Renting is a big decision and whilst many people overlook this, you need to consider your chosen property, your future landlord and your agent before you commit. If you have any questions we are only ever a phone call away; here are a few pointers in the meantime. We have done our best to make sure that this guide is perfect but, please do check with us or your current advisor/agent before relying on any information.
To reserve a property you will be asked for a reservation and administration fee. The amount of the fee varies depending on the area and the rental value of the property. The fee guarantees (subject to satisfactory references) that the property is secured for you whilst agreements are drawn up and covers our costs in obtaining references and completing the tasks that are necessary for you to occupy the property.
Prior to occupation you will be asked for security deposit and some rent. As a general guide, the security deposit is between 1 & 2 months rental monies and is taken along with the first month’s rental. All costs will be detailed on a statement provided by us.
The renting process in the UK may be different from that of your own country. In essence everything aside from the referencing process is the same for all of tenants. Our staff know all about what is needed so please just telephone us for more information.
If you need help with translation you can use Google’s free translation service at www.google.com/language_tools although we obviously can’t guarantee it is perfect.
Unless otherwise stated, the tenant takes over all of the utilities including water and council tax. If the property is subject to a service change the landlord will normally pay this but, please ask and we will give you the answers that you need.
The agent is employed by the Landlord so the agent will act in their best interests. However, as a professional NAEA letting agent we will abide the rules that they set down which protect your interests. How much we get involved with a property is really down to the landlord but for the majority of our clients we will arrange rent collection and payment as well as taking full responsibility for looking after the property.
We will deal with the property viewings, references, agreements and getting you moved in to your rented property. From that point onwards, your point of contact depends on whether the Landlord pays us to ‘manage’ their property. We will tell you who to speak to for different issues but, in the majority of cases you can just telephone us and we will take care of things for you.
As agent, we will arrange for repairs in the majority of cases on behalf of the landlord. However as a tenant you are responsible for breakages and these will normally be deducted from your deposit unless otherwise agreed. You should report repairs and breakages as soon as they occur.
Your right to occupy your property is protected in law. However, the agent and landlord have obvious rights to visit the property. For the majority of properties we will visit at least once every three months but, we will endeavour to always give your notice unless there is an emergency.
Most rental tenancies are for fixed terms of 6 months or 12 months although we can be more flexible depending on your needs and the landlords wishes.
We use an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) for the vast majority of our residential tenancies. This is a standard contract between Landlord and Tenant and serves to protect both party’s interests. If there are special conditions they will be noted in here or will take the form a separate “rider” or agreement.
For legal reasons, the names of all of the occupiers must be declared on the Assured Shorthold Agreement (AST). If you sublet or share (even if you don’t necessarily charge rent) you will be breaking the terms of the agreement. Where several people are sharing a property the tenants are ‘jointly and severally’ responsible, and as such must be listed on the AST. This expression means that each tenant is liable to for any breach of agreement and to pay all of the rent.
It is a dangerous tactic to withhold rental payments for whatever reason because you would be in breach of the tenancy agreement for which the Landlord could take you to court. It is more than likely that we will manage your property so please talk to us before taking any action. It is our intention to ensure that your property is kept in good working order at all times.
Unless both parties consent to terminate an AST, you are liable for the rent for the duration of the agreement regardless of whether you live in the property or not. This protects both the landlord but, also you as tenant in guaranteeing that you have the use of the property for the duration of the tenancy. You should be aware that it may be against the terms of your tenancy agreement to leave the property vacant for an extended period of time.
By law landlords must arrange for a Deposit or Custodial Deposit Scheme to hold or insure your deposit. We endeavour to return deposits as quickly as possible and always within the statutory limits. You can assist us by leaving the property in the condition in which you found it. If there are problems with the condition of the property after you have moved out we will contact you to explain. Amounts may be withheld from your deposit to cover remedial works to the property but, you will have the right to have any deductions fully explained to you and ultimately, if you disagree with the deduction you can apply for independent arbitration of our assessment.
You can download our guide, “What should I do when I move out?” from our downloads page.
Landlords are required by legislation to pay a tenant’s deposit into a separate custodial or insurance based Deposit Scheme. Either type of scheme protects tenants’ deposit monies. If only part of the deposit is in dispute, then the remainder that is not in dispute must be returned to the tenant within a maximum of 10 days of the tenancy ending. Deposit schemes vary but they all act to protect a tenant’s deposit. The tenant and landlord can jointly or separately apply to the Deposit Scheme to have their case referred at Resolution or in Court. Once a resolution has been reached, the deposit must be returned within a maximum of 10 days.
If you rent a property through Town & Country it is more than likely that your deposit will be regulated and insured by The Dispute Service. You can find more information here http://www.thedisputeservice.co.uk/.
To ensure you receive a professional service it’s best to choose to rent a property via an agent that is a member of the National Federation of Property Professional, such as Town & Country. This will give you piece of mind that your property is safe for occupation and that you are treated fairly at all times.