Rental Guide

Making the right move...

Why rent ?At Pettys we know that whether you are buying or rentingyour home it can be one of the most stressful yetexciting experiences you undertake.

The quality and range of properties available do vary, aswell as industry standards, so to assist you through thedifferent stages we have put together this handy guidewhich highlights not only the process but some of theresponsibilities associated with renting a property forboth landlords and tenants.

By choosing to rent through Pettys with strictcompetency tests and rigorous financial requirementsyou are safeguarding both landlords and tenants money.

We hope you find the guide useful and it answers yourquestions, however, please do not hesitate to contact usif we can be of further assistance.

We are members of the NAEA & RICS and offer peace ofmind that the highest professional standards are beingcomplied with.

Seek and you will find!Finding a house to rent can be time consuming andtiresome, it pays to plan well and plan in advance.

Focus on your renting priorities and write down yourresults. Do you need parking? Do you want to be close to aparticular bus route? Do you want to live alone or share?House or Flat? What is your realistic budget?

Now that you are prepared, set aside a couple of days toview properties and start your hunt.

At Pettys we always have a good selection of properties forrent. Our lettings team will listen to what you need andassist you in finding the perfect property. We willaccompany you on viewings, pointing out what theproperty and location can offer you.

Although renting through letting agents can end up a littlemore expensive than renting direct with the landlord, thereare real advantages. We work with rental properties day in,day out and have extensive knowledge and experience indealing with both tenants and landlords alike.

Once you’ve found the property to suit you, you can makean offer to one of our team and we can get the wheels inmotion! The offer will be forwarded to the landlord forapproval and we can negotiate any terms of the offerbetween the parties.

Once the landlord has agreed to your offer, you’ll need tofill in the necessary application forms so that we canorganise a Tenancy Agreement.

At this stage, there’ll be an administration charge that willcover the cost of referencing, credit checks and the setup of a Tenancy Agreement. The application form willrequest details of your employer, salary, any previouslandlord and your address details for the last three years.This information will be used to take up references and tocheck your credit rating and history. If you do not passthe referencing criteria you will not be given a tenancy.

The referencing criteria checks that all applicants areover the age of 18 and...

• Meet Credit Score Criteria• Are in full time employment if not a guarantor would

be required

• Are earning 2.5 times the monthly rental if in employment

In some circumstances, we may ask you for a guarantorwho will be a party to the Tenancy Agreement and willguarantee and meet the obligations of you – the Tenant,should you fail to do so.

We can provide you with a draft copy of our standardtenancy agreement when you complete the applicationform. The document will outline all your rights andresponsibilities as well as those of the landlord. Both youand the landlord are legally responsible for carrying outthe promises you’ve made in the Agreement. Onceyou’ve signed up, the agreement forms a bindingcontract between you and the landlord so make sure youcheck it thoroughly!

If you break any of the promises, the landlord can holdyou to account. If damage has been caused, thelandlord may charge you for that damage and recoverthe money owed from your bond (see overleaf). In somecircumstances the landlord will be entitled to ask thecourt to bring the tenancy to an end.

Do we all agree?

You’ll need to agree a term for the tenancy to suit youand the landlord – usually 6 months or a year. We willdiscuss this with yourself and the landlord to get thebest term to suit both of you. Once the term of theTenancy has been agreed, you cannot terminate thiswithout the landlords approval. We’ll ask you to setup a monthly standing order to pay the rent and canorganise this to come out in time to clear for your duedate each month.

We will ask you for a ‘bond’ or tenancy deposit thatwe will hold for the whole of the tenancy term. This isusually one months rent and is held as cover for anypotential loss or damage. If, at the end of your term,everything is still in good condition, your bond will bereturned to you in full.

Pettys jargon buster:

A rental bond…is paid by a tenant as a

form of security for the landlord against

breaches of the tenancy.

