Tenant Information

Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2023

Updated on

As an independent company we set our own standards in conjunction with working with many of the industries trade bodies own ‘ codes of conduct ’ to provide all our clients re assurance.

To view any properties we have available for let please contact our office to arrange an appointment. Viewings can be arranged during office hours  Monday – Saturday.

We advise that you should start looking about three to four weeks before you need to move into a property.

Many tenants ask how much they need to be earning to rent a property through ourselves.  Your gross earnings must be a minimum of 2½ times the monthly rent:

Example:  Monthly Rent is £600.00

Then your income needs to be 2.5 x £600.00 equalling £1500.00 per month

Your income can be calculated individual or joint if there is more than one tenant applying. If your earnings are less than this you may be able to still rent with the aid of a guarantor.

Referencing and Credit Checking

After you have viewed a property you would like to rent, the first step is to start the credit check and referencing process. Any person over the age of 18 that is moving into the property will have to go through the credit check and referencing process.

The forms for referencing can be collected from our office in Bordon, or we can email them to you. Once you have completed the referencing form(s) and returned them to our office they will be sent to a professional referencing company who will carry out the checks on our behalf. The referencing company will seek confirmation of your financial status, employment and the conduct of former tenancies.

In addition to obtaining references, a full credit check will be carried out.  This process does not in anyway form a contract or any obligation upon us or the Landlord. At this stage and subject to the Landlord’s agreement, we will advise other applicants that the property is under offer.

Before we can process the reference and credit check, all applicants must provide a copy of their passport and, if applicable, a copy of their residency/citizenship visa.

Before the tenancy start date, all applicants will also need to provide photo identification and proof of residency. Acceptable forms of photo identification include; photo driving license (must show current address as provided on the referencing form) or a National ID Card.

Acceptable forms of proof of residency include a utility bill, a letter from your employer or a letter from a Government department (dated within the last 3 months). Bank statements and mobile phone bills cannot be accepted.

Referencing usually takes three to four days but may take longer if the referencing company has difficulty in contacting your referees ( employers, landlords etc ). We advise that you let your referees know that they may be contacted for a reference. When filling out the form, ensure that you have all telephone numbers and email addresses for all referees.

If a Guarantor is required with your application we will notify you immediately.  By needing a guarantor it does not always mean you cannot rent a property. The most common reason that a Guarantor is required is that your income is less than two and a half times the monthly rent. For a Guarantor to be accepted their income must be three times the monthly rent.

Example:  Monthly Rent is £600.00

The income needs to be 3 x £600.00 equalling £1800.00 per month

The Guarantor will also have a credit check carried out during their referencing so a good credit history will also be necessary.

All information given on the referencing form must be accurate and true to the best of your knowledge. Unsuccessful applications could be down to poor credit history, detrimental landlord’s reference or an adverse employer’s reference.

Information gained from the referencing cannot be revealed to you, however you may contact the referencing company direct for further information.

Upon the receipt of the satisfactory references we will advise the Landlord and seek their approval for a tenancy start date. Please note that although the date is set sometimes it has to be changed due to any unforeseen circumstances.

If the date is changed neither Kingswood or the Landlord can be held responsible for any costs incurred by a tenant.

Deposit

The deposit required for the property you wish to rent will usually be the equivalent of one months’ rent.  With some properties the Landlord may state that a further amount is required and we will advise you of this from the start.

The deposit is to be paid in advance of the tenancy start date and must be in cleared funds via a direct bank transfer. We cannot accept any card payments or cheques.

The deposit will be held as security against your obligations to the Landlord under the Tenancy Agreement. The deposit will be held in accordance with the Deposit Protection Service scheme. You will be given details of the deposit scheme upon start of the tenancy.

Rent

Rent is payable in advance every month. The first months’ rent is due at the time the tenancy begins, and thereafter on the same day of each month. For example, if your tenancy begins on the 10th of the month, then your rent will be due on the 10th of every month thereafter.

Rent is to be paid by standing order each month. When setting up a standing order, we recommend that the rent leaves your account a couple of days before it is due to enable it to reach our account on the due date. The details of setting up a standing order can be obtained from our office.

Tenancy Agreement

Properties are let under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement for six or twelve months. The signing of the Tenancy Agreement will take place at our office. All tenants named on the Tenancy Agreement must sign before the tenancy can begin. The tenancy may be extended at end of the agreement subject to the agreement of the tenant and the landlord.

The keys to the property will not be released before the Tenancy Agreement and all relevant paperwork is signed and all monies have been cleared in our bank account.

Keys

You will be given keys to the property and they will be detailed on the inventory. All keys handed over at the start must be returned at the end of the tenancy.  Monies will be taken form the deposit for any keys missing and if keys are missing then the cost of having the locks changed.

Restrictions

Some Landlords will not allow smoking, pets, young children or sharers to take occupation of their properties. You will be advised of any such restrictions when viewing a property.

Tenants are not permitted to decorate or hang pictures until approval has been obtained from the Landlord via Kingswood.

Conveyancing Quote