In order to secure a property and cease further marketing, a Goodwill Deposit of £250 or equivalent to one weeks' rent (whichever is the lower) must be received. The Goodwill Deposit will be taken off the first month's rent or will be returned to the tenant in full if the Landlord decides not to proceed with the tenancy or if an agreement is not reached before the deadline for agreement (and the tenant is not at fault). The Goodwill Deposit will not be returned if the tenant/s or Guarantor/s provide false or misleading information, if they fail the Right to Rent check or if they decide to withdraw from the application or if the prospective tenant fails to take all reasonable steps to enter the agreement (for example not responding to reasonable requests for information required to progress the agreement).
A Tenant Details Questionnaire will be given to you asking for personal contact details, current living arrangements including landlord/agent contact, your employment including salary information and other information relevant to processing a new tenancy. Your information is treated with the strictest confidence and we do not ever pass any information to other parties for marketing purposes.
This information given will be passed to a third party referencing agency to carry our background checks and in most instances this can be completed within 72 hours. Common causes of delay are employers' references and accounting references for self-employed and so we recommend contacting the relevant people in advance asking them to expedite any incoming requests for information.
You will also be credit checked. Homeowners may be required to provide their latest mortgage statement. Additional references may be required as necessary. In all circumstances we will give feedback on the process along the way.
Bear in mind that Landlords may have conditions imposed upon them by insurers and mortgage providers that require them to accept or deny applicants based upon the referencing outcome. In some circumstances we may propose a Guarantor be invited to be party to the Tenancy Agreement.
In all circumstances we see our role as finding good tenants for our Landlords and encouraging them to stay!
A note specifically for self-employed applicants. We are self-employed too and know that applying for a tenancy can be daunting because of the complexity and volume of information that can be requested. Please speak with us at the start of any new tenancy application and we will do our best to make the process as straightforward as possible.
A tenancy agreement will be drawn up and all tenants - and guarantors as necessary - named on the tenancy agreement must sign the necessary documentation in person within the mutually agreed timeframe before commencement of the tenancy. Keys will only released at handover of the property at the commencement date of the tenancy. A specimen tenancy agreement is available should you wish to see it.
A Security Deposit will be required from every Tenant, normally the equivalent of five weeks' rent. This will be registered with The Deposit Protection Service or another UK Government approved agency (the 'deposit holder') in line with statute law governing residential tenancy deposits. The funds will be sent to deposit holder and you will receive details from them about the status of your deposit and how to log in to their systems. We recommend reviewing their online presence for more information.
Provided there are no disputes over unfair wear and tear, damage or lack of cleaning, rent outstanding or unpaid utility bills, the deposit will be returned to the tenant at the end of the tenancy. Under no circumstances can the deposit be used as part or all of the last month's rent.
You will receive a copy of the Prescribed Information relating to the security deposit as is required by UK law. If you have any questions regarding this, we will be pleased to assist.
Rent is payable on or before the 1st day of each calendar month and should be received as cleared funds on that day. Where the first day of the month falls on a weekend it is accepted that rent may be received on the next working day.
Where a tenancy starts on any day other than the first day of the month, rent will be requested for the part-month from commencement day to the next rent payable day in advance.
Rent must be received by Bank Transfer only and we will provide a Standing Order Form to you to assist with this. Where there is a change to rent payable, for example at a point of renewal or agreed stepped change in rent, the Tenant will be responsible for instructing their bank in good time.
Sometimes circumstances change; we are human and appreciate that such situations can be difficult. In the first instance we encourage Tenants to contact at the soonest opportunity to discuss what options are available. Whilst we are normally able to provide assistance, Tenants should be aware that they have entered into a contract with a Landlord that is legally binding.
Should the tenants wish to amend any of the terms within the agreement after the commencement of the tenancy and subject to the Landlord's agreement to the changes there will be a charge of £50 including VAT payable by the tenant per amendment.
Tenants who enter into a Tenancy Agreement as sharers should be aware that a Tenancy Agreement is 'joint and several' and that it is not possible for parties to leave or enter the agreement separately. We can provide more, practical advice on this aspect upon request.
Should the tenant lose or not return all the keys, security devices, remote controls or parking permits at the end of their tenancy then the tenant will be charged for the replacements including the costs of changing the locks where a security key or device has been lost, mislaid or not returned.
Should the tenant be more than 14 days late with their rent payment then they will be charged interest from the date on which the rent was due until the date on which the rent is actually received at a rate of 3% above the Bank of England Base Rate.
Tenants wishing to end a Tenancy ahead of the scheduled term dates may be subject to a charge. This charge is applied if the tenant wishes to terminate the tenancy during the fixed term period or during a periodic period without giving the contractual or statutory notice. This could include the reletting costs incurred by the landlord (inventory make, tenancy agreement, check in) as well as the rent up to the date the new tenants take occupancy.
