasing Costs When a property is purchased you will also incur expenditures as part of the property
purchase. Landlords Property Manager allows you to record these expenditures in this section
as well.
By recording these expenditures you can see the true cost of your purchase. More
importantly you will have a record of these purchase costs so that when you come to sell your
property several years down the line you will be able to offset them against your capital gain.
On the example screenshot below you can see the costs that have been added when a
property was purchased.
This benefit of tracking purchase expenditures alone pays for the cost of Landlords Property
Manager several times over, as quite often landlords can misplace receipts or forget about the
purchase costs at the time of sale. This of course means paying too much in property taxes.
Purchasing & Selling Details
13
The typical costs incurred when buying the property include solicitor costs, surveyor costs,
stamp duty costs, etc.
These costs have already been maintained for you in the Description drop-down menu but
you are free to enter your own descriptions as well.
The Capital Gains Analyser report will show you the total capital gain that you have made on
your portfolio.
3.3.1.2 Property Deposits To assist in keeping track of all added costs of acquiring properties, you can enter the deposit
amounts in this section.
3.3.2 Selling Details The Selling Details screen is used to capture key information about when you sold the
property.
You capture the date the property was sold and the amount the property was sold for.
3.3.2.1 Valuations With the way property prices have been increasing over the past few years, you will want to
keep a track of the value of your property.
By entering a recent valuation you will be able to see an up-to-date valuation of your entire
portfolio using the Portfolio Equity and Yield Analyser report.
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3.3.2.2 Selling Costs You can also build up a list of all the costs that were associated with selling the property.
Make sure that you keep this section up-to-date, as you will want to offset these costs against
your capital gains tax bill when you decide to sell your property.
The typical costs incurred when selling a property include solicitor costs, estate agency costs,
stamp duty costs, etc.
These costs have already been created for you in the Description drop-down menu but you
are free to enter your own descriptions as well.
The Property Profit Analyser report will show you the total capital gain that you have made
on your property.
3.4 Rents, Rates & Insurance This screen is used to capture the costs of any rents, rates or insurance premiums that have
been paid by you.
3.4.1 Rents If the landlord is liable to pay any rent for the property then it is entered here.
The typical rent you are likely to pay will be ground rent if the property is leasehold.
If the property is classed as a leasehold property then you can enter all of the amounts that
were paid and when they were paid in the Payments section.
Rents, Rates & Insurance
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3.4.2 Rates If you are responsible for paying any property rates i.e. water rates or council tax then you
will enter the costs here. Usually the tenant will be expected to pay all such costs. However in
certain circumstances you might be expected to pay them yourself, especially if the property
has been empty for a while.
For this type of cost you can enter the following key information:
The type of rate (i.e. electricity, water, etc)
The amount paid for the rate
Date of Expense & End Date. These two dates are entered for the period the rate was
supplied for. For example if John pays Council tax when the property was empty
between 01/01/2005 and 28/02/2005, then:
Date of Expense = 01/01/2005
End Date = 28/02/2005
If the cost is paid monthly then you will select the Monthly Cost flag. For example if it
is paid on a monthly direct debit or standing order by you then select this flag.
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If the ―Cost included in rent‖ flag is set then it means that although you are paying this rate
(which would normally be borne by the tenant), it has been factored into the rent that is
being charged.
For example: You have a property that you let for £600 with bills included. In this instance
you would set the flag for the rates which are included in the rental agreement - such as
gas, electricity and water rates etc.
If the flag is not set then it is assumed that the cost was incurred when a property was
empty, i.e. between lets, as this is when a landlord would be expected to pay such bills on a
property.
It is important that if you are paying for such a rate, which would normally be borne by
the tenant, then it is recorded in this way, as it is excluded from the 10% Wear & Tear
calculation if you are claiming it.
3.4.3 Insurance If you have any insurance policies for the property, or contents contained within it, then the
costs of the policies will be entered here. Examples of insurance can include buildings &
contents insurance, gas servicing insurance, electrical insurance, etc.
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For this type of cost you can enter the following key information:
The description of the policy (i.e. building & contents, etc)
The premium paid for the policy
Date of Expense & End Date. These two dates are entered for the period the policy is
valid for. For example if in 2005 Lisa pays £250 in one lump sum for her buildings
insurance which runs from the start of the year till the end of the year, then:
Date of Expense = 01/01/2005
End Date = 31/12/2005
If you are paying a monthly premium, perhaps on a monthly direct debit or standing
order, you then tick the Monthly Cost flag.
The value of the policy. This is particularly helpful if you have buildings insurance
and want to record how much the property is insured for.
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3.5 Services, Wages & Travel The Services, Wages & Travel screen is used to capture any costs you incur for services
provided to you, wages paid by you and travel journeys you have made.
3.5.1 Services & Wages If you are provided with a service then you will record the cost here. A service can include
paying a cleaner (i.e. in between property lets) or a gardener on a more permanent basis.
Also, if you employ anybody in relation to your property then again the cost is entered here.
For example you may employ a general maintenance person for the upkeep of your property
where you pay a fixed annual or monthly payment.
You can enter the following key information:
The description of the services provided (i.e. gardener, cleaning etc)
The cost of the service
Date of Expense & End Date. These two dates are entered for the period the services
or work was provided.
If you are paying a monthly cost then you will select this flag. For example if it is paid
on a monthly direct debit or standing order by you then select the Monthly Cost flag.
If the Service provided for tenant flag is set then it means that although you are paying
this rate (which would normally be borne by the tenant), it has been factored into the rent
that is being charged.
For example: You have a property that you let for £700 per month. You have a gardener for
the property who you pay £50 per month. This is a cost that would normally be borne by
the tenant and therefore you would set the Service provided for tenant flag.
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It is important that if you are paying for a cost that would normally be borne by the tenant
it is recorded in this way, as it is excluded from the 10% Wear & Tear calculation if you are
claiming it.
3.5.2 Travel If you incur any travelling costs relating directly to your property then you can enter these
costs here. For example, you can enter the cost of petrol or train tickets where you have had
to visit the property.
3.6 Professional, Legal and Other Costs This screen is used to capture legal and professional costs (e.g. solicitor fees for removing a
tenant) that you have incurred in relation to the letting of your property.
It is also used to capture all other costs (e.g. buying stationery, etc) that you have incurred
relating directly to your property.
3.7 Other Income The Other Income screen is used to capture the details of any other income that has been
received from land or property.
Please Note: Any income that has been received from tenants living in the property is
captured under the Tenant Manager section.
The amount of income entered here will be considered in the Income Tax reports.
To understand what other sources of income can be entered here please refer to the following
two links:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/pimmanual/PIM1051.htm
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/pimmanual/piml200.htm
Alternatively please refer to:
http://www.propertyportfoliosoftware.co.uk/
3.8 Search The Search function allows you to search for expenditure.
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For example if you are tracking through your records and have found a receipt with an
amount on it, then you can search for the amount and it will tell you which property is has
been assigned to.
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4 Tenant Manager
The Tenant Manager functionality is used to capture all the essential information about your
tenant's property. In this section it is possible for you to:
Capture Tenant Details
Maintain the Tenancy Details
Maintain the Rent Schedule
Maintain Tenant Charges
Generate the Tenant Welcome Pack Report
Produce the Tenant Payment History Report
Maintain the Rent Management
The screen is split into two main sections.
In the top half of the screen you will enter data about tenants, the tenancies and the rent
payments. The bottom half of the screen provides a list of all the tenants that have been
created in the system. By clicking on a tenant in the bottom half of the screen, the details will
be displayed above. The list of tenants can be sorted by:
First Name
Last Name
Property
Rental Amount
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Term (i.e. monthly, weekly, etc)
Start Date, and
End Date
4.1 Tenant Details The Tenant Details screen is used for capturing information about your tenants. It is used for
entering the following information:
4.1.1 Main Information In this section it is possible to enter the contact details of the tenant including:
Name and occupation details
On this screen you will also enter the property that the tenant is living in, if they have already
signed an agreement with you.
4.1.2 Identity and Address In this section you will enter the information that has been provided to you by the tenant in
order to verify them. Here you will enter the following:
Previous address details for the tenant
Identification (e.g. passport, driving licence details) for the tenant
Other important information you have found out about the tenant i.e. smoking,
convictions, etc
4.1.3 Referees and Emergencies This screen is used to record information about referees who have been contacted to provide
a reference for the tenant, and also emergency contact details.
4.1.4 Application Form If you press the Application Form button, a report will then be produced. This report is the
tenant application form and can be printed off and used to help in the tenant decision-making
process.
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You are also able to scan in a copy of the application form and hold it against the tenant.
4.1.4.1 Tenant Journal Communication is one of the key ingredients to the success of any business and we‖ve now
made it easier for you to record all of your tenant communication in the Tenant Manager >
Tenant Journal module.
Whatever kind of communication you want to record, be it a property visit, an email, a
telephone call or even a text message, it can now be recorded and logged within the software.
Your Landlord Property Manager software becomes your notepad and you can also attach and
store any documents or letters that have been issued to a tenant.
The journal makes it possible for you to have every event or instance recorded/ documented
should you need to refer to it in the future.
