Why Let Your Holiday Cottage?
Our clients range from those who only wish to let one or two weeks to help to cover the cost of running their holiday home be it to help towards mortgage costs or replacements of furnishings and fittings for their own benefit.
Other owners are purely commercial and aim to let fifty two weeks of the year where possible. Whatever your aims we are here to help with our depth of experience with dealing with all sorts of properties.
If you are letting your holiday home then there are tax advantages so long as the necessary requirements are met, if you require further advice please do feel free to contact us. Where tax breaks are available then expenses may be set off against the income and also Capital Gains Tax may be reduced on the sale of the property. When deciding what and where to buy you may already have a clear idea of the type of property you would like to buy for your own holidays.
Even if this is the case you should undertake simple research to identify areas that are popular in the target locality and also local attractions to keep visitors occupied during their holiday. Wherever the property is situated if you require pre-purchase advice or assistance then our experienced staff are happy to help.
Once the property is purchased then prior to letting our staff are happy to advise on relevant regulations together with standards of fixtures and fittings and the inventories to provide suitable holiday accommodation.
To avoid any upsets the following self-catering legal requirements need to be carefully addressed:
- Consumer Protection Regulations
- Trade Description Acts.
- Insurance buildings contents and importantly public liability.
- Council Tax regulations.
- Income Tax regulations.
- Electrical equipment five yearly circuit tests and Portable Appliance Tests (PAT).
- Gas Safe Certificates for gas appliances and central heating.
- Fire Risk Assessment including preparation of a Fire Action Plan and provision of Smoke/Heat detectors to meet the standards of “Fire Laws Scotland”. If you need assistance with compliance we are happy to provide guidance during our initial inspection of the property and in more detail after confirmation that you are listing with us.
- Furniture and furnishings fire safety regulations to ensure that all furnishings are fire retardant.
- Cots and highchairs must be safe and suitable to the relevant British Standards.
- Bunk beds must be properly constructed and to the relevant British Standard.
- General Health and Safety for trips and falls (watch out for the unprotected edge/mind the gap!).
Although the regulations may seem daunting our practical approach gained from our long experience of managing properties ensures that we are able to help you to meet the relevant requirements simply and easily.
To arrange to list your property with Discover Scotland please get in touch to receive an owners information leaflet and to arrange for one of our staff members to visit you and undertake an initial no obligation appraisal of your property.
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