Full Service Property Management
Our lettings management service takes the day-to-day off your plate. Tenant finding, rent collection, inspections and everything in between, so you can focus on what matters to you.
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Renter's Rights – Latest Legislation
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The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, introducing the most significant reform to the private rented sector in a generation. For landlords, it reshapes both the structure and administration of tenancies in practical, ongoing ways.
Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have been abolished. Ending a tenancy now requires reliance on specific statutory grounds, and precision in process is critical. IMS ensures each step is handled correctly, minimising risk and avoiding procedural challenge.
All tenancies are now periodic. Fixed-term agreements are no longer used, and reliance on legacy documentation can create unintended legal exposure. IMS maintains compliant, up-to-date tenancy structures across your portfolio.
Rent increases are limited to once per year and must be implemented through a correctly served Section 13 notice. IMS manages this process to ensure validity and consistency.
Rent in advance is now capped at one month. While straightforward in principle, compliance is essential to avoid financial penalties and regulatory issues. IMS ensures tenancy setup aligns with current requirements from the outset.
Tenants now have a statutory right to request pets, which landlords must consider reasonably. IMS provides clear guidance on managing these requests while protecting the condition and value of your property.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is required every five years, with ongoing compliance obligations remaining strict. IMS ensures certification and renewal schedules are properly maintained.
Non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties. In practice, most landlords are not acting in disregard of the rules, but are navigating an environment of frequent regulatory change.
IMS exists to provide clarity – ensuring your portfolio remains compliant, well-managed, and quietly protected.
How we help
As your property management agents in Bicester, we handle everything. From finding the right tenants, managing deposits, preparing agreements, collecting rent, coordinating maintenance and carrying out regular inspections.
When it comes to marketing your property, our professional photographers and floor plan specialists make sure it looks its best from day one. We list across all the major portals and use social media and our own website to reach the widest possible audience.
Your property is an asset, and we treat it like one. We keep void periods short, costs transparent and communication clear, so that your investment works as hard as it should.
Lettings Management Services
- Finding tenants
- Holding and managing deposits in a custodial deposit scheme
- Preparing tenancy agreements
- Inventories
- Rent collection
- Property maintenance including repairs on your rental property
- Dealing with emergencies
- Regular property inspections
- Sourcing appropriate insurances and protection
- Complying with Right to Rent legislation
- Complying with laws regarding Legionella’s disease
Let Only: For the Landlord who is looking for an agent to advertise their property and secure a tenant, but feels confident to deal with all aspects of the day to day management of the Tenancy themselves, including keeping up to date on all legislation requirements and documentation. In addition to our Set Up Fee, a one-off Let Only fee is payable. With well over 200 pieces of legislation around letting a property, including the latest tenancy reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act, this option is not one to be considered lightly. Landlords can find themselves at risk of hefty fines having unwittingly breached a landlord obligation, this could range from £4000 to £40,000 plus, and in the worst cases, criminal prosecution and being banned from being a landlord.
Rent Collection: For landlords who are happy to take on the day to day management but prefer not to deal with the financial aspects of collecting and processing the rent. When instructing IMS to carry out the Rent Collection service in addition to the initial Set-up Fee the monthly Rent Collection Commission is payable throughout the tenancy. The commission is due on the rental payment dates as specified in the Tenancy Agreement. IMS can provide additional services on an ad-hoc basis if required, please refer to the Fees List. As with the Let Only service above, rent collection landlords are now more than ever at risk of unknowingly breaching legislation requirements and facing large fines.
Fully Managed: Where the landlord hands over all aspects of the management of the tenancy, safe in the knowledge that IMS will deal with matters as if the property was their own. When instructing IMS to carry out the Full Management service a Set Up Fee is payable by the Landlord to IMS for each new tenancy, in addition to this the monthly Management Fee is payable throughout the tenancy. The commission is due on the rental payment dates as specified in the tenancy Agreement.
