What if I am a smoker / have children / have pets ?

Each landlord sets their own rules for their own properties about what type of tenants they will consider. Whatever your situation we will do our best to find you a home. You may find that landlords require a larger deposit from some types of tenants.

Can I possibly rent a home if I am in receipt of housing benefit ??

This is up to the individual landlord and the problem is that many buy-to-let mortgage companies will not allow letting to DSS tenants. We will do our best to find you a home but in general you will require a working home-owner to guarantee your rent and costs of any damage.

What fees do I have to pay in advance ?

Unlike with some other letting agents, there are no fees for registering with us or for viewing properties through us.
Once you find a property you want then require a holding deposit of £200 to reserve it. This is to cover the cost of finding a replacement tenant and potentially also lost rent if you later decide you do not wish to rent the property. Please note this is not an additional fee as it will be put towards the cost of the deposit and first months rent.
Otherwise the first cost to you is the deposit and the rent when you sign the contract.

What happens to my deposit ?

If we are holding the deposit on behalf of the landlord then we will register your deposit with one of the approved government backed deposit protection schemes and you will be provided with details.
If the landlord wishes to register the deposit themself then we will forward your deposit to the landlord and it will be the landlord's responsibility to register it with one fo the approved schemes.

Will I earn interest on my deposit ?

No. The interest helps to fund the costs of the scheme.

What ongoing fees are there ?

Unlike other letting agents who insist that you have a new tenancy agreement every 6 months and charge you £100 each time, we are happy for the tenancy to become periodic which means that it reverts to a situation where the tenant must give the landlords 1 months notice to end the tenancy and the landlord must give the tenant 2 months notice that they wish to end the tenancy (notice period to end the day before a rent day).
If you prefer a new tenancy agreement for the security of knowing that the landlord cannot ask you to leave for at least another 6/12/24 months, then providing the landlord is in agreement then we charge neither party any fee for arranging this.

What if something goes wrong at the property ?

For non-urgent work please inform us of any problems and we will arrange for repairs as necessary.
If it is an emergency then you should take whatever action is required to minimise the resulting damage/cost/loss. For example if you find water pouring through a ceiling then by all means attempt to contact us/the landlord. If its outside our office hours then please do not delay in taking whatever action is required to remove the risk of further damage/cost to the landlord such as calling an emergency plumber. You will be compensated for any costs by the landlord. Please note, it is your responsibility to inform us of problems. If you fail to inform us of a small problem that becomes a large problem due to neglect then technically you could be held responsible for part of the costs. We will do our best to get all issues resolved as soon as possible, however it is not always possible to get somebody to start work immediately as reliable tradesmen are often busy. We will always try to keep you informed of progress.

Am I allowed to put up pictures/redecorate ?

Before you make alterations to a property you will need written permission from either the landlord or the agent. We will not withhold such permission unreasonably.
If you do change anything then you may have to return it to its original state at your own expense at the end of the tenancy unless agreement has previously been given in writing.

Does the landlord/agent have access to the property while I am renting it ?

In general the answer is no. It is your home and you have a right to enjoy it in peace. However, there are exceptions….
In an emergency (eg smell of gas or a bust pipe) then the landlord/agent may enter the property to resolve the issue.
The agent will inspect the property on behalf of the landlord to check for damage and maintenance issues at intervals of approximately 3 months. You will be given written notice of such inspections.
During the last month of the tenancy the landlord/agent may require access for the purposes of showing prospective tenants around. We will do our best to minimise disruption to you.

What notice do I have to give at the end of the tenancy ?

If you wish to leave during a fixed period then this is possible provided you pay all costs incurred by the landlord in finding an alternative acceptable tenant to take over the property.
If you wish to leave at the end of a fixed term or during a periodic tenancy then you will need to give written notice of at least one month to end the day before a rent day. If you wish to leave sooner than that then please let us knwo and if we can find an alternative acceptable tenant who can move in sooner then you will not be required to pay rent for the entire notice period.

What if the landlord wants me to leave ?

You cannot be made to leave before the end of the fixed period of the tenancy.
If the landlord wants you to leave after that then you will receive at least 2 months written notice. If you break the terms of the tenancy agreement then you may be served notice to leave sooner than the standard two months notice period

Will I get my deposit back ? And when ?

If you leave the property in the same condition that it was in when you moved in allowing for reasonable wear and tear then you will get your deposit back. Otherwise costs of repairs/replacing missing items/cleaning/rubbish removal will be taken from the deposit and the balance returned.
The deposits will be registered with a government approved scheme and exactly when you will receive the deposit back is beyond our control.