An example of how a typical Tenant Journal may look is shown below:
4.2 Tenancy Details The Tenancy Details screen is used for recording all the details about the tenancies. Here you
can:
Create a new tenancy
Edit the details of an existing tenancy
Delete current and/or previous tenancies
Create a Tenancy Agreement
4.2.1 Create a New Tenancy When you decide to enter into an agreement with a tenant he/she will need to be set up in
the system. To associate a tenant with a property you use the Create New Tenancy button.
This screen has five forms:
4.2.1.1 Primary Tenant Details This form is used to capture the details of the primary tenant and set up the details of the
tenancy agreement. When assigning a tenant to a property you will need to enter the
following key data:
The property the tenant is assigned to.
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The room the tenant is assigned to. If you have Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
properties then you may well want to assign the tenant to a particular room.
If you decide to use the Early Warning System then here you specify how many weeks
before the tenancy expires that you want to be notified.
You enter the start date and the end date of the tenancy.
The rent that is due for the duration of the tenancy.
The payment term for the tenancy. The tenant may pay weekly, monthly, quarterly
or in irregular payments (for example, students who pay at the end of each academic
term).
The amount of deposit that has been paid.
The rolling tenancy flag can be set if you want the tenancy to automatically extend
when the initial term of the tenancy is over. See Rolling Tenancies to see how this
feature works.
The change rent button allows you to change the rental amount of an existing
tenancy agreement mid-tenancy, without having to recreate the tenancy again. For
further details on this feature go to the Change Rent help page.
The first rent due date is the date when the rent is due. By default this value will be
the same as the start date.
However, when a tenant moves into a property, the rent due date is not always the same
re-occurrence of the start date.
Example - If a monthly tenancy runs from 14/01/2010 to 13/07/2010 the rent will not
necessarily always be due on the 14th of every month.
The first rent due date could be set as 01/02/2010. This means that the rent schedule
would create monthly entries thereafter for 01/03/2010, 01/04/2010, etc.
When you have entered all the data, you must click Save at the top of the dialogue box in
order to save the information and create a rent schedule.
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When you click the Save button, a message will be displayed: "Tenant rent schedule created".
This message indicates that payment entries have been automatically created for the duration
of the agreement. These are held in the Rent Schedule section.
4.2.1.2 Guarantor You are now able to assign guarantors to a tenancy and have their details automatically
prefilled on the tenancy agreement.
Enter the full contact details of the guarantor here. If the guarantor has already been created
as a contact in the software then you can choose from the drop down list of contacts and the
guarantor details will automatically be pre-filled.
4.2.1.3 Other Tenant Details It is possible to have multiple names on the tenancy agreement. In this section you select the
names of the additional tenants that you would like to assign to the tenancy. Additional
tenants are referred to as secondary tenants and will be listed as Secondary Tenants in the
Tenancy Status column in the bottom half of the Tenant Manager screen.
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4.2.1.4 Tenancy Deposit In this section you can record the protection details given to the tenant‖s deposit according to
the requirements of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme legislation.
4.2.1.5 Utilities In this section you can record utility readings as they were at the beginning of the new
tenancy. You also have the option to add custom fields (by clicking on the [...] button). This
information is printed on the Tenant Welcome Pack.
4.2.2 Edit the Details of an Existing Tenancy Once a tenancy has been created you are then able to make the following key changes to the
agreement:
a) Lengthen or shorten the duration of the tenancy by changing the end date. If you do this,
payment records in the Rent Schedule will automatically be created or deleted.
For example if you lengthen the tenancy agreement then they will be added. If you shorten
the tenancy agreement then any payment records that exist after the new end date will be
deleted.
b) Change the amount of rent that is being charged. If the rental amount is changed then all
the existing (and any newly created) payment records will be changed to the new rent
amount.
Please note that any other changes to the tenancy i.e. the start date or payment term are not
allowed. This is because you are structurally changing the agreement. In such instances you
should Delete Current Tenancy or Delete Previous Tenancy and recreate it.
4.2.3 Delete Current Tenancy If you select this button then you will be prompted to confirm whether you want to delete all
the tenancy details of a tenant who is currently in a property.
If you select yes then the tenancy agreement will be deleted along with all the rent payment
details.
4.2.4 Delete Previous Tenancy If you select this button then you will be prompted to confirm whether you want to delete all
tenancy details relating to a tenant who previously lived in one of your properties.
If you select yes then the tenancy agreement will be deleted along with all the rent payment
details.
Please note: That by using this delete function the payment details will be removed from all
the reports in the application. For example the payment details will not show in the Profit and
Loss report
4.2.5 Rolling Tenancies Periodic tenancies can be extended automatically without any manual intervention.
If a property is a periodic tenancy i.e. monthly or weekly then you are able to set the Rolling
Tenancy flag. If this flag is selected for the tenancy then when the software starts, it checks
tenancies that have this flag set and either extends the tenancies (and underlying rent
schedules) automatically or manually depending on the setting in the preferences menu.
We have a new section in the Preferences Section, called Rolling Tenancies and this must be
set up for the software to automatically roll on expiring tenancies on start up
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4.2.6 Change Rent You are able to change the rent amount during a tenancy.
When the Change Rent button is pressed a selection screen is displayed asking you to specify
when the rent should be changed from and what it should be changed to.
The proposed date for the rent change will be a drop down list of all the Date Owed values
that are in the rent schedule.
For example, if the rent due date is monthly starting from 01/01/2010 and the end date is
31/12/2010, then the drop down list will show:
01/01/2010
01/02/2010
…
…
01/11/2010
01/12/2010
You simply choose the date you want to change the rent from and then enter the new rental
amount.
All rental amounts in the rent schedule from this date onwards are automatically changed.
You can also see a history of all previous rents that have been charged to the tenant by
hovering the mouse over the Change Rent button.
4.2.7 Check-in / Check-out You are able to keep a track of what has been done and still needs to be done as part of a
check-in / check-out process.
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Pressing this button opens the Check-in / Check-out window:
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By default the Check-in tab is displayed. Here you are able to record what you have managed
to successfully complete as part of the check-in process.
If you switch to the Check-out tab, you are also able to ensure that everything you need to do
as a landlord has been done when the tenant moves out.
Using the Print option at the bottom of both tabs allows you to print the contents of each
form.
4.3 Rent Schedule The Rent Schedule is automatically created and amended via the Add Tenancy and Edit
Tenancy options.
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Once the schedule has been created you are able to maintain the following key fields:
Date paid - the date the rent was actually paid.
Amount paid - the amount of rent that was paid.
Bad debt - If a payment has been marked as a bad debt then the amount of bad debt
will automatically be considered in the Income Tax reports under the heading 'Bad
Debts'. The bad debt amount is considered to be the 'Amount Owed' - 'Amount paid'.
Ad-hoc payment - these are payments that are created to cover the one-off payments.
For example if a tenant is unable to meet a monthly payment on time then you may
negotiate that they pay it in smaller but more regular amounts. Please note the
following about the 'Ad-hoc' payments:
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Ad-hoc payments can only be created for an existing date in the rent schedule.
Example:
Fred Smith is scheduled to pay £500 on 01/01/2006. However he only manages to pay £300 on
01/01/2006, thus meaning that there is a £200 shortfall. The outstanding amount of £200 is
paid late on 14/01/2006.
This late payment will be added using the Make an Ad Hoc Payment button and it will be
considered to be an ad-hoc payment.
Because this outstanding payment is part of the original payment that was due on
01/01/2006, it will still remain associated with this.
When entering ad-hoc payments they cannot be greater than what is considered to be the
'Outstanding Amount'. In the previous example there was an outstanding amount of £200.
Therefore when creating the ad-hoc payment it is not possible to enter a value of that is
greater than £200.
It is not possible to assign the bad debt flag to an ad-hoc payment.
In order to speed up the entry of these fields, it is possible to use the Make all rents paid
button. If this is selected then a message will appear asking whether you would like to make
all rents paid: to the current date only; to a specific date, or whether you would like to make
all rents paid regardless of when they were (are) due. When the relevant option is selected,
the following will automatically happen:
All date paid values will be set to the corresponding date owed values.
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All amount paid values will be set to the corresponding amount owed values.
You can also choose whether you want existing payment entries in the rent schedule to be
overwritten.
Alternatively, you can use the Make or Edit a Payment button to enter the payments
manually.
The Rent Schedule window has 4 fields displayed along the bottom. These fields are:
1. Total Amount Due
2. Total Amount Paid To Date
3. Total Amount Outstanding To Date
4. Total Amount Outstanding Altogether
4.3.1.1 Total Amount Due Displays the total amount of rent due for the entire tenancy.
4.3.1.2 Total Amount Paid To Date Displays the total amount of rent paid under that Tenancy Agreement to date.
4.3.1.3 Amount Outstanding To Date Displays the total amount of outstanding rent to date (Amount Due to Current Date minus
Total Amount Paid to Date).
4.3.1.4 Total Amount Outstanding for Tenancy Displays the Total Amount Due minus the Total Amount Paid to Date.
4.3.2 Add New Payment It is possible to also add new payment details.
These are typically required if a tenant has fallen behind with rent payments and you want to
re-work some of the payments.
The Generate Tenant Invoices and Generate Tenant Receipts reports allow you to create
reports of all the invoices and receipts issued within a given date range for a particular
property or tenant. You can filter these results by property, by tenant, by date range or filter
for a particular property or tenant within a given date range.