Premier: This is our most comprehensive level of service with the added benefit of rent protection insurance (subject to the necessary conditions being met), and an annual meeting with our lettings compliance expert and your property manager to review the last year and plan for the next. It also includes a range of services that would otherwise be chargeable such as annual rent reviews and Section 13 Notice for rent increases, property inspections every 6 months, change of sharer documentation, annual rent statement for tax returns, submitting evidence to the TDS in the event of a deposit dispute. When instructing IMS to carry out the Premier service a Set Up Fee is payable by the Landlord to IMS for each new tenancy and in addition to this, the monthly Management Fee is payable throughout the tenancy. The commission is due on the rental payment dates as specified in the tenancy Agreement.
Please see our Landlord Fees list for all fees and charges, and to help you decide which service level is best for you, it includes a handy comparison table of the different levels of service and what they each include. Contact us to arrange a meeting or a call to discuss renting out your property.
Your property is not only a valuable asset, but may also be a much-needed source of income. That is why we always aim to keep your costs low, avoid unoccupied periods and be as efficient as possible.
Although a letting agent will deal with the day-to-day management, being a landlord can be frustrating as you are still legally responsible for your properties and regulations frequently change. We will guide you through the process so that you are aware of your responsibilities.
Landlord Responsibilities
Letting and managing a property requires a lot of time and commitment, and the legal responsibilities that come with it are significant and growing. Here at IMS Property Group, we stay on top of every change so you don’t have to, making sure your property is always compliant, your tenants are looked after, and your investment is protected.
- Providing a statement of tenancy terms
- Providing an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property
- Carrying out Right to Rent checks
- Providing the tenant with the current gas safety record where there is gas. Prescribed Information and Deposit Scheme information before the tenancy starts
- Ensuring all services (water, gas and electricity) requirements are met
- Ensuring all furniture meets safety requirements in furnished properties
- Carrying out regular Legionella Risk Assessments
- Maintaining the structure of the property and the outside of the dwelling
- Notifying residents with 24 hours written notice before accessing the property, except in an emergency
- Following the correct legal procedures to end any tenancy
- Ensure licensing requirements are met from local councils
- Providing every tenant with a copy of the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet. This is not required as long as the required information is included in the body of the tenancy agreement
- Only increasing rent once per year, via a formal Section 13 notice
- Following the new legal grounds for possession – Section 21 no-fault evictions no longer exist
- Ensuring the property has valid safety certificates at all times, during the tenancy and tenants are provided with copies within the required timeframes
- Protecting tenants' deposit within the required timeframe
- Landlords must consider any written request from a tenant to keep a pet and cannot unreasonably refuse. This is a new obligation that's now in force.
- Ensuring the property has a valid safety certificates at all times during the tenancy and tenants are provided with copies within the required timeframes
- Property maintenance including repairs on your rental property
Our team aim to make your life as easy and profitable as possible, informing you of changes in regulations and implementing them for you where possible.
Landlord fees
Our lettings management fees are transparent and tailored to the level of service you choose. Management fees range from 12% of monthly rent for Rent Collection up to 18% for our Premier service, with a Let Only option available at one month’s rent. All packages include professional photography, marketing across major property portals, comprehensive tenant referencing, and full tenancy documentation. An initial set-up fee of £780 applies to all managed services, deducted from the first month’s rent collected.
Specific services such as inventory and check-out, Legionella risk assessments, EPCs, and deposit dispute handling are all priced clearly with no hidden charges. Overseas landlords without HMRC Non-Resident Landlord approval are subject to separate admin fees to cover mandatory tax deduction and quarterly reporting requirements. A full breakdown of all fees is available to download below, and all prices are inclusive of VAT.
Why Choose IMS
As Propertymark accredited property management agents, IMS holds a Level 3 Technical Award in Residential Lettings and Property Management.
We provide a fully managed service to landlords with no hidden charges – find out more about IMS as your Bicester lettings agency, or contact us today to see how we can help you manage your rental property ‘Hassle Free’.”
Complaints
We hope you never need it, and we always ensure any issues are dealt with professionally and quickly, but if you have an issue that we haven’t been able to put it right – you can find our complaints procedure here.
