This information has been produced to make Tenants aware of their responsibilities and requirements when renting a property through Eckersley White Property Management.
Finding the right property
We understand that renting a property can be a daunting experience. At Eckersley White Property Management we will try to make this process as swift and stress free as possible but a lot of this process does depend on the information you give us initially. We must be informed of the following as soon as possible:
- Who will be living at the property? This is to include partners and children (anyone over the age of 18 who regularly resides at the property must be declared on the tenancy agreement).
- Forwarding address must be provided i.e. parents/colleagues, who can be sent post/information at the end of your tenancy.
- Name of person paying your deposit, i.e. yourself, a relevant person or Guarantor.
- Any pets you will be keeping at the property.
- If you intend to seek financial help in making rental payments.
- Any adverse credit history including CCJ’s or outstanding IVA’s.
- Full contact details, i.e. full names, telephone numbers and email addresses.
Once you are accepted for the property you will need to make a financial commitment equivalent to one-week’s rent. This is held on your account and taken from the balance due prior to moving in for first month rent and damage deposit.
IF YOU FAIL TO INFORM US OF ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION THIS MAY CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION FOR A PROPERTY TO FAIL THUS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ANY FEES PAID!
Damage Deposit
The Damage deposit required for your rental property is equivilant to 5 weeks rent based on the agreed rental figure (i.e. if you rent a property with a rental figure of £950.00 per calendar month, the actual damage deposit will be £1,096.00. This is refundable on vacating the property, providing the property is vacated in a condition similar to that at which it was initially rented to you, (allowing for fair and general wear and tear).
Please note that if you are keeping a pet(s) at the property your damage deposit will remain the same but you will be required to sign an additional Pet Agreement.
PLEASE NOTE: Once you have paid the initial fee, the property will be held for a period of one month. This means the tenancy agreement start date will be set no later than one (1) month from a satisfactory conclusion regarding the credit references. The tenancy start date can be reviewed at the discretion of the agent / landlord. If you withdraw yourself from renting a specific property after you have paid your holding deposit, this WILL NOT be refunded and will cover all fees including inventory fees and tenancy agreement fees incurred by the agent.
Credit Referencing
We need to carry out the necessary checks on a prospective tenant’s character, finances and history. We require an up-to-date utility bill confirming your current address plus photographic ID, i.e. Driving License or Passport. We will carry out the necessary checks by using a registered credit referencing company. If you have either an adverse credit history or anything of a detrimental nature associated to your name you should tell us immediately!
Failure to do so may result in delays and/or failing the credit referencing process. In situations such as this it still may be possible to rent a property if you have a Guarantor (who will also need to be referenced at an additional cost).
The credit referencing process usually takes 48 – 96 hours from the time we receive the forms from you, providing there are no delays from employers etc.
Property Inventory
An inventory of the property including colour photographs will be undertaken before you move in. This will detail everything concerned with the property including fixtures and fittings along with the condition at the time of the inventory. You must check the inventory, as we refer back to this at the end of your tenancy when looking at returning your damage deposit.
You have 7 working days to return the signed inventory, with any comments noted in writing, to ourselves, whereby it will be copied and returned to you. If the inventory is not returned to us within 7 working days of receipt by you for checking, it will be assumed that all is satisfactory and the original inventory will be used at the end of the tenancy for check out purposes.
When Can a Date Be Agreed For Moving In?
We may have already agreed a provisional move in date with you, but in order for us to arrange a date (proper) for you to move into the property we need to have received the following:
- Satisfactory references for all persons over the age of 18 who will be living in the property including photo ID
- All initial fees paid in full prior to occupation – Please be aware – We do not accept Credit or Debit Card Payments as this office does not have this facility. Fees can be paid by Bank Transfer, Bankers Draft or Cash.
- Forwarding address for the end of your tenancy
Paying Your Rent
Rent is payable monthly in advance and cleared funds are due on the same date every month as your tenancy commencement date. Your rent must be paid by Standing Order and must be set up to come out of your account the day before your rent payment is due to allow time for it to be transferred to our account and the Landlord to be paid on the correct due date.
If you experience any financial difficulty in paying your rent YOU MUST let us know as soon as possible.
Tenancy Agreement
Once a date has been agreed that you may take over the Tenancy of a property, we will draw up an Agreement between the Tenant and Landlord. This is known as the Tenancy Agreement. The type of agreement used is of Assured Shorthold Tenancy type. You must sign up for an initial fixed term agreement of either six or twelve months – We cannot offer a shorter or longer fixed term. Your Tenancy will commence on the day that you move in to the property and that will be when your rent is due every month. If you do not wish to sign up for a further fixed term, your Tenancy automatically goes on to become a Periodic Tenancy. You are bound by the terms of the original agreement. However, you may give one month’s notice to vacate, in writing by either email/letter on or before your rent is due. The Landlord may serve two months’ notice to vacate, again, this must be on or before the rent due date. The Landlord can also request a rent increase at any time after the first year, after giving at least two months’ notice.
