Information for tenants. A short guide

Transcription

1 Information for tenants A short guide

2 To help you to navigate around the various rules and regulations, the GL & Co Lettings Team have put together a short guide: How do I arrange to view a property? If a property is listed on our website, it is usually available to view. Please call us on or to register your details with us and arrange a viewing. Please be aware many of our properties will still be someone s home and we may need to give them some notice or contact them to arrange access. I loved the house, how do I take it further and rent it? Firstly, give us a call. We will put your offer forward to the Landlord, making note of your specific circumstances and get back to you as quickly as possible to confirm their decision. Once your offer is accepted, you will be given a set of forms to complete in order that we can apply for references. You will not be asked to pay any rent or deposit in advance at this stage and we do not charge you a holding fee. All you will be required to pay is our set up fee to cover your references and the administration required to start your Tenancy. We are able to accept payments by BAC s, debit card or credit card (fees apply). How do you obtain references? Once we have received your application form and administration fee, we use an out of house, professional referencing company to verify your circumstances and provide a reference. Everyone s circumstances are different, but generally they will ask for: An employer/accountant s reference Current Landlord s reference Check your financial history. To make things move smoothly and quickly, it s always a good idea to contact your referees to let them know to expect a call. Page 1

3 Can I afford to take on a Tenancy? In order to pass the referencing criteria, we would expect you to be earning at least 2½ times the annual rent; e.g. If the rent is 900 pcm you would need an income of 27,000. However, this income level can be spread across more than one Tenant. If you cannot meet this income level, especially if you are unemployed, we may still be able to continue with your Tenancy if you can provide a Guarantor, with the Landlord s agreement. The Guarantor would then need to earn 3 times the annual rent; e.g. On a rent of 900 pcm they would need an income of 32,400. You will also need to pay a Set Up fee to cover the cost of the referencing process undertaken to enable you to rent the property. Our Tenants Lettings Fees document outlines these costs which vary according to the rental value of the property. When will I receive a Tenancy Agreement? Once we have received acceptable references, we will normally draw up an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) and send this to you to sign and return before the start of your Tenancy. The Landlord will sign their copy and you will receive a copy of each other s signed AST once the Tenancy has started. When do I need to pay the rent and deposit? The first month s rent and deposit need to be received by GL & Co before the start of your Tenancy. Any delay in these monies being received could delay or even result in the cancellation of your Tenancy. How much Deposit will I have to pay? The general level of deposit requested for a Tenancy is 1½ months rent. However, this may be increased in certain circumstances, e.g. if the Landlord has allowed you to keep pets at the property or if there are problems in obtaining an acceptable reference. Page 2

4 I have a pet, how does this affect my situation? Firstly we need to check the Landlord will allow you to keep pets at the property (in some cases this is not even allowed for an owner living in a property, for example in blocks of flats). If the Landlord agrees, we ask that a deposit of 2 months rent is paid to allow for any potential extra damage caused by your pet. You will also be asked to clean any carpets or other soft furnishings and also have the carpets fumigated at the end of the Tenancy. Do you hold the Deposit and how is it held? Usually we would hold the deposit for the Landlord and register it with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) There is no charge to you for this service, which also provides an adjudication service at the end of the Tenancy if there are any problems with returning the Deposit. Are there any other charges? We will ask you to pay for the Check Out that takes place at the end of the Tenancy. This charge is due to be paid before the start of the Tenancy to ensure everything is in place at the beginning. This also means that if our charges increase over the term of a Tenancy, you will only pay the earlier cheaper rate. Our terms of business document details the check out costs. Will the house be checked when I move in? An Inventory and Schedule of Condition will be provided at the start of your Tenancy. You will be given this when you collect the keys and you will have 5 working days to check the property when you first move in to ensure everything has been noted correctly. Page 3

5 What about my utility bills? If the Property you are renting is managed by GL & Co we will advise the utility companies (gas, electric and water) and the local Council that you have started your Tenancy. We will provide them with the necessary meter readings and you will then receive a bill during the first few weeks. We will do the same for you at the end of your Tenancy. Please note that we are unable to organise the telephone or broadband supplier for you. Who will look after the property during my Tenancy? It depends on whether or not we are providing a Management Service to the Landlord. If we do, you contact GL & Co with any concerns regarding the property and your Tenancy. Otherwise, your Landlord would deal with these issues. Page 4

6 Experience the GL & Co difference... Open longer hours 7 days a week 97%* of our clients would recommend us and use us again Consistently adding value to the final selling price of homes using our expert negotiation skills Highly experienced staff delivering the very highest levels of customer service Matching buyers to sellers and landlords to tenants is second nature with our in depth knowledge of the local market No MINIMUM Sole Agency Contract stay with us for our service, not because you have to *figures from GL & Co Client Questionnaires