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4.3.2.1 Back-Filling Rents It is possible to manage rental arrears more easily and quickly using the Automatic Back-
Filling of Rents solution.
Let's say, for example, we have a tenant who has built up arrears over 3 months and then
makes a payment.
Here we have a tenant with current arrears of £1500.
The tenant then makes a lump sum payment of £1100, paying off most of the arrears.
When we enter the amount of £1100, Landlords Property Manager will detect that arrears
exists and ask you whether you want to automatically allocate this amount to pay off the
arrears.
If you choose 'Yes' then as much rent as possible will be recorded against the arrears.
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This is known as 'Automatic Backfilling'.
In this example you can see in the rent schedule that two whole months of arrears have been
paid off (and an automatic comment recorded against each) with the remainder allocated
against the current month.
4.4 Tenant Manager - Tenant Charges This Tenant Charges screen is used to enter any additional charges that you want the tenant
to pay.
For example a tenant:
May have been late with the rent payment and, as per the AST agreement, they are
now liable to pay a late payment fee.
May have caused damage and broken a window for which the landlord will want to
charge the tenant.
May want to renew a tenancy agreement for which you have a renewal fee that
you charge in such circumstances.
You can use the Add button to record any charges you make against a tenant.
For each charge you are able to maintain the following key fields:
Description - a description of the charge e.g. late rent payment charge.
Date owed - the date the charge is due to be paid by.
Amount owed - the amount the tenant needs to pay.
Date paid - the date the charge was actually paid (either in full or partially).
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Bad Debt - If a charge has been marked as a bad debt, this means that the tenant has
not paid all or part of the amount due. The amount of bad debt will automatically be
considered in the Income Tax reports under the heading ―Bad Debts‖.
Ad-hoc payment - You can use the Make an Ad Hoc Payment button to record partial
payments of a charge. For example if the tenant is paying the charges in stages then
you will enter the individual payments using this option.
Amount paid - the amount that was actually paid.
4.4.1 Print Invoice The Print Invoice button will allow you to generate invoices that can be printed off and sent
to tenants.
4.4.2 Delete Payment The Delete Payment button can be used to delete any charges or payments that have been
made.
4.5 Tenant Manager - Tenant Reports The Tenant Reports tab contains all the reports that deal specifically with tenants.
4.5.1 Tenant Welcome Pack The Tenant Welcome Pack report details everything that you need to provide your tenants
with when they move into the property. It can be given to the tenant once they are ready to
move into the property. The report will produce the following valuable information for the
tenant:
Tenancy details.
Property location details.
Details of all safety certificates.
Details of all insurance policies.
Details of all utility suppliers.
4.5.2 Tenant Payment History The Tenant Payment History report is the perfect way to keep a track of your tenant's
payment record. This report will produce the payment schedule and will show:
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How much has been paid and when it was paid
How much is outstanding
The number of late payments
The number of additional payments
The number of bad debts
The Tenant History report is displayed as a window which lists all of the tenants who have
lived in this particular property.
4.5.3 Overdue Rents Report You can also generate the Overdue Rents Report. You will be prompted to define the criteria
for the report by selecting filters, such as whether to filter by property, by tenant or by date,
or you can choose not to filter the information.
4.6 Mail Merge The purpose of the Mail Merge functionality is to allow you to create your own bespoke
letters, messages, documents and have the ability to send them to your tenants, utility
suppliers or general contacts (in Contact Manager).
The messages can be sent to single or multiple recipients via a standard letter or via our
integrated emailing solution.
We have already added some templates in, so you can make use of these, but there is no limit
to the number of templates that you create in the module.
4.6.1 Creating Your Own Templates When creating your own template you need to specify who the letter/document is for. A
template can be assigned to one of three types:
If you are creating a template that will go to tenants, choose the template type 'For
Tenants'.
If you are creating a template that will go to utility suppliers, choose the template
type 'For Utility / Service Suppliers'.
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If you are creating a template that will go to tenants, choose the template type 'For
General Contacts'.
You give your template a name, enter your text into the Template Contents section, choose
the merge fields down the right hand side and insert them accordingly.
Once your template has been created, you are ready to decide who you want to communicate
the message to and how you want it to be sent.
This is done by selecting the Process and Print or Process and Email buttons at the bottom of
the window:
Process and Print: Allows you to print the notification to one or many recipients.
Process and Email: Allows you to email the notification to one or many recipients.
4.6.2 Process the Communications When you choose either option, you will be prompted to choose the recipients that the
message will go to. For example, if your template type is for tenants then you will choose the
tenants who will receive the message. You can choose one or more tenants:
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You can choose any number of recipients by using the CTRL key and clicking on the records
individually or using the Select All button.
4.6.3 Process and Print If you have decided to Process and Print the letters then a preview screen will be run, using
the standard report module, showing all of the letters that will be printed.
4.6.4 Process and e-Mail If you have chosen the Process and Email option then validation will be carried out to make
sure that all of the recipients have email addresses.
If you decide not to update the email addresses at this point then the record will be discarded.
Updating any missing emails here will also update the email against the actual tenant record.
You will then be able to preview all emails that are going to be sent:
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In the Email Preview screen you can change the content of any email if you want to.
You also have the option to send the emails individually by using the Send this e-mail button,
or send them all at once by using the Send all e-mails button.
A confirmation message will be displayed to show that the emails have been sent:
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4.7 Legal Documents Lawpack is one of the UK's leading legal publishers and they have provided us with a number
of legal property and tenant documents for exclusive use in our Landlords Property Manager
software.
The legal documents range from UK and Scottish tenancy agreements to eviction, possession,
rent arrears and rent increase notices:
Inventory List
Tenancy Deposit Protection Form
Bank Standing Order Mandate
Section 8 Notice
Rent Increase - Including Section 13 Notice (England)
Tenancy Extension
Rent Demand Letter
Reference Requirements
Tenancy Agreement (Furnished or Unfurnished)
Tenant Deposit Receipt
Routine Visit Letter
Section 21 Notice
4.7.1 Inventory List No more disputes when it comes to giving your tenants their deposits back!
Our comprehensive Inventory Management report allows you to carry out a complete 'check-
in' and 'check-out' when the tenant enters and leaves the property.
Simply print out this report and use to make sure that you record the state of your property
and all its contents before your tenant moves in and when they are ready to leave.
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The completed form can then be scanned in and held against the tenant in the Tenant
Manager > Legal Documents section.
4.7.2 Tenancy Deposit Protection Form This Section 213 Notice is also known as a Tenancy Deposit Protection Form.
This legal form ensures that landlords can give tenants the right information at the start of
their tenancy agreement concerning their Tenancy Deposit Protection (in compliance with
the Housing Act 2004).
If you're a landlord based in England & Wales, by law, you must provide your tenant, when
setting up their tenancy agreement and within 14 days, the details on how their tenancy
deposit is protected. This Tenancy Deposit Protection Form ensures that you provide the right
information to your tenant and avoid liability.
The statement that may be supplied by your tenancy deposit scheme administrator is often
not sufficient. Lawpack's Tenancy Deposit Protection Form ensures legal compliance with the
terms of the Housing Act 2004.
If your tenant's tenancy deposit is not properly documented, you may not be able to obtain
possession at the end of the tenancy agreement and you may be subject to a substantial
penalty payment.
The Lawpack Section 213 Notice is the most comprehensive and will ensure that you don't fall
foul of the latest tenancy agreement and tenancy deposit legislation.
This Tenancy Deposit Protection Form provides:
Contact details of the Tenancy Deposit scheme.
The landlord's contact details or those of the landlord's agent.
How the tenant can apply for release of the tenancy deposit.
Information explaining the purpose of the tenancy deposit.
What to do if there is a dispute between landlord and tenant about the tenancy
deposit.
4.7.3 Bank Standing Order Mandate This is a form that landlords can give to new tenants at the start of a tenancy agreement. The
form instructs the tenant‖s bank to set up a standing order.
Simply fill in the instructions on this form when setting up a tenancy agreement to ask your
bank to create a standing order to pay a regular bill (such as rent).
4.7.4 Section 8 Notice Section 8 Notice - Terminate a Tenancy Agreement (Rent Arrears Claim)
Legally give notice to terminate a tenancy agreement in England and Wales, due to tenant
rent arrears, with this Section 8 Notice.
A Section 8 Notice is used by landlords who wish to give notice to terminate a tenancy
agreement when the tenant is in rent arrears.
This Section 8 Notice (Rent Arrears Claim) can be used by a landlord wanting to give notice to
terminate an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England & Wales (under the Housing Act),
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but this Section 8 Notice can only be used when the tenant is in rent arrears of at least two
months or more (or rent arrears of eight weeks for a weekly tenancy).
By using this Section 8 Notice (Rent Arrears Claim), not only can a landlord start the process
of gaining possession of a property, but a landlord can make a claim to have the rent arrears
paid along with the landlord's reasonable costs.
When completing the Section 8 Notice, a landlord should include a Schedule of Rent Arrears,
which shows a landlord how to calculate the rent arrears figure that has to be included in the
Section 8 Notice.
4.7.5 Rent Increase - Including Section 13 Notice (England) Want to increase the rent that tenants pay? Let us show you step-by-step how to make a rent
increase in England.