We appreciate that filling out the forms

and sorting the tenancy agreement can

be daunting but, don’t worry, Pettys will

be on hand to advise and help

wherever possible.

Make sure you read your TenancyAgreement carefully and check anyterms or points that you do notunderstand with the Citizens AdviceBureau or a solicitor.

TIP:

UtilitiesBefore you move in we will advise the utilities of yourdetails and meter readings. If you wish to changesupplier then please advise Pettys of your intensions.

Inventory and Schedule of ConditionAn Inventory and Schedule of Condition will beprepared prior to the start of the Tenancy. This willdescribe the overall condition of the property, itscontents and the garden and any other outbuildings ifapplicable. You will be given a copy of this as youmove in and its important that you check this carefullyagainst the inventory provided. If we manage theproperty you will be required to sign and return it to ouroffice.At the end of a tenancy, if the property is managed, wewill ask an ‘inventory clerk’ to check the property. Thisis to check that the property is left by you in as good acondition as when you moved in, and, if not, to notethe items that have been damaged and assess anycompensation payable to the landlord. If required, thecompensation will be taken from your bond.

Property visitsWhen we provide a full management service to thelandlord, we carry out property visits approximatelyevery 3-6 months. We’ll let you know in advance ofthe date and time of the visit. If you can’t be aroundfor the appointment, it’s no problem, our managementteam will carry keys to your property, which will beused to gain access if you are not present and havegiven consent for them to be used to gain entry. Theprimary purpose of these visits is to keep us aware ofany minor repairs and maintenance that may benecessary. When we do not provide a fullmanagement service, the landlord will makearrangements direct with you to gain access to checkthe property. They must give you at least 24 hoursnotice in writing of the request for access (except in anemergency) and cannot access the property withoutyour consent.

Repairs and maintenanceIt is your responsibility to promptly report any repairsor maintenance that may be required to eitherourselves or the Landlord. You shouldn’t, except in anemergency, instruct any contractor to carry out anywork to the property. If you do, and the landlord doesnot agree to it, you may have to pay the contractor’sinvoice.

If there are maintenance contracts or guarantees forany of the appliances or installations at the propertyand copies are left with you, you must use thatcontractor. If you instruct another contractor you willbe liable for any costs incurred.

KeysYou’ll be given one set of keys for the property. Youshould not have additional keys cut without theconsent of the landlord or the agent. At the end ofthe tenancy you must hand all keys back to theagent or the landlord. If any keys are not returnedyou may be charged for replacing the locks andkeys.

Renewals of tenancy agreement and notices As the end of the tenancy approaches, we’ll contactthe landlord asking if he wishes to continue for afurther fixed term or as a periodic tenancy. If hewants to renew then we’ll see if you’re happy to stayin the property. We’ll send you a letter with the termsrequired by the landlord and you’ll need to makeyour decision in good time so that any new tenancyagreement can be prepared and signed before therenewal date.

InsuranceThe landlord will be responsible for insuring thebuildings and the contents belonging to them. It’svery important that you arrange your own insuranceto cover all your personal belongings and contentsas they will not be covered by the landlordsinsurance.

It would also make sense to take out accidentaldamage cover as part of your insurance to helpprotect your deposit for any damage done to theproperty. A member of our team can arrange ano-obligation free quote upon request.

Change of circumstancesIf your circumstances change during the Tenancyand/or if you start to receive housing benefit, don’tforget to inform us or your landlord as soon aspossible.

End of the tenancy Prior to the end of the tenancy you must preparethe property. By the last day of your tenancy youmust have removed all your belongings from theproperty; leave the garden (if applicable) in agood condition with the borders weeded and thegrass cut; and clean the property. If the property is not left clean or the garden isuntidy you may be charged for carrying outwork. This money will be deducted from thedeposit.If you have any further questions, don’t hesitateto give one of our Lettings Team a call – we’rehere to help!

Maintenance contracts & guarantees

Notes :