Your property questions answered.

Do I need planning permission to go solar?

We are interested in installing solar panels for water heating and have found a good supplier who can install the panels immediately. However, what is the position involving planning permission? What would be the delay on that?

The position on planning permission for such relatively new technologies as solar panels has been confused and frustrating with local authorities giving out conflicting information on whether planning permission is needed or not.

The position has been clarified in the past few weeks. Under new regulations, the installation of solar panels up to 12 sq m aperture area, or 50 per cent of total roof area, whichever is less, will be exempted development subject to the following conditions:

A 15cm maximum distance between the plane of a pitched roof and the solar panel.

A 50cm maximum distance between the plane of a flat roof and the solar panels, and that panels should be at least 50cm from the edge of the roof.

The move to clarify the planning situation is hugely welcomed given the interest in these new sustainable technologies.

You don't say what size your proposed panels are - you may have to reconsider the size based on these new regulations. So you need to go back to the supplier and work out the effectiveness in terms of water heating of the size of the panels that you will be able to install.

What agent will charge to let apartment

I am a first-time investor. I bought a (new) two-bedroom apartment in Dublin 2 last year.

It let immediately to a relation but that lease will be up at the end of May and I am weighing up the options and am nervous about the whole process. How much will I have to pay an agent to take on the task?

By "task" presumably you mean let and manage. The good news is that you have bought in a highly lettable area - any surveys of the rental market show that centrally-located apartments let well, quickly and show an increase in rental levels.

Also, as your apartment is new, it is presumably smart looking and in good condition.

Have a look at the letting section on www.myhome.ie to get an idea of what your apartment is likely to let for.

Armed with this information you should contact three or four letting agents.

Expect charges to range from 6 per cent of the annual rent roll to as much as 14 per cent. Be sure what you are being quoted for. The sort of questions you need to ask are: what is the agent's vetting process for new tenants?

What on-going management service do they offer? The company's overall experience in the market? What is their web presence?

Ask what happens if, after a year, your tenant wants to renew his contract for another year.

Some agents charge a hefty lease renewal fee - many landlords consider that to be a rip-off and prefer only to pay a nominal amount to cover paperwork.

Be sure when comparing quotes that you are comparing like with like when it comes to service.

As the end of May is not the best time of year to be looking for new tenants, you should do the legwork of comparing quotes early in May and have it ready to go as soon as your relation moves out.

You should also plan on putting aside a couple of days to thoroughly clean the apartment - and maybe do a bit of paint retouching.

What you are trying to avoid at all costs is an expensive void period.

• Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or email propertyquestions@irish-times.ie. Unfortunately, it is not possible to respond to all questions. The above is a representative sample of queries received. This column is a readers' service and is not intended to replace professional advice. No individual correspondence will be entered into.