Guide For Tenants

Although it is not a legal requirement a thorough inventory of the condition and contents of the property agreed by the landlord and you is very useful to avoid any potential disputes at the end of your tenancy.

Yes, a final inventory check will take place the day you are scheduled to move out. The check-out will be conducted by an independent and professional inventory clerk who will consult the original inventory prepared at the start of your tenancy. The purpose is to assess any damage that may have occurred.

Your prospective new landlord will be keen to make sure that you are a suitable tenant and that you have the ability to pay your rent, while also making sure that you have rented a property without any major problems in the past (if this is applicable). We will seek your permission to conduct the relevant searches before instructing an independent and professional reference checking company.

If you agree, some, or all, of the following documents may be requested by that company: References from previous landlords - you may be asked to give the details of where you have lived within the last three years.

A credit check - this will allow them to see if you have a good history of paying your bills. Your bank details, including bank name, account number and sort code.

Details of your employment, including your employer, job title, payroll number, salary and previous employer. In the event that the information highlights any potential risks to the landlord, you may be asked to provide a guarantor. A guarantor will be contractually liable, both financially and legally, should you fail to pay the rent during your tenancy or in the event of damage to the property.

The final event in your securing the property is the deposit. This is usually between 4-6 week’s rent and held for the duration of the tenancy. The deposit is a safety net for the landlord to guard against the cost of replacing or repairing property damaged by the renter. It is, however, the single most disputed area of the renting process.

New legislation was introduced to the Housing Act 2004 in April 2007 to help protect all parties with regard to the return of deposits.

Tenancy deposit protection in summary: Landlords who take deposits will be required to join a statutory tenancy deposit scheme. This will mean that deposits are safeguarded. Tenants will get all or part of their deposit back, if they have kept the rental property in good condition and are entitled to get their deposit back. The scheme offers alternative ways of resolving disputes which aim to be faster and cheaper than taking court action. We are registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

Yes. If the property has gas appliances or heating the landlord must have an annual gas safety check, conducted by an engineer registered with the ‘Gas Safe Register’. A copy of the certificate must be made available to tenants by law.

Please note that an advanced payment of a month’s rent and the tenancy deposit must be paid before the keys can be released. There are a number of ways you can make this payment, including, bank transfer to our account.

You will be asked to complete a direct debit/standing order mandate for the monthly rental payments. This will be payable each month in advance and will be collected on a set date as stated in the tenancy agreement. For joint or multiple tenancies, only one mandate can be accepted.

The Landlord is NOT responsible for insuring any of your personal belongings. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you obtain adequate contents insurance.

Where we are not responsible for the management of the tenancy, you will be given the Landlord’s contact details in case you need to report any maintenance problems.

Utilities are the responsibility of the Tenants. Whilst we will do everything within our power to assist with information relating to utility supply, we cannot guarantee who the current suppliers are. We can give you the contact numbers for the agencies who can confirm who is currently supplying the property. At the start of your Tenancy, we will take opening meter readings with you and supply you with telephone numbers to arrange for the gas, electric and water supplies to be transferred into your name.

You are responsible for paying council tax whilst your tenancy is running on the property. You may be eligible for an exemption if you are a student. Your Landlord will need either proof that you have paid your council tax or copies of the exemption certificate during or at the end of the Tenancy.

The landlord is responsible for all internal and external repairs. The tenant only pays if the breakdown or repair is due to negligence or misuse, for example a burn mark on a carpet.