First of all, congratulations! If you’re getting ready to fly the nest, we’d love to be on hand to support you.
It can be a daunting prospect, but our friendly advisors will be able to streamline the entire process for you.
For some, renting their first property is a momentous milestone. For others, the question ‘where do I start?’ might ring more true. Whatever stage you’re at, we like to make things as smooth as possible!
Step 1:
Make those all-important decisions. Beautifully furnished, or a place to make your own? Splash out, or make some savings? In the heart of the city, or a beautiful quaint village? The beauty of renting over buying is that you can try things out without being committed years to come! Have a scroll through our many stunning properties.
Once you’ve found one that catches your eye, give us a call to book a viewing! We have a criterion of six points you will need to meet: Adequate income (30 x monthly rental amount as annual household income) or savings, good credit history, positive previous landlord references (if applicable), positive character references, right to legally reside in the UK, and availability to move in within a suitable timeframe.
Step 2:
So, you loved the property you viewed, and you would like to snap it up – where to start? Please fill out our application form HERE, and we will have a chat with the landlord about your suitability. If your application is accepted by the landlord, we will ask you to pay a holding deposit of one weeks’ rent to move to the next step. Don’t worry – we won’t leave you waiting. We like to get the ball rolling quickly!
Step 3:
At this stage, you can put your feet up and let us take over. We will complete reference checks, and if you get the all-clear, we will approach your new landlord for their formal acceptance of the tenancy.
Step 4:
We’ll then get your contract sent over for you to sign – we usually do this via a secure electronic signature portal for your convenience.
Step 5:
We require one months’ rent in advance, as well as five weeks rent as a security deposit (unless you make use of our fantastic nil deposit scheme). It will be at this stage that we invoice you.
Step 6:
We finally get to meet you! We will ask all 18+ tenants to come to our office to allow us to complete our final checks. We will ask you to present an original copy of your photographic identification, so we can be satisfied that we are fully compliant with the Right to Rent legislation. Note: We will hold a copy of your ID on our secure servers until 12 months after the end of the tenancy term as per the law.
Step 7:
It’s move-in day! The day you have been pining for is here. We like to make this as smooth as possible, so you can get in and enjoy your new home. We will meet you at the property to provide you with all of your relevant paperwork and keys. We will also take a walk through the property to go through formalities, such as meter readings, safety and compliance checks and instructions for heating systems, appliances and other “quirks” of each individual property. Please note: the keys will not be released until the tenancy agreement is signed and funds have been received.
Once you’re all moved in, we will still be there to provide support whenever you need us, from a quick query, to something more complex. Depending on the service we provide to your landlord, it will either be ourselves or your landlord who is your first point of all, but we’ll let you know before you move in!
A few notes:
• Your rent will be due via standing order payment exactly one calendar month after the date of the start of the tenancy, and on that day thereafter.
• Two months prior to the end of your contract, we will ask you whether you would like another fixed-term contract, or if you would like a rolling contract.
• You will have an annual visit from our safety testing team to carry out compliance and safety testing, and property inspections every four months.
• To end your tenancy at the end of the term, you need to provide us with one calendar months’ notice in writing. All being well, we aim to return your security deposit to you within 3 working days.