Landlords often struggle to understand how they can make a rent increase legally. The rent
tenants pay can be increased simply and easily. There are two procedures you can follow to
make a rent increase and all you need for both are included in the software.
Find out how to make a rent increase using our template legal forms: a Rent Increase
Agreement and a Section 13 Notice of a Rent Increase.
Making a rent increase is a simple process, and if followed correctly, is legally binding for
both landlord and tenant.
Landlords cannot increase the rent during the course of the fixed term of an Assured
Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. But after the fixed term of the tenancy agreement has expired
(and the tenancy is in the statutory periodic tenancy) there are two simple procedures for the
landlord to make a rent increase.
The simplest way to make a rent increase is to make a Rent Increase Agreement with your
tenant. The rent your tenant pays will then be increased. Failing this, you could serve a
Section 13 Rent Increase Notice on your tenant to make your rent increase. We include both
legal forms and comprehensive guidance on how to raise the rent that tenants pay.
The key part of the Section 13 Rent Increase Notice is the date that the rent increase comes
into force. This rent increase date must be at least 12 months after the date the tenant first
entered the property and must also be at least 12 months after the last rent increase. It must
be at least one month from the date of serving the Section 13 Rent Increase Notice and must
be on the day when rent is due to be paid.
4.7.6 Tenancy Extension A simple form that allows you to extend the tenancy for the current tenant.
4.7.7 Rent Demand Letter Tenant in rent arrears? Landlords can use this template letter to demand payment of rent.
If your tenant does not pay their rent on time, it's worth giving the tenant a polite telephone
call to remind them that their rent is due. But if your tenant is in rent arrears of seven days,
you can send your tenant this official demand letter to get them to pay up.
4.7.8 Reference Requirements Landlord's can use this Tenant Reference Requirements Form time and time again to ensure
that each new tenancy agreement is set up smoothly, and prospective tenants are clear on
what information you need to see to check their tenant references.
Legal Documents
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4.7.9 Tenancy Agreement (Furnished or Unfurnished) Professional landlord or property owner?
This tenancy agreement legal form will take away the difficulty of creating an Assured
Shorthold Tenancy Agreement for a furnished or unfurnished property.
This tenancy agreement has been endorsed by the NLA (National Landlords
Association)... so you can be confident that it is the right legal form for you.
An Assured Shorthold Tenancy is used where the landlord does not live at the
property.
The tenancy agreement can be used for a single tenant who occupies the property on their
own, or a group of tenants who jointly occupy the property and share responsibility.
This tenancy agreement form sets out the obligations of the landlord and the tenant(s), and
comes with guidance notes showing clearly how to complete the form and create a legally
binding tenancy agreement.
Your tenancy agreement will cover all the important issues, including:
Details of the rent amount and frequency of rent payments.
Deposit amount.
Tenant's obligation to keep the property in good condition.
Tenant's obligation to pay service bills and council tax.
Tenant's obligation to not keep pets.
Landlord's obligation to keep the property in repair.
Landlord's obligation to insure the property.
What happens at the end of the tenancy.
4.7.10 Tenant Deposit Receipt This report will generate a receipt for your tenant for the deposit you have taken.
4.7.11 Routine Visit Letter A template letter that landlords can use to inform their tenant that they are making a routine
property inspection.
It's a good idea that, as a landlord, you carry out routine visits to your rental property to keep
an eye on your property investment and to give your tenant the opportunity to see you taking
an interest in the tenancy.
But if you want to check out the condition of your property during a tenancy, by law, a
landlord must not enter the property unannounced and must forewarn the tenant of a
property inspection.
By using this template letter, you can inform your tenant quickly and easily about when you
want to make a visit to check out your rental property.
Carrying out a regular property inspection is the ideal way to keep up to date with the
property's condition, to make sure that the building is in good repair and to plan for any
future work that you may have to budget for.
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4.7.12 Section 21 Notice Section 21 Notice - Terminate a Tenancy Agreement (England and Wales)
Legally give notice to terminate a tenancy agreement in England and Wales with this Section
21 Notice, a legal form for landlords wishing to give notice to terminate a tenancy agreement.
This Section 21 Notice has been endorsed by the NLA (National Landlords
Association)...so you can be confident that it is the right legal form for you.
This Section 21 Notice can be used by a landlord wanting to give notice to
terminate a tenancy agreement at the end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England
& Wales, under the Housing Act 1988.
To legally give notice to terminate an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement in England or
Wales at the end of the tenancy agreement the landlord must give a Section 21 Notice to their
tenant. Under the Housing Act 1988, the landlord must give the tenant at least two months'
notice.
4.7.13 Tenant Manager - Global Invoices & Receipts Global reports generated for the entire portfolio rather than a single property or tenant.
Using the Generate Global Invoices and Generate Global Receipts buttons, you can create
reports containing information about all invoices and receipts pertaining to the current
portfolio. The information in the reports can be filtered by date range or you can display all
invoices or receipts outstanding to date, or display all invoices sent and receipts issued within
a given number of days.
4.8 DSS Payments Tutorial When following these examples, it will help to have the software running and to refer to the
software itself and the help file within as well as the screen shots in this document. There are
two possible approaches to dealing with DSS Payments and Tenant Top-up payments. These
are listed below:
1. The Monthly Payment Method
2. The Irregular Payment Method
Many users may find method 2 is easier to use and more appropriate, but we recommend
reading through and understanding method 1 first. This is how the tutorial has been written.
4.8.1 Method 1: Monthly Payment Interval The tenant, Steven Grosvenor, is assigned to the property named ―The Grove‖. The period of
the tenancy is 1 year. The monthly rent is £600. The DSS pays £400 every month and the
tenant tops this up to £600 by paying £50 per week.
This is how you would enter this in the software:
4.8.1.1 Create the tenant in Tenant Manager In the Tenant Details section, make a note on Mr. Grosvenor's records using the Notes box
that his rent is partly paid by the DSS every month and that he adds to this weekly. This will
help you maintain a comprehensive record. See Screenshot 1 below.
DSS Payments Tutorial
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In Tenant Manager, under the Tenancy Details section, click Create New Tenancy and in the
new tenancy screen that appears, enter the start and end dates for the 1 year period.
In this example, you would create a tenancy agreement for Mr Grosvenor starting on
01/09/2007 and ending on the 31/08/2008 with the payment term set to monthly. When you
have done this, you will get the usual message to say that a rent schedule has been created.
If you now go to the Rent Schedule section, you will see a schedule for a period of 1 year with
monthly payments of £600. See Screenshot 2 below.
Now, obviously, you will not be receiving £600 in one lump sum every month from Mr
Grosvenor. You will only be receiving £400 a month, with £50 every week of the month. This is
where we make use of the notes section and the ability to add and edit payments using the
buttons at the left. For the first month (September), the payments are entered as they will
occur. See Screenshot 3 below.
Screenshot 3
With the first payment date (01/09/07) highlighted, click on Make or Edit a Payment. Enter
the amount as £400, enter the date (01/09/07) and make a note that this is a DSS Payment. See
Screenshot 3a below. Click on Save.
This has created your first instalment of £400.
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Now, with that first payment still highlighted, click on Make an Ad Hoc Payment. This will
create an ad hoc payment and will be entered with a tick in the 'ad hoc‖ column of the rent
schedule. See Screenshot 3b.
You will also have to enter the date on which the tenant made this top-up payment. In this
example I have entered the date of every Saturday, as we are assuming that the tenant tops
up weekly.
Now, when October comes around and it's time for another monthly DSS payment, highlight
the 01/10/07 date and click Edit Rent Payment. You must take care not to mix up Make an Ad
Hoc Payment and Make or Edit a Payment as this will make a mess of your schedule.
As a useful reminder, you might even note this last point in the notes section of the tenant
manager, as shown in Screenshot 3c below.
4.8.2 Method 2: The Irregular Payment Interval Once again, we will work with the tenant Steven Grosvenor and the property ―The Grove‖. All
the details of the tenancy will be identical with two exceptions: this time we will select the
Irregular Payment interval option when creating the tenancy agreement and, instead of
inputting the monthly rental amount (£600) we will input the total amount of rent for the
entire period of the tenancy (£7,200).
DSS Payments Tutorial
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What does this mean?
The irregular payment method is designed for use in circumstances in which payments may
arrive at irregular and unpredictable intervals, or in which the agreed payment intervals are
irregular. An example of the former might be the unreliability of a tenant or of the Council
making the support payments. An example of the latter might be student lets in which
payment is made every 6 to 8 weeks or at the end of each semester.
The irregular payment option gives you the flexibility to add payments as and when they
occur. When you use this option, the rent schedule might look something like this (see
screenshot 4 below).
Here we can see that the Amount Owed column contains the total amount of rent expected
for the entire period of the tenancy. We can also see a discrepancy in the payment dates in
the Date Paid column. For example, the £400 DSS Payment was made on the 01/09/2008 but
appears above the Tenant Top-up payment made on 06/10/2007 (notice the down arrow at the
top of the Date Paid column which indicates the payments are sorted in ascending order. Toggle this by
clicking on the title of the column).
This is because the DSS Payment was not made on time and was only received in early
October, but when entering the payment the original due date was input for the sake of
accurate record keeping. If you wish to enter the date upon which this payment was actually
received, use the notes section associated with that payment.
