Step By Step Guide To Renting

We have put together some important information in a step by step guide. We feel this explains the whole letting process from start to finish, hopefully making things a little clearer and the process a little smoother…

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

The first stage in finding the best property for you is to register your details and requirements with us. We take into account various factors such as location, number of bedrooms required, furnished or unfurnished, parking required and maximum budget etc.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROPERTY

Once you have logged your details we will have a clear understanding of your requirements. So the exact moment we add a new property to our rapidly expanding portfolio you will instantly receive a property alert via email or text with photos, location map and description of the property. If you like the look of the property then simply give the office a call and we can arrange a viewing.

VIEWINGS

We understand that nearly all of our prospective tenants lead a very busy lifestyle so unlike most agents we are available for viewings 7 days a week from 8am – 10pm. We will go out of our way to accommodate you and fit in with your diary.

In order to secure a property we always recommend an early viewing because properties get snapped up very quickly.

We can meet you at the property or we will chauffeur you to your viewings ensuring you arrive in a relaxed frame of mind. We accompany all prospective tenants throughout the viewing so that we are on hand to answer any questions you may have and advise where necessary….all part of the service!

MANAGED PROPERTIES

A large and increasing number of prospective tenants now insist on renting one of our fully managed properties for complete peace of mind as opposed to dealing with landlords directly.

Renting a fully managed property through ourselves means you will have direct communication with a dedicated Property Manager to handle your day-to-day issues should you have any issues with the apartment, they will work with you to ensure you stay at the apartment is of the highest quality. They will ensure any maintenance issues are dealt with as soon as possible. You will also be given details of a 24-hour helpline with emergency contact details should a problem arise.

Our fully managed properties also give the assurance that your property is fully compliant with all safety regulations (including Gas Safety, Electrical Safety and Furniture and Furnishings acts).

PERIOD OF TENANCY

The most common tenancy offered is usually equivalent to 6 months and is known as an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. 12 months tenancies can also be obtained if preferred and in some circumstances we can negotiate shorter tenancies, for example 3 months. This is normally at the landlord’s discretion.

If you only sign a 6 month agreement then your tenancy will automatically switch into a periodic tenancy after the initial 6 months which then means you are not committed to any further fixed term but will continue on a month by month basis. You will then be required to give one months notice should you want to end the tenancy.

If you wish to terminate the contract at the end of a 6 or 12 month agreement you are still legally required to give a months’ notice in writing, this notice should be given on the 5th month for a 6 month contract or the 11th month of a 12 month contract.

MAKE AN OFFER!

Once you have viewed a property that you feel is right for you then we urge you to express your interest with us immediately. We will then approach the landlord on your behalf with a view to secure a deal that suits both you and the landlord. If you are happy then we move forward to the deposit and application stage.

DEPOSIT

The full deposit payable is equivalent to 5 weeks rent. The full deposit is then held in the Deposit Protection Scheme in accordance with new government legislation. The full deposit will be returned at the end of the tenancy should the property be left in a satisfactory condition.

If your offer has been agreed and if you are still happy to proceed you will be expected to pay a holding fee to reserve the property, the holding fee varies from property to property and is equivalent to one weeks rent. This payment is also known as the holding deposit and indicates that:

(a) You are happy for us to proceed with the application and obtain references on your behalf.

(b) You are willing to commit and move into the property on an agreed date, we can only hold a property for a maximum of 15 days; unless otherwise agreed in writing.

(c) We will now take the property off the availability list and off the market. Please be aware that until a holding deposit is paid in full we (and sometimes other agents) will continue to show the property to prospective tenants and so you risk losing the property to another prospective tenant.

If you (the tenant) back out of the application once the holding deposit has been paid then unfortunately this balance is non-refundable.

The remainder of the deposit is then payable anytime before you actually move into the property, normally on the day you collect your keys.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Both the holding deposit and any rent must be paid in cleared funds. The holding fee must be paid via bank transfer (BACS).

APPLICATION STAGE

Once you have paid your holding deposit you will be provided with a simple application form to complete. Information that you provide will be used to carry out various checks to ensure that you meet our requirements as a prospective tenant.

Most tenants get nervous about the application process but there is honestly no need to worry, it is a standard procedure that every applicant goes through. The Application process typically takes anything between 24 hours but can take up to 7 days to complete. Our property management department will contact you as soon as referencing is complete to arrange a time and date to check in, collect your keys and sign the tenancy agreement.

GUARANTOR

A guarantor is needed for those tenants who:

(a) Have recently moved to the UK and therefore cannot provide previous traceable UK addresses

(b) Tenants that are not working in the UK

(c) Students

(d) Tenants whose annual salary does not satisfy the rental guarantee requirement of exceeding the property’s annual rent.

A guarantor is usually a parent or relative that is willing to sign a consent form stating that should you default on the rent for whatever reason they are then liable for the outstanding amount. The guarantor has to be a UK resident.

