Considering your requirements
and priorities…

To ensure your move is as trouble free as possible we would like to bring this opportunity to bring a number of points to your attention. However this is just a guide.

Tenants Guide

Peter Lane & Partners specialises in letting residential properties and prides itself on a personal service to both landlord and tenant.

This document is designed to outline our terms and conditions and tries to answer most of the questions that normally arise when a tenant is considering renting a property.

Should you have any further queries, we would be pleased to assist.

LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE PROPERTY

When you start looking for rental accommodation, you should allow a minimum of two weeks to find a suitable property, however, in certain instances, we can organise a tenancy within a shorter timescale. Your first step is to consider your requirements and priorities. The following are examples of the variables to be considered:

The maximum rent you wish to pay (see below)
How long you want to rent for
Commuting time to your workplace
Your need for local facilities, i.e. schools, shops, parks, restaurants
Type of property you would like, i.e. house/flat; modern/period
The areas in which you would like to live
Whether furnished or unfurnished
Public transport options

It is important to recognise that your absolutely ideal property, in all respects, may not exist and you may have to compromise on one or more of the above. The more flexible you are, the more likely it will be that you can be settled without any undue delay.

AFFORDABILITY

All tenants are subject to a referencing process which includes an affordability calculation. Your annual earnings (as an individual or as a couple) must be equal to or more than 2.5 times the annual rent.

VIEWING PROPERTIES

When viewing, you must consider the property carefully and ensure that you check exactly what is and is not included in the furnishings and fixtures.

Any discussions or correspondence with the owner, or our staff, are expressly deemed to be subject to application, reference and contract. A current tenant cannot speak on behalf of the landlord or ourselves.

APPLICATION AND CREDIT REFERENCING

Once you have selected a property, we simply require you to complete a simple application form and to pay a holding deposit, equal to one weeks rent for the property you are looking to rent. We use a credit search agency to undertake the credit checking process which is done on line. They provide us with information on the following: –

Voters roll registration at current or previous addresses
Details of any previous bankruptcy in the last 5 years
Details of other searches and financial transactions
Full score information on tenant (pass or fail)

We write to your current employer for an employers reference and to your current letting agent if applicable. It takes on average 5 – 7 days for them to reply.

We will contact you once all references and checks have been carried out to discuss potential move-in dates. Important: If you have a specific date or time table to move-in, this must be advised at the application stage. However, no guarantees can be given as to a move-in date until all references and checks have been satisfied.

NB: We cannot under any circumstances, divulge to you any information obtained from the credit reference other than to say that it was satisfactory or not satisfactory.

APPLICATION FOR A TENANCY

A holding deposit, equal to one week’s rent for the property you are looking to rent, will be required. If your application is successful, the holding deposit will be offset against the deposit and first month’s rent payable for the property.

ON / BY THE TENANCY START DATE

A refundable tenancy deposit equal to five weeks’ rent

First month’s rent

PAYMENTS, FEES AND CHARGES (All fees and charges are inclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated)

Monthly rent amount

Late rent fee chargeable at 3% above the Bank of England base rate.

£50.00 (or reasonable costs incurred, if higher) for changes made to the tenancy agreement at the request of the tenant e.g. change of tenants names.

Early termination of the tenancy at the request of the tenant; payment equal to the landlord’s reasonable costs in remarketing the property and referencing new tenants will become due. Please note that early termination is subject to authorisation from the landlord, and tenants will remain responsible for payment of rent and utility bills until such time as a new tenancy begins or the existing tenancy term expires, whichever comes first.

Payment of reasonable costs incurred in replacing lost keys / security devices. Receipts will be provided.

Breaches of the tenancy agreement and damage caused as a result, may result in the landlord seeking compensation from the tenant via deductions from the deposit or by court action

Evidence of additional costs can be provided on request.

Unless otherwise stated, payment of all utilities, council tax and television licence, telephone and broadband charges and connection are the responsibility of the tenant for the duration of the tenancy.

Company Let Fee £250.00

Redress scheme: The Property Ombudsman Membership number: N01111

Client Money Protection Scheme: Client Money Protect Membership Number: CMP005289

PROOF OF IDENTITY

Before we can process your application, you will need to provide us with proof of your identity for us to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations. Suitable documents would be a current passport, a UK driving licence and a utility bill showing your current address.

TENANCY AGREEMENT

You will be asked to sign a tenancy agreement. You should read this document very carefully and keep a copy. If in doubt do not sign the agreement. The most frequently used tenancy agreement in the letting of residential properties is called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. An assured shorthold tenancy can be for any agreed initial term but is usually for an initial term of six months. This type of tenancy protects the landlord so that possession can always be obtained once notice is served but must allow the tenant to live in the property for not less than the initial term. The landlord has to provide two months notice to quit on the fourth month, effective after the first six months. The tenant can also terminate the tenancy after the initial period giving one months notice in writing prior to the agreement end date.

RENT DAY

The Standing order must be set up to make payment three days in advance of the rent due date to ensure cleared funds are received by that date.

NON-PAYMENT OF RENT

Should this occur then a ‘late rent’ letter will be sent to you requesting immediate payment of the overdue rent and should this not be heeded, action will be taken to recover the amount due. If the matter has to go to court you will not only owe the rent but also our additional costs, legal expenses and court fees. A late rent fee chargeable at 3% above the Bank of England base rate in each instance of late rent payment or bounced cheques or other payments not honoured by your bank.

OUTGOINGS

The tenant is responsible for all outgoings i.e. water, gas, electricity, council tax and contents insurance for personal items within the property should the property be unfurnished. As occupation is taken up, the necessary authorities should be informed of the date you take up occupation and your ongoing responsibility for their accounts.