As stated earlier, the irregular payment option gives you the advantage of entering payments
as and when they occur rather than trying to compensate for late payments. It does this by
"building towards" a total rent amount for the entire tenancy, rather than dividing that
tenancy into monthly rents as in method 1. This gives you greater flexibility when dealing
with discrepancies and delayed payments.
Finance Manager
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5 Finance Manager
The Finance Manager is used to record the details of mortgages and/or loans on your
properties. The Finance Manager is divided into three sections:
Finance Overview
Finance Details
Finance Costs
When you use the Finance Manager for the first time the Select Property window is displayed.
Select the property for which you wish to create a mortgage or loan.
Once a mortgage or loan has been associated with a property, it will be listed in the Properties
with Existing Mortgages/Loans window at the bottom of the screen.
If you subsequently decide to create additional mortgages or loans for the same or new
properties, click on the Add button on the tool bar and the Select Property window will be
displayed again.
5.1 Finance Overview Use this section to record the following information for a mortgage/loan:
The lender
The amount borrowed
The start date of the mortgage/loan
The term, i.e. the duration of the mortgage/loan
The end date, i.e. the date when the mortgage expires
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The lender‖s name is selected from a drop-down list which shows the details of the contacts
that you have input under the Contact Management. To add a new lender, first record their
details in the Contact Management section.
5.1.1 Offset Interest Against Rental Income When this box is ticked, the interest payments on the mortgage/loan are included in the
income tax reports. This feature is only available in the Landlords Property Manager
Professional version.
5.1.2 Closing a Mortgage The Close Mortgage button provides the facility to manually close a mortgage in advance of
its end date. When selected, you will be prompted to confirm why you are closing the
mortgage. The options are as follows:
Re-mortgage/Re-finance
Capital repayment from own funds
Select the first option if you are moving the mortgage to another lender. Select the second
option if you are paying off the mortgage early.
You will then be asked to confirm that you wish to close the mortgage.
When the mortgage is closed, the Close Mortgage button will be greyed-out and you will not
be able to make or edit payments from this point.
5.1.3 Viewing Expired Mortgages If you view a mortgage that is beyond its end date, you will be prompted to take one of two
actions:
close that mortgage
extend the end date of that mortgage
5.1.4 Payment Details You can enter any mortgage/loan payment details quickly by using the Add Payment Detail
button. By pressing this screen a form is displayed which captures:
The amount of Interest Paid
The amount of Capital Repayment
The Start Date of the payment and how many months it was paid for
By pressing the Save button, a table is created showing all payment details for the number of
months specified.
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Once the payment details have been created you can change the details quickly and easily by
over-typing the Payment Date, Interest Paid and Capital Repayment values.
You can block delete large parts of the payment schedule by selecting the check boxes at the
start of each row. You would use this option if, for example, you had a mortgage/loan
payment schedule that ran from 2007 to 2008, but decided at the end of 2007 to move to a new
lender. Thus, you would need to delete the 2008 dates from the schedule.
5.2 Finance Details This section contains the Interest Rate History which provides an overview of interest rates
and their effect on payments over time. You can record early redemption details and set an
early warning reminder to give advance notice of the end of the redemption period.
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5.3 Finance Costs The Finance Costs tab allows you to record all finance-related expenditures. It is similar to the
costs sub-section that you can find in Property Manager > Purchase and Selling Details > Costs.
Information entered into the Finance Cost screen will be printed on the Income Tax Summary
report. This information will be entered under the Finance Cost section of the income tax
report.
Income Tax Calculator
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6 Income Tax Calculator
This screen is one of the most powerful tools available in Landlords Property Manager
Professional. Here you can run one of two reports; Income Tax Summary and Income Tax
Detail, each of which will tell you what your income tax liability is for your properties.
The income tax reports have been designed and developed in accordance with the Inland
Revenue guidelines, with significant input from leading tax specialist Arthur Weller, who is
the lead UK tax specialist for www.propertyportfoliosoftware.co.uk.
6.1 Report Notes:
1. The reports are run from the 6th April to the 5th April and use the accruals basis.
2. The reports are in line with the Inland Revenue guidelines where rental income
and expenditures are catered for in accordance with normal accountancy
principles.
This means that the reports will include all incomings and expenditures when they arise or
are incurred rather than when they are received or paid.
Therefore the rental income received will be apportioned across the tax years and, similarly,
so will the expenditure.
Consider the following examples:
6.1.1 Rental Income Bill has a tenancy agreement which runs from 1st March 2004 to 31st August 2004. This
agreement runs over two tax years, the 2003-2004 tax year and 2004-2005 tax year.
Report Notes:
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Therefore the rental income will be apportioned so that the amount due from 1st March 2004
to 5th April 2004 will be included in the 2003-2004 tax year, and the amount due from 6th
April 2004 to 31st August 2004 will be included in the 2004-2005 tax year.
6.1.2 Expenditure Lisa pays her insurance premium of £1,000 on 1st January, which covers 1st January 2004 to
31st December 2004. This expense will be apportioned so that the expense incurred from 1st
January 2004 to 5th April 2004 will be included in the 2003-2004 tax year and the expense
incurred from 6th April 2004 to 31st December 2004 will be included in the 2004-2005 tax year.
To see further examples of these accounting principles please see the Property Income
Manual at: http:/ /www.hmrc.qov.uk/manuals/pimmanual/index.htm
From this screen you can run either of the Income Tax reports with the following criteria:
Tax Year - Here you can specify which tax year you want to run the report for.
Salary - Here you specify if the landlord is in receipt of any other income with the
exception of dividend income
Loss - Here you specify if the landlord is bringing forward any losses from the
previous years of property letting.
Ownership - Here you specify the percentage of the property that is owned by the
landlord. For example, if the property is in your sole ownership then use the
default 100% ownership setting.
Once you have maintained the selection criteria you can execute either the Income Tax
Summary report or the Income Tax Detail report.
Each report will calculate the tax liability based on the data entered in the application.
The summary report will give an overview of the income received and expenditures incurred,
whereas the detail report will show the transactional details.
Please Note: The Income Tax reports only take into consideration the personal allowance for
those aged under 65.
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7 Contact Management
The Contact Management is an easy to use tool that allows you to record the details for all
your important property contacts. For example, a contact could include a plumber, electrical
engineer, bank manager, financial advisor, accountant, etc.
The contact management screen is split into two sections.
The top half of the screen displays the Contact Details.
The bottom half of the screen provides a list of all the Contacts you have. By selecting an
entry from the list, the full contact details will be shown above.
It is also important to note that you can view the Contact List in one of two formats. It can be
displayed in a simple List format or in Card format. If the latter is chosen then you will see the
details in the form of a business card. You can also sort the list of contacts by:
Contact name
Last name
Mobile number
Occupation, etc.
7.1 Import Contacts With Landlords Property Manager Professional, you can now import your contacts from MS
Outlook.
Export Contacts
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Just press the Import Contacts button and you will then be able to choose exactly which
contacts you would like to import.
7.2 Export Contacts If you select the Export Contacts button, a report will be displayed giving the details of all the
current contacts. This list of contacts can then be imported to MS Word, MS Excel or HTML
format.
Report Manager
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8 Report Manager
The Report Manager is a powerful part of the application, which provides a number of
valuable reports to help track and assess the performance of your portfolio.
The following reports are available:
Property Details
Mortgage/Loan Analyser
Capital Gains Analyser
Equity and Yield Analyser
Mortgage Broker Summary
Cost History Report
Profit & Loss Report
Cashflow Analyser
Property Tasks
Portfolio Income Assessment
Valuation Analyser
Cashflow Analysis
Rental Income Report
Property Occupancy Report
Property Details
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8.1 Property Details The Property Details report provides all the essential information about the property
including:
Purchase Details
Mortgage Summary Details
Details of Safety Certificates
Details of Current Policies (e.g. Insurance)
Details of Utility Suppliers
Current Tenant Details
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8.2 Mortgage/Loan Analyser The Mortgage/Loan Analyser report allows you to keep track of the financial status of any
mortgages or loans you acquired for your property.
This report shows the current mortgage and loans that are outstanding on a property. It also
shows the capital repayments that have been made.
On the selection screen of this report you can enter the following criteria:
Start and end date for which you want the mortgage/loan details to be reported
If the Show Payment Details flag is selected then the report will show each individual
payment that has been made during the start and end dates.
Capital Gains Analyser
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8.3 Capital Gains Analyser The Property Portfolio Analyser report allows you to keep an up-to-date track of the profit
(before tax) on your investments. On the selection screen of this report you can enter the
following criteria:
% Ownership of the property
Use Selling Data - If you select this flag then the actual sales data in the application
will be used.
Selling Price - Enter the actual selling price of the property here.
Selling Date - Enter the actual selling date of the property here
Use Valuation Data - If you select this flag then the actual valuation data in the
application will be used.
Valuation Date - Enter the price of the most recent valuation here
Valuation Date - Enter the date of the most recent valuation here
The report will then display all the Purchasing, Capital and Selling costs that have been
incurred for the property.
You will then be able to see the profit made on the property before any tax is due.
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8.4 Equity and Yield Analyser The Portfolio Equity and Yield Analyser report will show the performance of your entire
portfolio.
