Tenants FAQ
Before choosing a property to rent, take into account of your budget and your income every month. Remember when signing up for a property, you will have to pay a deposit upfront.
Make sure you have viewed the property before going ahead with anything. Once you are 100% sure the property is for you then your agent will ask you to sign a set of Terms and Conditions / Tenancy Application &Declaration which will state the services they will provide you and the fee’s you will be required to pay. The agent will then begin the referencing process to ensure you are in a fit position to rent out the property.
An application is where the tenant will sit with the agent and agree to a set of terms and conditions involved in renting the property. You shall have to fill in an application form where you will need to provide the agent with photographic identification (passport/driving licence), copies of last 3 months bank statements.
Every tenant has to go through the process of referencing before being allowed to take the property as the Landlord needs to be assured that the tenant will have no difficulties in paying the rent and will take good care of the property. In some circumstances, the referencing process may not approve of the tenant due to either a lack of rent history or in some cases students who do not have a regular income. However, there are other possibilities such as seeking out a guarantor or paying the rent upfront for the full term.
If you are not approved by the referencing, you may need to seek out a guarantor. A guarantor is usually a parent or guardian (home owner) who accepts to take full responsibility on behalf of the tenant of any rent arrears or any damage caused to the property which will be more costly than the deposit.
The landlord trusts the tenant to keep the property in good condition. However, if the tenant causes any damage to the property (over and above of wear and tear) the deposit is there to protect the Landlord so that he/she can have the damages repaired at the end of the tenancy. The deposit is also in place to cover the Landlord for any rent arrears.
The first inspection will be carried out within the first month of moving in and thereafter every quarterly. These inspections are carried out to ensure the property is being kept in good condition and to view any maintenance issues.
The Landlord is responsible for maintaining the property in a good state of repair. However, any damage caused by the tenant, only the tenant will be held responsible for repairing this damage. Any repairs should be reported immediately to the agent or Landlord.
In normal circumstances, the tenant is only allowed to make changes to the property after seeking permission from the Landlord. We recommend that the seeking of permission from the Landlord is done in writing.
The landlord has to give the current tenants suitable notice before entering the property, unless it’s an emergency situation.
If you are tied into a fixed contract then you will be liable for the rent until the fixed term is finished. If you are not in a fixed contract then you are able to give your agent a 2 Months’ notice to quit preferably in writing and thereafter the 2 months you may vacate the property.
It will always be the tenant’s responsibility to pay the rent however if circumstances change and for example you become unemployed you should seek advice from your Landlord or Agent, who may be able to reschedule your payments. You can also get insurance against sickness and unemployment to keep yourself protected. Don’t forget, the last thing you should do is let rent arrears pile up!