Property to rent – questions and answers (FAQs)

Before starting your search, it is important to know what you can afford and what area you would like to live in. The best way of working out what you can afford is to take you annual income and divide it by 30 and this will give you the maximum rental amount to comply with referencing. To secure a property you will be required to put one weeks rent down as a holding payment and this will come off your first month’s rent, which is due before you move into the property along with the security deposit (this can be five week’s rent).

This is the due diligence carried out on behalf of the Landlord to confirm that the Tenants meet the affordability and will be reliable. The referencing will include an income reference, a previous Landlord reference (if applicable), and a credit check. It is always worth checking your credit history prior to referencing to be sure of no credit on your account.

All tenants need to provide valid ID. This ensures the correct spelling of names are used on legal paperwork, confirms your identity, and verifies your right to rent in the UK.

When issues arise this might be due to a shortfall on affordability; your references can’t be verified, or you have adverse credit history. In some cases, you can still proceed by providing a guarantor or paying rent in advance.

A Guarantor is someone who takes joint responsibility for the rent for the property is the tenant fails to pay. The Guarantor would be required to pay rent arrears and for any damages costing more than the deposit.

A deposit is taken to protect the Landlord and their property from any damage above fair wear and tear. The deposit is held in a government backed deposit scheme such as the DPS, TDS, or MyDeposits. When a tenancy ends, all parties will need to agree to the return of the deposit or any deductions. There is the option of having the claim adjudicated by the deposit scheme independently from the Agent, Landlord, or Tenant.

A Tenancy Agreement often called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) is the legal document (contract) between Landlord and Tenant stating what each party are responsible for. It sets out responsibilities, rights, and obligations for both parties.

In most cases the landlord will be responsible for any repairs as they are responsible for maintaining the property in a good state of repair. It is worth noting that tenants are also responsible for maintaining the property such as if a lightbulb stops working, the tenant is responsible for replacing it. If the bulb doesn’t work once replaced, then the landlord is responsible for the repair of the light fitting. A tenant is also responsible for keeping the waste clear and free of items to allow the wastewater to freely flow away.

The landlord or the landlord’s agent will carry out a periodic visit to the property to check its condition and look out for any maintenance issues that the tenant may not have noticed. Visits will be arranged with the tenant by the landlord, or the landlord’s agent and can be quarterly or bi-annually.

Any request for changes to the property should be put in writing to the landlord or the landlords’ agent. This can be done by email with an outline of the proposed change. The landlord or the landlord’s agent will reply and this may include conditions, such as restoring the property to its original state before you leave. It is important that permission is sought as any changes could have a negative effect to your security deposit.

Please report the damage to your landlord or the landlord’s agent as soon as possible providing photos. You will be responsible for rectifying the damage, but it is important to be upfront so not to incur extra expense later down the line. It is also worth noting that taking out specialist tenant insurance will assist should damage occur, and this could be a more cost-effective method in rectifying the damage.

A tenant must be given notice for access to the property unless access is required in case of an emergency. Often it will be a contractor looking for access should they be carrying out repairs or safety checks such as a Gas Safety or Electrical certificate.

A tenant has a legal responsibility to pay the rent in time and in full, should a tenant encounter an issue then it is more beneficial to contact the landlord or the landlord’s agent at the earliest opportunity to work out a way to resolve. Regular late or missed payments can result in a landlord serving notice, and this can also be advised to a new landlord via a reference.

You will need to check if you are in a fixed term agreement or in a periodic Tenancy. Fixed-term Tenancy: you will be responsible for the rent for the remaining period of the agreement unless an early release agreement can be met with the Landlord. It is worth noting this could result in the tenant paying the landlord’s re-letting costs as well as being responsible for the rent up to and including the day before a new tenant moves in. I Periodic Tenancy (Tenancy rolls over month by month) then you would need to provide one month’s notice from your rent due date in writing to vacate the property.