For each property in the portfolio this report will show the following key data:
Total amount of outstanding loans
Current equity in the property based on the most recent valuation
Total monthly income received for the property
Rental yield
At the bottom of the report you will then see the following values for the entire portfolio:
Total purchase price
Current valuation of entire portfolio
Total value of outstanding loans
Total monthly income
Average rental yield
Mortgage Broker Summary
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8.5 Mortgage Broker Summary The Mortgage Broker Summary report will provide your mortgage broker with an up-to-date
summary of all your property finances.
This detailed report will benefit you if you:
want to review your current mortgage/loans to see if there are better deals out there
for you
are looking to grow your portfolio and want to see what options you have for
releasing equity
As with all other reports, this report can be downloaded and stored on your computer so that
they can be forwarded on to relevant parties.
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8.6 Cost History Report The Cost History Report will provide a breakdown analysis of all the expenditures that you
have incurred on your property.
When running this report you can choose the period for which you want it to report.
You then specify which costs you would like to have reported. You can select any or all of the
following costs:
Purchasing Costs
Selling Costs
General Income Expenditures
Capital Costs
Initial Costs
Once the report has been executed it will provide you with a year-by-year, detailed
breakdown of all the expenditures that you have incurred.
Profit & Loss Report
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8.7 Profit & Loss Report This Profit & Loss report shows the profit and loss for a property over a given period of time.
It shows the total income received for the property and also all the expenses incurred.
If you have captured every income received and every cost incurred then this report should
match your bank statement.
On the selection screen of this report you can enter the following criteria:
Start and End date for which you want the income and expenditures to be reported for the
selected property.
The report is sorted by calendar years; rental income is shown in red and expenditure in
black. All expenditures are reported, regardless of whether they are purchasing, selling,
maintenance, etc.
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8.8 Cashflow Analyser The Cashflow Analyser allows you to see your cash-flow status for any single property or for
your entire portfolio.
It can be generated when running the Profit & Loss report.
This is an essential report if you want to see how much month-on-month or year-by-year cash
your property investments are generating for you.
When running this graphical report you can select the historical period that you want to
report and it will then show you how much positive or negative cash flow you are generating
on a monthly or yearly basis.
A sample of the report is shown below:
8.9 Property Tasks The Property Tasks report provides you with a work list of all property related tasks that you
have assigned to a property.
The report can be used to monitor progress of all property related tasks.
Portfolio Income Assessment
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8.10 Portfolio Income Assessment The Portfolio Income Assessment report will produce a pie-chart detailing how much income
each of your properties is producing for you.
When choosing to run the equity and yield analyser report you can decide whether you would
like to display a graphical view of the rental income split for your portfolio.
A sample of the report is shown below:
Report Manager
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8.11 Valuation Analyser The Valuation Analyser report will produce a graph showing the amount of equity and
outstanding loans for each of your property.
When choosing to run the equity and yield analyser report you can decide whether you would
like to display a graphical view of the current valuations for your portfolio.
If you have entered an up-to-date valuation for your property (property details -> purchase
and selling details -> selling details), then the latest valuation will be reported. Otherwise the
actual purchase price for the property will be used.
The report will also determine any outstanding loans that you have per property.
A sample of the report is shown below:
Cashflow Analysis
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8.12 Cashflow Analysis The Cashflow Analysis report shows both the total income received for the entire portfolio
and the expenses incurred.
If you have captured every income received and every cost incurred then this report should
match your bank statement.
The output is also displayed in the same format as a typical bank statement.
On the selection screen of this report you can enter the following criteria:
Start and end date for which you want the income and expenditures to be reported
Opening balance that will be used from the start date of the report.
The report output will show all income and expenditures that lie within the reporting start
and end dates for the entire portfolio.
You will also be displayed with a final balance.
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8.13 Rental Income Report The Rental Income report allows you to show all the income that has been generated for a
property over a period of time. This report is particularly useful if you have a property with
multiple sources of income i.e. a HMO, student or multi-let property.
It will print all income that has been received from all tenants for a property.
Property Occupancy Report
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8.14 Property Occupancy Report The Property Occupancy Report shows you the occupancy rate of your portfolio. You can see
exactly which properties are tenanted or, if they are empty, when they were last tenanted.
Portfolio Snapshot
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9 Portfolio Snapshot
The Portfolio Snapshot is an exciting new feature which allows you to see exactly how every
aspect of your property business is performing at the click of a button.
It consists of the following five components:
Property Overview
Tenant Arrears and Early Warning
Portfolio Income Assessment
Valuation and Yield Analysis
Monthly Cashflow Analysis
9.1 Property Overview This displays a bar chart showing you how many properties in your portfolio are let / vacant
so you can see the exact occupancy rate:
You can then drill down to see exactly which properties are tenanted or, if empty, when they
were last tenanted. To do this, you click on the View detailed report link.
9.2 Arrears & Warnings With this feature we have simplified the whole Early Warning System and arrears
functionality by providing an overview screen:
In the arrears summary section you can now drill down and carry out fast maintenance on the
arrears.
Let's say, for example, as per the screen above, Louise Hall has given you a cheque for £2,000
to clear all of her debts.
You would double click on the entry to show the detailed arrears for Louise:
Portfolio Income
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You could then select all of the rents and mark them all to be paid.
You could also print off a report showing all of the arrears.
With an overview of the reminders, you can click View detail links to open the underlying
Early Warning tabs.
9.3 Portfolio Income This pie chart allows you to see exactly how much income your portfolio is generating and
how it is split across your the properties.
This report is also accessible through Report Manager (Equity and Yield Analyser & Portfolio
Income Assessment).
9.4 Valuation & Yield You can now see a summary of your net worth and overall portfolio yield. This report is also
accessible through Report Manager (Equity and Yield Analyser).
Portfolio Snapshot
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9.5 Cashflow Analysis Cashflow is at the heart of any business and now you can now see exactly how much money
your portfolio is generating.
As part of the Portfolio Snapshot we've added a new Rolling Cashflow Analyser.
For each month, the rolling cashflow analyser shows the income and expenditure and,
therefore, you can see your current, past and future forecasted profitability.
You also get to see the estimated tax liability for the current tax year.
10 Early Warning System
The Early Warning System has the sole aim of helping you to take action for any tenancies,
insurance policies or safety certificates that are going to expire.
In various stages of the application you will have set up your early warning requirements.
This section allows you to now collectively view and maintain all the events.
Under the menu Early Warning System you have the following two options:
View EW Events
Edit EW Events
10.1 View EW Events If you select the View EW Events option then you can see all of the current events that have
been set up for the portfolio. The events will be displayed in the following five sub-screens:
Expiring Tenancies
Here all tenancy agreements that are due to expire within the specified timescale
are displayed.
Expiring Insurances
Here all insurance policies that are due to expire within the specified timescale are
displayed.
Expiring Safety Certificates
Here all safety certificates that are due to expire within the specified timescale are
displayed.
Early Warning System
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Property Tasks
On this screen you can see a list of all tasks that have been assigned to your
properties.
Rents
This screen will:
list all tenants who have missed a rent payment
display rents that are due to be paid within a specified number of days
Finance
Provides advance warning of a mortgage or loan‖s expiry date and the number of days
left until it expires.
10.2 Edit EW Events If you select the Edit EW Events option, you can view a list of all events under the following
categories:
Expiring Tenancies
Expiring Insurances
Expiring Safety Certificates
You will have the ability to Edit the individual events. For example, you may have a current
setting to be warned about an expiring gas safety certificate 5 weeks before it actually expires
but you may now want to be warned 8 weeks before. By selecting the event and clicking the
Edit button you will be able to change the settings.
You are also able to initialise all the events in a particular group to the system default
settings.
If you click the Set All button then all the events in that group will be activated with a default
setting of four weeks.
If you click the Unset All button then all the events in that group will be de-activated with a
default setting of zero weeks.
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11 The Preferences Menu
The Preferences menu allows you to make the following underlying configuration settings.
11.1 Backup Settings Either type in the file path in the file path field or use the browse button to navigate to the
location at which you wish to store the database backups.
When you click OK, the file path will be displayed in the Backup Path and File Name field.
You also have the option to control how often you will be reminded to make a backup.
11.2 Early Warning & Summary Here you can control which screen is displayed when the software first starts.
You can display:
the Portfolio Snapshot screen at start-up
a specific screen from Early Warning system, or
the default property manager screen at start-up
The Preferences Menu
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11.3 Rent Warnings This option opens a new dialogue box which allows you to control whether the Early Warning
System displays overdue rents.
To display overdue rents in the Early Warning System, place a tick in the box next to the text
Display overdue rents. You can then specify the number of days after which a rent is classed
as overdue.
You also have the option to display rents that are due to be received in the future.
Rolling Tenancies
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11.4 Rolling Tenancies
Here you have a tick box called: Automatically extend rolling tenancies
This tick box controls whether tenancies that are flagged as rolling tenancies are extended
automatically or manually.
Below you will find possible scenarios and consequences for when a flag is set:
a) Rolling Tenancy box ticked AND Automatically Extend Rolling Tenancies box ticked
When the software starts, a confirmation message is displayed detailing all of the tenancies
and underlying rent schedules have been automatically extended.
b) Rolling Tenancy box empty AND Automatically Extend Rolling Tenancies box ticked
Because the rolling tenancy flag has not been set, the tenancy has to be extended manually.