We have put together some frequently asked questions
Full property management is a service where property management agents handles every aspect of renting out your property on your behalf – from finding and vetting tenants to collecting rent, managing maintenance and ensuring legal compliance. IMS Property Group offers four tiers of landlord service: Let Only, Rent Collection, Fully Managed and Premier (which includes rent protection insurance), with management fees from 12% of monthly rent.
The Set Up Fee covers all marketing costs.
No. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords cannot charge a pet premium or an additional fee when a tenant requests permission to keep a pet. However, landlords may be able to require tenants to hold appropriate pet damage insurance where permitted by the legislation.
We will discuss any applications with you, it is important to us that we find the right fit for you and the property. Please bear in mind though that this will need to be in line with advertising and discrimination legislation.
Not without good reason. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords must consider pet requests and cannot unreasonably refuse consent.
Each request should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Examples of reasonable grounds for refusal may include the property being unsuitable for the type, size or number of pets requested, restrictions imposed by a superior landlord or freeholder, or concerns relating to health and safety.
A landlord cannot refuse a request simply because they have a general preference not to allow pets.
No. We are happy to use your choice of contractor, we would just require a copy of their public liability insurance. The contractors we use on a regular basis are local businesses who we have built excellent working relationships with.
We regularly price check to make sure you they remain competitive and we don’t add an uplift to their invoices.
You do not pay contractor invoices directly — IMS Property Group settles approved invoices on your behalf from your rental income.
No, we can take over the management with an existing tenancy in place, we can deal with your current agent on your behalf to make it seamless for you and your tenants. Your agent may charge you an exit fee, details will be in your contract but we can assist with this.
A detailed inventory is needed as without it you will struggle to defend any claim from the tenants deposit when they move out. The deposit scheme adjudicators favour independent inventories over those compiled by landlords.
A comprehensive inventory is provided as part of our set up fee. We use an independent company who visit the property and send us a detailed report complete with photographs.
As IMS accompany all viewings, we will have the access codes and keys for your property, so you don’t need to be present. It is also worth noting that many tenants often feel more relaxed when the owner is not present.
IMS process rent payments daily excluding weekends and bank holidays so that you get paid as close to the rent date as possible. Please note that whilst we endeavour to pay you in a timely manner we cannot be held liable for any delays in banking, computer failure or other factors outside of our control such as delayed or non-payment of rent by the tenant.
Where the tenant falls into rent arrears our management fee remains payable and we strongly advise that you make provision for any void period or delay in receiving rent.
Typically a deposit equates to five weeks’ rent and is payable upon the signing of the Tenancy Agreement. The deposit will then be registered with a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme; IMS uses a custodial deposit scheme and pay the deposit across to them within the required 30 days of receipt.
See the IMS fee sheets on the IMS Landlords page for all costs for letting out your property.
Overseas landlords need to apply to HMRC for Non Resident Landord Status (NRL). It is an easy online process for anyone who has lived and paid tax in the UK, without a gateway code you can apply by post.
Once approved, HMRC will send both you and your agent a letter confirming a NRL Approval number. This is linked to you as an individual together with the letting agent, joint landlords will need to apply separately. Each time you change letting agents you will need to apply for a new approval number. Having NRL approval allows us to pay the rent to you without deducting the tax payable to HMRC.
If there is any delay in receiving approval we are required to deduct 20% and remit it to HMRC quarterly, monthly and quarterly administrative charges are payable if this is required.
We can work with you to find a service level that suits you best, we recognize that one size doesn’t fit all and can make it bespoke to you.
Yes. There is often confusion over this, it doesn’t involve testing for legionella, but as landlord you are legally obliged to carry out a risk assessment, to implement any necessary measures and review regularly. You don’t need to have a fancy report, you can do it yourself if you feel competent to do so. Alternatively, we do have a qualified assessor who we can instruct on your behalf if you would like us to arrange this.
The recommended timeframe is every 2 years unless circumstances dictate otherwise. A written assessment is recommended in the event that you need to demonstrate in court that you have met your obligations.
Yes, IMS is an PropertyMark-registered lettings agent.