If you fall into this category then please ask a member of the team for the relevant application form.

IDENTIFICATION

Before you move into any property you are required to provide your ‘right to rent’ documents. Two forms of ID must show evidence of name documents (one of which must be PHOTO ID such as a passport, driving license etc). The other two forms must be evidence of address such as a bank statement or utility bill. In addition we will also need to see the following for each individual applicant:

• A copy of your employment contract or recent wage slip to prove your earnings.

• A copy of your current tenancy agreement.

Please note: You may be unable to move in without these documents so please let a member of the team know if you have any difficulty providing them.

APPLICATION SUCCESSFUL!

Once referencing is complete a member of the team will contact you to set up a suitable date and time for you to collect your keys from the office, also known as a check in appointment!

MOVE IN / CHECK IN PROCEDURE

It is important you arrive on time to avoid any delay, if you do miss your time slot then you may have to wait whilst we carry out other check ins for those tenants that have turned up on time. Please note that all tenants moving into the property must be present to sign the tenancy agreement.

The check in appointment will take place at our office on the day you collect your keys. This is where you will sign the tenancy agreement, pay the remainder of the deposit and pay your first month’s rent in advance. In return we hand over your keys!

RENT

One month’s rent is required in advance and as above must be paid in full before the tenancy starts and before we hand over the keys. This amount must be paid in cleared funds and payable only by bank transfer.

Rent is then to be paid on a monthly basis usually by standing order on each subsequent month in respect to the original move in date. For example, if you moved into the property on the 10th March. Your monthly rent will be due on the 10th of each month thereafter.

You will be supplied with a standing order form on the day you check in. You will input your bank details and sign the form of which we will then send off to your bank. Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure your bank has set this up correctly to avoid missing your rent payment date as this is something we are unable to do. You can do this by contacting your bank directly. Please Note: Late rent payments will result in a late payment charge.

INVENTORY

You will be supplied with a detailed electronic photographic inventory upon check in, you have 24 hours to check this and return it with any discrepancies that you find. When the tenancy ends, a check out report will be prepared and checked against the inventory you signed at the start of the tenancy for discrepancies. The outcome of this check out report will determine whether or not your landlord will seek to claim deductions from your deposit.

UTILITIES

All monthly rents are exclusive of utility charges; you will be directly responsible for any Gas, Electric & Water bills. Should we manage the property, we will take and issue you with the current relevant meter readings of which need to be supplied back to the utilities so they can set up your account and the property bills can be transferred into your name. It is also advisable that you contact the suppliers yourself to ensure the account is set up correctly.

COUNCIL TAX

We will notify the local authority of your residence at the start of your tenancy. They will then calculate your monthly council tax payment of which you are directly responsible. It is the tenant’s responsibility to make sure the council tax is paid on a monthly basis. Please contact the council for more information.

TELEPHONE

If you require the telephone line you are required to register your own account with BT or whoever the provider may be. You can discuss this with BT by dialling 150 from the UK. It is your responsibility to terminate your account upon departure. If the line has never been connected some landlords will be happy to pay for this, please speak to a member of the team for details. This is totally at the landlord’s discretion.

TV LICENSE

You are directly responsible for the payment of the TV license at the property.

INSURANCE

You are advised to obtain contents insurance for your personal possessions.

INSPECTIONS

Quarterly inspections will be carried out on all properties managed by Granite Lettings; this gives you the chance to raise any concerns or maintenance issues with the property manager. Any damage to the property will be documented with photographs and may affect the return of the deposit.

As the tenant, you will be required to report any maintenance issues or necessary repairs that are required. These must be reported to Granite Lettings / Landlord as soon as it comes to your attention. Failure to do so may result in us being unable to repair the problem in time before permanent damage is done. This may then result in part of your deposit being withheld

MOVE OUT / CHECK OUT PROCEDURE

When the time comes for you to leave the property, you are required to give ourselves or your landlord a minimum of one months notice in writing. We will then confirm your move out date based on the type of contract you have in place. When the time comes to vacate the property you should ensure the property is left in a clean and tidy fashion, ensure that any holes or marks made from shelves or prints are filled and touched up. The property should be left in exactly the same way as it was presented to you at the start of the tenancy and in the same condition listed in the inventory, we obviously allow for fair wear and tear.

RETURN OF DEPOSIT

The deposit is returned at the end of the tenancy, this is obviously dependent on the condition in which you leave the property upon departure. We have to carry out various obligatory checks and procedures on behalf of the landlord before we contact the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to issue the return of your deposit. Before we can authorise the return of the deposit you must also provide documentation that shows all utility bills and council tax are paid up to date. You will also be required to pass on your forwarding address so we can send your deposit out to you.

Please be aware that it is not permissible for you to cancel your last month’s rent payment because we hold a security deposit The deposit is legally a separate issue from rent payment and you will be in breach of your contractual agreement if you do this which can lead to prosecution should the landlord choose to peruse you through the courts.