This is done by extending the actual end date of the tenancy.
c) Rolling Tenancy box ticked AND Automatically Extend Rolling Tenancies box empty
The Preferences Menu
78
Here you will be prompted to extend the tenancies at start-up. A list of all expired tenancies
that have the rolling tenancy flag set will be listed and you simply press the update tenancies
and rent schedules button to extend them and create the underlying rent schedules.
Once the button has been pressed then the following message is displayed:
d) Rolling Tenancy box ticked AND Automatically Extend Rolling Tenancies box empty
Nothing happens as no functionality is selected.
11.5 Report Headers In this section it is possible to enter your own personal/company details that you would like
to appear at the top of all the reports. This allows you to give the reports a more personalised
touch.
Press Button
Costs and Prices
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If at any time you want the default logo and report headers to be used then you just need to
press the Reset button.
11.6 Costs and Prices
11.6.1 View All Costs Here you can control the View All Costs function and adjust the default settings for the Equity
and Yield Analyser report.
When the View All Costs tick box is activated, this will display all costs recorded in the
Property Manager. This applies to the Maintenance and Repairs; Rents, Rates and Insurance;
Services, Wages and Travel and Other Costs screens within the Property Manager.
This means that when you view any of these screens, all the costs entered there will be
displayed rather than 'hidden' from view. You can still hide any of these costs (in order to
make the screen less cluttered, for example) by turning off the View All Costs tick box at the
right hand side of each screen, but the default setting will still be controlled in the
Preferences menu.
This setting does not affect whether these costs are printed on reports.
The Preferences Menu
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11.6.2 Equity & Yield Analyser You have the option to select whether the Equity & Yield Analyzer uses the purchase price or
valuation price for the property/properties in question.
This means that if Purchase Price is selected, the Equity and Yield Analyser report will use
this information by default, and if Valuation Price is selected, the analyser will use this
information.
This allows you to control the data that forms the basis of the Equity and Yield Analysis.
You can record the purchase price of a property in the following location:
Property Manager > Purchase and Selling Details > Purchase Details
You can record the last valuation of a property in the following location:
Property Manager > Purchase and Selling Details > Selling Details
Enter the value in the Valuation Price sub-section on the right of the screen.
11.7 Proxy Settings If you connect via a proxy server, you will need to enter the proxy server settings in
Preferences > Proxy Settings
A proxy server is a computer system or program which acts as an intermediary between your
computer and the internet. When you connect to the internet through a proxy server, the
internet does not "see" your computer; it "sees" the proxy server instead. The proxy server
effectively acts as a barrier between you and the internet.
Your computer must be configured to "talk" to the proxy server so that your computer can
tell the proxy what information you want from the internet, like which websites you want to
view, etc.
If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or network administrator requires you to connect to
the internet through a proxy server, you should have been given the following proxy server
settings. If you do not have these settings, contact your ISP.
Host
Database Connection Settings
81
Port
Username (if the proxy server requires authentication)
Password (if the proxy server requires authentication)
11.8 Database Connection Settings Please refer to the section Networking Options for further detail.
Networking Options
82
12 Networking Options
The operation of the software whether connected to a local or a remote database server is
essentially the same. The only difference is in the connection settings for the database server.
You can check and update these settings in the Preferences dialog box under the Database
Connection Settings section.
This is the dialog box:
The Server Name (or Server IP Address) field stores the computer which the application will
look up when connecting to a database server. In this screenshot the special value of local host
is used. This means that the software will try to connect to the database server installed on
the same computer.
There are a few alternative ways to connect to a local database server:
local host
the Local IP address of the computer within the Local Area Network
the Computer name within the Local Area Network
. (a dot)
There are several lines of information under the Server Name (or Server IP Address) field that
inform you whether a local database server is installed. If there is no database server installed
on the same computer, the line under this field will simply read “No local server installation
found”.
However, when there is a database server installed on the computer (as in the case of the
sample screenshot above) there will be additional details that will help you configure your
network and provide connection details to other users who need to access your database
server remotely.
Firewall Settings
83
12.1 Firewall Settings You may need to modify the firewall settings on the server in order to allow incoming
connections to the database server.
If there is a personal firewall on the server (like Windows Firewall), you must add a couple of
program exceptions thus allowing incoming requests to be processed by the database server.
The two programs that need to be added as exceptions are:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.l\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe
(The paths may slightly differ, i.e. if C: is not the system drive or if there is already an MS SQL
Server installed into another location.)
If you need to allow remote connections to your database server coming from outside your
home/office (LAN) network, then please make sure that the following ports are also open for
incoming remote connections:
TCP 1433
UDP 1434
You must enable these ports in both the server firewall (e.g. Windows Firewall) and in your
router firewall (if any). If the server is behind a dedicated computer serving as a firewall,
please enable these ports in that firewall too.
Please read the following information if you intend to connect remotely from computers
outside the local area network within which the database server resides.
12.1.1 Router Settings / Port Forwarding If there is a border networking device (e.g. a router, a firewall or a gateway machine for the
local area network) that distributes Internet access from the cloud to the local computers and
back. This device or computer needs to be able to forward incoming requests to the database
server behind it if looking from the internet towards the local network.
This feature is usually called port forwarding or redirection and its purpose is to let the device
on the border allow connections from outside networks to reach a specific machine in the
local network, in this case the database server. This will make the private database server
publicly visible over the internet and ultimately allow connections from your remote location
to your databases.
You have to use the web based interface of the router (or whatever networking device this is)
and set port forwarding from the internet to the IP address of your database server for the
following ports:
TCP 1433
UDP 1434
If your equipment does not specify TCP or UDP protocols, selecting any or both should be
sufficient to allow TCP and UDP connections. As for the IP address of the database server, this
could be a static or a dynamically assigned IP address in the local network address space.
If there is an option to set a networking server in the local area network accessible from the
internet, use it to assign the IP address and the above TCP/IP ports to forward to it. Some
routers allow both dynamic address allocation for the LAN (Local Area Network) using DHCP
Networking Options
84
(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and static assignment for a specific networked
computer based on the MAC address.
The MAC address is a hexadecimal identifier (6 double digit hexadecimal numbers similar to
1A:2B:3C:4D:5E:6F) that specifies a network interface card and is unique to a network device.
This identifier can be used to assign a static IP address to the computer running the database
server, ensuring its address does not change and the port forwarding rules do not need
modification.
This setup depends on the capabilities of the router device. Some old and very generic routers
may even lack this functionality. Others usually offer a very detailed and broad range of
options to choose from in this area. You may have to consult the documentation of your
network gateway device (or broadband router) if you have trouble configuring this type of
incoming connections from the internet to a computer in the LAN.
Some devices call it port forwarding, others use the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) acronym to
identify a device that is visible from the internet inwards. It may be under NAT or PNAT
options (Network Address Translation and Port-forwarding NAT).
12.2 Connecting to a Remote Database Server Within a LAN When connecting to a remote database server within the same Local Area Network you could
use either the Computer Name or the Local IP of the server.
Please ask the user running the server for these details (they can be quickly found in the
Preferences -> Database Connection Settings dialog box).
The user running the database server should also be able to provide you with the database
server password. The default database password is: saxl2345x
Once you have the Computer Name (or Local IP) of the server and the database password,
please specify these details in Preferences -> Database Connection Settings.
12.3 Connecting to a Remote Database Server Over the Internet When connecting to a remote database server over the internet you should use the Global IP
of the server.
Please ask the user running the server for these details (they can be quickly found in the
Preferences -> Database Connection Settings dialog box).
The user running the database server should also be able to provide you with the database
server password. The default database password is: saxl2345x
Once you have the Global IP of the server and the database password, please specify these
details in Preferences -> Database Connection Settings.
12.4 Running Landlords Property Manager for the First Time After a Client Mode Installation
When running the software in Client mode (i.e. without a local database server installed) for
the first time, you will be presented with a database connection settings dialog:
Changing the Database Password
85
You will need to enter the server name (or IP address) and the password for the database
server you want to connect to. Please refer to the sections Connecting to a Remote Database
Server Within a LAN and Connecting to a Remote Database Server Over the Internet for more
details.
12.5 Changing the Database Password To change the default database password, please start the LPM software on the main
computer (server), go to Preferences -> Database Connection Settings and click on the Change
Password link; you will be prompted to enter the current password and a new password. The
default database password can be attained by emailing:
It is strongly recommended that you change the default database password.
12.6 Reinstalling the Software on a Server If you need to reinstall only the software on the server, you can choose the ―Client‖ option.
This will reinstall the software but will not reinstall the database server (your data will
remain intact during the reinstallation).
Alternatively, if you need to reinstall both the software and the database server, then please
choose again the ―Server‖ option. Please note that in this case the database will be reset and
your data will be lost. You may use the Back up Database option from the File menu prior to
reinstalling the software and the database server.
12.7 Troubleshooting If an already configured installation of Landlords Property Manager fails to connect to the
database server at start-up, you will be presented with a dialog box that lets you update the
connection details if necessary.
If your LPM installation is configured to use a locally installed database server this could mean
that the database service is not running. Please restart the computer and try again. If this
does not resolve the issue, please contact our technical support staff.
