Introduction
At Marshall Property, we provide local landlords with a variety of services. In most cases we will take responsibility for full property management, but in some cases we simply offer our tenant finder service and the landlord will manage the property themselves. Read on for some guidance notes to help you to understand the process of renting a property from us.
Getting started
Once you have found a property you want to rent, you will need to complete a referencing form and pay application fees which costs £150 for a single application and £85.00 for each additional applicant. If you require a Guarantor there will be a charge of £50.00. Submitting a referencing form is no guarantee of tenancy, and the final decision will be made dependent on the responses received and in consultation with the landlord.
As well as financial, employer and character references, you will need to provide us with personal details as part of the application. To establish your financial credibility we will complete a credit check as well as contact your former landlord or letting agent if you rented a property previously. This process is designed to protect all of the relevant parties involved.
You may still be offered tenancy if you cannot provide the satisfactory references or credit checks, however this will require the provision of a guarantor. If you have County Court Judgements registered against you then this could be a barrier to your application.
Other factors affecting your offer of tenancy will include the replies received from our enquiries, the terms of the Tenancy Agreement, the deposit payment, the agreed advanced rent and the landlord's agreement.
Identification
To support your application we will require two forms of identification. These include a birth certificate, driving licence, passport or National Insurance card.
Deposits and rent
Security deposits are required for all tenancies. These are usually equivalent to one month's rent and will be required in addition to any advanced rent payments which are necessary.
If you are paying by cheque, we require at least seven banking days to allow the payment to clear. Alternatively, we accept payments by cash, card or as a direct online payment. Your deposit will be returned to you once the tenancy is complete without interest and subject to deductions for damage or any other payments required to compensate for a breach of the Tenancy Agreement.
Payment of Utilities / Council Tax
All utility payments will be your responsibility, and you will also be required by law to pay the appropriate council tax.
Schedule of condition
Where we act as managing agents for the property and in some let only cases we will prepare a photographic schedule of condition prior to your tenancy commencing. This will be used as a record of the properties condition prior to occupation and will be used as a benchmark for any deductions from your deposit at the end of the tenancy. You will be required to pay a fee of £60.00 at the commencement of the tenancy as a contribution towards the preparation of the schedule of condition.
Legal notices & tenancy agreement
Before you sign for a tenancy, we will provide you with a copy of your Tenancy Agreement, which we encourage you to read carefully. During your tenancy, you have the right to enjoy the property without interruption provided that you meet the terms and conditions of the agreement. We have an obligation to inspect the property at regular intervals, usually on a quarterly basis. We will write to you to arrange a convenient time prior to an inspection.
Inspections
Inspections enable us to check you are meeting the terms of your Tenancy Agreement, and also provide an opportunity for you to discuss any concerns. We will also be able to consider any repairs which may be required before they become more serious, although we always recommend that you make us aware of any maintenance issues as soon as they occur.
Stamp duty
For properties with high rental values, you may have to have the agreement stamped under the Stamp Act 1891. In these instances, we recommend that you seek independent advice.
Rent
Rental payments are made by standing order and should be paid by the due date each month. If there are a number of tenants, each person is jointly and severally responsible for the whole rent, and will be equally liable for a non-payment of rent by one of their fellow tenants.
End of term
Make sure that you are fully prepared to hand the property back on the agreed date, and make sure you arrange readings of meters and provide the authorities with your forwarding address. Place inventory items in their respective rooms and carefully read the inventory/statement of condition to prepare the property for its final inspection. We can also advise as to the best local tradespeople to carry out cleaning and preparation on your behalf at a competitive rate. Once this process is complete, the deposit (or the balance of the deposit once deductions have been agreed) will be returned to you.
Summary
These notes are simply a summary to assist you in understanding the obligations of renting a property from a private landlord, not an authoritative interpretation of the law. We hope that you have found this information useful.