There are no rules about this, so technically yes but we wouldn’t advise you do this, as tenants may shy away from renting your property as they will most likely want to use any garage and may be concerned over their right to quiet enjoyment if you were accessing it.
- Ensure your legal responsibilities are met – with fixed penalty notices of £30,000 for a range of housing offences, an Agent will help to make sure you are compliant and not at risk of prosecution.
- Using an expert with good knowledge of the market conditions and demand is likely to achieve a higher rent for you.
- Stringent vetting and referencing procedures, means you are more likely to attract reliable tenants.
- You hand over the burden of being on call 24/7. Having a full management service will give you back your time and likely save on stress and anxiety.
- Finding reliable tradespeople can be challenging, your agent will have a range of vetted contractors they use who offer fast response times and competitive prices.
- Rent can be collected and chased on your behalf with annual rent reviews to make sure you are not missing out on opportunities to increase the rent where appropriate
- Secure deposit protection scheme administration is taken care of for you
- All the correct paperwork is given to the tenant at the correct time so you will not encounter issues if you need to serve notice.
- Peace of mind; not only that everything is taken care of for you, but support and advice is on hand whenever you need it.
The deposit is held by the tenancy deposit protection scheme for the duration of the tenancy and in the event that the tenant disputes any claim at the end of the tenancy, the deposit scheme adjudication service review evidence submitted, dealing with any deposit charge disputes fairly and efficiently.
An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) measures the energy efficiency of a property using a scale of A-G and is valid for 10 years. It is a legal requirement for landlords to have a valid EPC before their property is let. IMS can arrange this for you.
- Legionella Risk Assessment
- Landlord gas Safety report
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
- Portable Appliance Test (PAT) report for any freestanding white goods
- Any properties with wood burners will need the HETAS certificate
As part of the second phase of the Renters’ Rights Act implementation, if you are a landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy, you must register yourself and each of your properties through the ‘Register your rental property’ service.
At the moment this will be required for properties that are currently let, or become let during the rollout period. Under future legislation, you will also be required to register unoccupied properties before you or your agent markets them for let.Key information is covered below but please refer to the GOV.UK information page for full details.Get ready: ‘Register your rental property’ service – Housing Hub
Are there any exemptions? You won’t need to register on the service if you are a landlord of supported exempt accommodation as set out in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. Supported exempt accommodation refers to housing that provides care, supervision, or support to residents, often managed by local authorities, housing associations, charities or voluntary organisations. It includes refuges, hostels and other specialist housing. You can check if this applies to you here – Section 12 of the Act
Is there a fee to register? Yes, annual fee of £65 per property, and you will need to renew this each year or risk being fined.
What will I need to provide?
- Personal (Landlord) information ie name/date of birth, address/email.
- Property information ie property address/type of property/ accommodation/ occupation status/name and email of any superior landlord, owner of freehold, or property manager where appropriate.
- Tenancy information ie number of occupants/ number of households in occupation/ information on licensing/whether it’s unfurnished, partly furnished or fully furnished.
- Rent Information – Rent amount charged and frequency of payment, and whether the rent is inclusive of utilities, and if so, what utilities are included.
- Health and safety information this includes:
– a copy of the valid gas safety certificate if there is gas at the property and expiry date
– a valid Electrical Installation Condition report (EICR) or appropriate Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and expiry dates.
– a copy of the most recent EPC and if it has expired, the date the current tenancy started. if the most recent EPC is below the minimum rating, whether an exemption is in place and what type of exemption applies.
How do I register? You will need a GOV.UK One Login.
Offline registration routes will be available for landlords who need them.
Can my letting agent register on my behalf? No, you will need to register yourself. There will be an option for your agent to upload certain information on your behalf if arranged with them, guidance on this will be released ahead of the rollout.
When do I need to register by? It is being rolled out in regions, with the West Midlands being first on the 15th December 2026. For Oxfordshire properties the registration deadline is from the 15th March 2027 to 14th June 2027.
Can I register early? you can register from the 15th December 2026 if you prefer not to wait until your regional timeframe rolls out.