Tenant Information

The majority of the properties listed by us are furnished and are available for a period of one year or longer. Some properties are available either partly or unfurnished and you should make your preference known to the letting negotiator. Occasionally properties are available for shorter periods but not less than 6 months.

You should allow at least 2 weeks to find a suitable property and a further 5 - 10 working days to complete the formalities.

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If you are interested in viewing any of our properties, you should make the appropriate arrangements with one of our letting negotiators, who will accompany you on the viewing. It is important when viewing a property, to establish exactly what is included or excluded from the furnishings, etc.

When you have chosen the property you wish to rent you will be asked to:

• Produce your passport or national identification document
• Provide name and address of previous Landlords and/or agents
• Provide other referees if we consider this appropriate
• Pay a goodwill deposit usually one week's rent
• To nominate a UK resident as guarantor where appropriate

We will prepare a draft tenancy agreement for your approval. It is important at this stage that you read the document carefully and revert to us with anything that you do not understand or require clarification on. You should consider asking a solicitor to check the document on your behalf. Any amendments or additions which you may request will need approval from the Landlord and in some cases by the Mortgagees and the Superior Landlord. As soon as the agreement has been approved by all the parties concerned formal documents will be prepared for signature. The intention is for this whole process to take 15 working days.

You will be required to lodge a deposit with ourselves against possible damages, dilapidations or unpaid rent. As we are members of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, all monies will be held by us in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

The usual method of payment is monthly in advance by bankers standing order but occasionally Landlords insist on the rental payments being made either bi-monthly or quarterly in advance. All rents are exclusive of electricity, gas, water, telephone and Council Tax.

At the commencement of the tenancy, you will be required to transfer the electricity, gas, water and telephone into your name. In all probability, you will be required to pay a deposit to the authorities concerned, unless you have been an account holder before.

You will be obliged to pay the Council Tax which is levied on the property by the local authority and in this regard, we will notify the local authority to forward all demands directly to you.

The Landlord is responsible for providing an inventory and schedule of condition at the commencement and termination of your tenancy. This is usually prepared by an independent inventory clerk. You will be given 5 days in which to check the inventory and to bring to our attention any discrepancies which you may find. At the end of the tenancy, the inventory will be checked out by the inventory clerk and a report prepared as to the condition of the property.

You are responsible for obtaining a TV Licence regardless of whether a television is provided by you or the Landlord.

The first rental instalment, deposit, tenancy agreement costs must be received by us in cleared funds by no later than the commencement date of the tenancy, failing which you will not be allowed into occupation. We accept all credit cards except American Express and Diners Club. Please note that there is an additional 3% fee for commercial credit and debit cards.

The Landlord is responsible for insuring the building and any furniture, fittings and effects provided by the Landlord. The Landlord is not responsible for insuring your own furniture or possessions and we therefore strongly advise you to insure your own effects.

If you do not have your own insurance broker, we can recommend companies that specialise in the letting industry and they can provide you with a quote for consideration.

As we offer different services to our Landlords, we may not be managing the property which you are renting. You will, therefore, be informed by letter when you take occupation of the property, whom will be taking care of the day to day maintenance and repairs during your tenancy.

Information supplied by you will be held on our computer records in accordance with the Company's notification under the Data Protection Act 1998. We may use this information or share it with other Agents, Landlords or members of ARLA, for account administration (including debt tracing and collection), credit, insurance, property and rental decisions. We may record sensitive personal data as defined in the 1998 Data Protection Act. You are entitled to ask for a copy of the information held about you subject to the payment of an administration fee which will be notified to you upon application and will not exceed the value set by statue. You have the right to request that it be amended if it is found to be incorrect.

We are obliged to obtain evidence of the identity of every new Tenant by asking for a copy of their passport, national identity document (providing it has a photograph) or photo-card drivers licence. If the Tenant is a company, we have to check the identity of at least two directors, unless it is a publicly quoted company. If the Tenant is an offshore company or trust, we will need evidence of beneficial ownership. The consequences of our not adhering to the aforementioned leaves us open to prosecution.

We are fully compliant and for further information, please visit www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2005

 

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This guide is for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector to help them understand their rights and responsibilities. It provides a checklist and more detailed information on each stage of the process, including:

• What to look out for before renting
• Living in a rented home
• What happens at the end of a tenancy
• What to do if things go wrong

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