If your LPM installation is configured to connect to a remote database server, there are
several possible reasons why the database connection fails:
The computer which is running the database server is not turned on - please contact the user
running the server and ask them to turn the computer on;
Networking Options
86
You are connecting using an IP address (either local or global) but the IP address of the server
has changed - please contact the user running the server and obtain the new connection
details;
You are connecting using a computer name but the computer name has changed - please
contact the user running the server and obtain the new connection details;
The database password has changed – please check if any of the other users sharing the same
database have changed the database password and obtain the latest password;
The server is behind a firewall or a router that is not properly configured - please contact the
user running the server or your system administrator and ask them to update the firewall and
router configuration (please refer to the Firewall Settings help topic for further details).
Backup Database
87
13 System Backup and Restore
13.1 Backup Database It is important that you regularly backup your database. This will help to prevent you from
losing your data should your computer ever fail or become infected with a virus.
To help with this, a tool is available which will make a copy of all the data you have entered.
You can call up the integrated backup tool by using the following menu path:
File -> Backup Database
Here you can choose which directory (or media) you would like to backup the underlying
database to and can give it a unique filename.
Once you press OK the database will be backed up. A confirmation message will be displayed
indicating that the database has been successfully backed up.
13.1.1 Backup Recommendations It is recommended that you create a backup of your database regularly, at least on a weekly
basis.
13.1.2 Backup Reminder You will be prompted when you exit the software (the first time you use it) to specify how
often you would like to be reminded about backing up your data.
It is advisable to take a copy of the backup data and hold it on external media i.e. CD Rom or
USB. The benefit of this is that should your computer ever crash or become infected with a
virus then you will have an up-to-date backup copy of your data.
Don't forget it can take a long time to enter all your property and tenant transactional data,
so that the last thing you want is to have to re-enter it all again.
13.2 Restore Database You can restore to a previous version of the database. You can call up this function by using
the following menu path:
File -> Restore Database
This action will allow you to search for the folder in which you have stored the backup files.
You can then select backup version that you wish to restore to.
13.2.1 Restoring to a New Computer Sometimes users decide to move the Landlords Property Manager software from one machine
to another i.e. from their Desktop PC to a laptop.
In order to restore the software to a new computer follow the backup and restore details
outlined above.
13.2.2 Please note... You can back up and restore the database only if:
You are running the LPM software on the same computer which is running the database
server (i.e. you are running LPM in Server mode), or,
You are connected to the database server within a LAN - please note that in this case you must
specify a network path for the backup location (\\ComputerName\...)
System Backup and Restore
88
It is not possible to back up or restore the database if you are connected to the database
server over the internet.
13.3 Importing Your Database from the Non-network Version If you have upgraded from the non-network version of the Landlords Property Manager
software and wish to import your MS Access database into the new version of the software,
please follow the steps below:
Start the non-network version and go to File -> Back up Database to create an up-to-date
backup copy of your existing database;
Start the network version, go to File -> Import Data from Landlords Property Manager 7.6x
and choose the backup copy previously created.
Help
89
14 Hints and Tips
14.1 Help There are three ways for you to activate help within the application.
Firstly - you have the 'context sensitive' help. This appears as a pop-up on the screen
whenever you move the mouse over the fields.
Secondly - If you press the F1 key on any screen then it will launch the application‖s help
file and take you to the relevant part.
Thirdly - You can activate the help file from the menu at the top of the screen by simply
clicking on the 'Help' option.
14.2 Sorting The four main sections for recording information are Property Manager, Tenant Manager,
Contact Management and Finance Manager. Each of these modules has the data capture form
in the top half of the screen. The lower half of the screen lists the different records within the
section.
For example, in the Property Manager section, the bottom half of the screen will list all of the
properties in the portfolio. Similarly, in the bottom half of the Tenant Manager screen you
will see a list of all the tenants that have been set up.
It is possible to sort these lists so that they are displayed in a sequence of your choice. For
example, when in the Property Manager module, if you click on the Property Name heading,
it will sort the list of properties by the property name. Similarly, when in the Contact
Management module, if you click on the Contact Name heading then it will sort all the
contacts by contact name.
14.3 Adding Entries When entering data within the application you will see numerous pre-defined drop-down
lists. For example when entering room details for your property you have a field called Room
Type, which has the following pre-defined entries:
Bedroom
Bathroom
Reception Room
Dining Room
Conservatory
Utility Room
You can also create your own entries so that they appear in the drop down list. In order to do
this you need to click on the button circled in red below:
Hints and Tips
90
Once you click on this button another screen will be displayed showing all the existing
entries. You can then maintain existing entries or add your.
14.4 View All Costs On a number of screens you will see the check-box (flag) View All Costs. This flag is used to
display costs that were incurred in all previous tax years including the current tax year.
Please note that if you create a cost in a previous tax year then it will not display on the
screen unless this check-box is selected.
14.5 Smart Print Function The Smart Print function allows you to print or export any of the lists that you see in the
software.
For example, if you wanted to print a list of tenants as they appear in the Tenant Manager
screen you simply move the mouse cursor above any of the columns and press the right
mouse button.
Smart Print Function
91
As per the screenshot above, a Print option will appear. Select this option and the data will be
displayed in print ready format:
Remember, this smart print feature is available on every screen where you a list displayed.
Automatic Updates
92
15 Automatic Updates
The Auto Update function allows you to specify whether you want the software to regularly
check if there are any updates or bug-fixes available on-line.
The following screen is used to administer the updates:
15.1 Automatic Check for Updates By default Landlords Property Manager will have the following flag set:
'Auto check for updates on start-up'
This means that whenever you launch the software a check will be made on-line to see if
there are any updates on-line.
Please note: this check will only be made if you are connected to the internet when Landlords
Property Manager is started.
If any updates are found then you will be prompted to open the Auto Update Module.
15.2 Manually Checking for Updates You can also manually check for updates by pressing the Check for Updates button.
15.3 Downloading Updates Downloading and installing the updates is simple.
Just press the Download Update button. The update will then be downloaded and installed the
next time you start the software.
Manual Rollback
93
16 Rollback to Previous Version
This option is available if for some reason you need to go back to a previous installation of the
software.
For example if you have applied an automatic update and you want to go back to the version
of the software prior to this update then you can use this function.
16.1 Manual Rollback If an automatic update fails and prevents the application from starting normally, then you can
perform the rollback manually in order to restore Landlords Property Manager to a working
state.
In order to do this you have to go to the folder where you installed Landlords Property
Manager, enter the subfolder lptm_v_backups, copy all the files in there, and overwrite the
files in the main folder with these.
Support Services
94
17 Support Services
Providing easy to use software is one thing, but
providing a quality support service is another
challenge in itself and we pride ourselves on our
unrivalled support service.
Our support service continues to evolve as a
result of our daily interaction with our software
users.
We understand how important it is for you to get your queries and issues resolved quickly and
efficiently.
Our customers appreciate the support we provide and it was they who put us forward for the
customer service award at the industries '2010 Landlord and Letting Awards'.
We just missed out on winning the actual award but were the only commended finalist! Still
quite an achievement!
In order to help you get the very best out of our software we have developed an unrivalled
support service, should you ever need it.
17.1 Support Manager Our Support Manager function gives you a number of ways to get swift assistance in using any
aspect of the software.
The options available via Support Manager are detailed below:
Priority Support Service
95
17.1.1 Consult the Help File We have a very comprehensive help system built in to the software. This means that if you
press the F1 help key on any screen within the software then you will be taken to the relevant
help section for that screen.
17.1.2 View the Video Tutorials We have numerous audio/video tutorials that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
This means that even when our offices are closed you can view the tutorials whenever you
want.
17.1.3 FAQ and How to Tutorials Over time we have noticed that it is the same questions that are repeatedly asked. Therefore
we have developed an on-line FAQ section which will answer the most commonly asked
questions for you.
We are also asked about how to do certain things within the software. A popular question is
―How do I set up and manage DSS tenants?‖ For more complex processes we have developed
on-line tutorials which take you step by step through the process.
17.1.4 Submit a Support Ticket If you have an active support agreement then you can raise a support ticket with our
functional or technical support teams. The benefit of raising a support ticket is that
everything is electronically monitored in your on-line support account. This means that you
can always log, track and review any support tickets you have raised.
17.1.5 Contact Support by Phone Regardless of how technology has evolved over the past years, we recognise that some people
will simply want to contact us by phone. Again, if you have an active Priority Support Service
contract you can contact our support centre between the hours of 9am and 5pm weekdays.
17.1.6 Tell Us What You Think Of course, one of the reasons why our software solutions are so popular for landlords is
because they are designed by landlords for landlords. We proactively encourage our users to
tell us how we can improve our software and what features they would like developed in
future versions.
17.1.7 Partner Services Finally, we have also provided links to essential services that every landlord will need at some
point. These are tax and legal services and you can use our preferred partners just by simply
clicking on the links.
17.2 Priority Support Service All our customers will receive our Standard Support Service (see below) for free.
However, we now also have a Priority Support Service.
The Priority Support Service is our fast response, priority-based telephone, email and chat
service for software users with business-critical issues.
With this service your calls are treated as our top priority and a customer services
representative is assigned to you and will work with you until your issue is resolved — no
matter how many calls it takes.
Also, your emails will be answered quicker with our guaranteed email response time.
Support Services
96
Here are the support options that are available to our customers:
To learn more about the priority support service go here:
>> Priority Support Service
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