INVENTORY AND SCHEDULE OF CONDITION

A detailed inventory of the property will be given to you. It is essential that the inventory is accurate as you will be asked to sign the inventory and return it to the office within 7 days of the tenancy start date. It is normally accepted that corrections can be made by the tenant to the inventory, but once signed the tenant will thereafter be held liable to return the property in the same condition as detailed on the inventory.

DEPOSIT

We require tenants to provide a deposit equal to five weeks rent to be held by us during the tenancy. The deposit will be protected by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and will be refunded at the end of the tenancy once we have checked the condition of the property. Deposits will normally be returned as soon as possible after the property has been vacated and keys returned to this office. No interest is paid on deposits held.

For tenants with pets, landlords may require an increased rent to cover any potential damage to the property and garden. Where pets have been permitted to enter the property at any time, at the end of the tenancy, to ensure that any resultant infestation is dealt with appropriately and accordingly.

ELECTRICITY AND GAS SUPPLIES

These are the tenant’s responsibility. At the commencement of a tenancy, you should contact the relevant companies notifying them of your occupation.

GAS SAFETY REGULATIONS 1994 – ANNUAL GAS SAFE INSPECTIONS

Gas heating systems should be checked regularly. By law, a Gas Safe approved contractor must inspect each gas appliance in a property every 12 months; the cost of the inspection is the responsibility of the landlord. We will hold a Certificate of Gas Safety and a copy will be provided for the tenants.

RATES

Our standard lease provides that the tenant is responsible for the payment of water rates. Some properties are on a water meter. You will need to contact the relevant authority to arrange for connection.

TELEPHONE

Tenants are responsible for any connection or reconnection charge and should contact the relevant company to have the telephone changed to their name.

HOUSE AND CONTENTS INSURANCE

The landlord will insure the property and landlord’s contents. Tenant’s contents are not covered by the landlord’s insurance. As an introducer for Homelet, we are able to provide information on their insurance products.

COUNCIL TAX

This is the responsibility of the tenant. You need to advise the Council Tax Office of the date you move in. Our experience shows that they are now very efficient and will track tenants from property to property for recovery of tax. As Letting Agents, Peter Lane & Partners Lettings are obliged by law to tell the council of your occupation, previous address and your forwarding address.

MAINTENANCE AND GROUND RENT (LEASEHOLD PROPERTIES ONLY)

The landlord is normally responsible for both the maintenance and ground rent charges.

CLEANING/GARDENING

At the end of the tenancy, the tenant should leave the property, its contents and garden, in at least the same clean and tidy state or condition as they were at commencement of the tenancy. The garden should be left in neat order according to the time of year. If this is not the case, then the tenant is liable to deductions from their deposit to cover cleaning and gardening costs. All dilapidations and associated costs will be agreed at the end of the tenancy.

INSPECTION

The lease allows us to carry out inspections of the property to ensure that it is being kept in the manner laid down in the tenancy agreement. Our experience shows that some properties need to be inspected more frequently than others, however on average they are carried out every three months. Our management visits will include investigation of defects, which come to our notice or are clearly and adequately brought to our attention by the tenant. We will write informing you when these inspections are likely to take place.

FAIR WEAR AND TEAR

The tenancy agreement allows for the tenant to have free and unabated use of the property. The landlord accepts that there will be normal wear and tear to the property, fixtures and fittings. If something has been maliciously damaged the tenant will be held responsible.

MAINTENANCE

If any item needs repair, please contact us immediately. We use the services of a number of local tradesmen who will respond quickly and attend to any minor repairs as quickly as possible subject to the landlord’s approval. In the case of extensive repairs, it is normal practice for the landlord to obtain more than one quotation.

Many tradesmen charge a call out charge, please be aware that if a tradesman is called out to an issue which is a result of “user error” then the charge for the call out may pass to the tenant for settlement. Callout charges may also apply where an appointment is arranged between the tenant and a tradesman and the tradesman is not able to gain access due to the non-attendance of the tenant without sufficient notice.

NOTICE TO QUIT

The lease will bind the tenant for an initial minimum period, either 6 months or a year. Should you wish to end the tenancy, you must give us notice in writing, one month prior to the tenancy end date, letting us know when you wish to vacate.

If the landlord should require possession, then notice must be provided by the landlord two months prior to the tenancy agreement end date.

VACATION

By the time that you vacate the property you should ensure that:

The property, its contents, fixtures and fittings are left in at least the same clean state or condition as they were at commencement of the tenancy
The contents are left in approximately the same places as at the commencement of the tenancy
All curtains and soft furnishings at the Property are laundered or dry-cleaned according to the care instructions on each item.
All carpets and flooring at the Property are cleaned to at least the same clean state or condition as they were at the commencement of the tenancy
Where pets have entered the property at any time, any resultant infestation is dealt with appropriately and accordingly
All personal possessions are removed from all areas of the Property prior to the final assessment of the Property at the end of the Tenancy.
All keys are returned to us, including an additions cut during the tenancy
You read the meters and inform all relevant utility companies of final meter readings and inform Royal Mail of your forwarding address for redirection of post
Your standing order is cancelled

Please note that your tenancy only ends when all the keys to the property keys have been returned and that additional rent (calculated on a daily basis) may be charged until all keys are received.

Be warned. You are responsible for the property until the end of the tenancy even if you vacate early. If vacant, the property should be left secure and during the winter months, the heating must be left on at an appropriate level to prevent frost damage.

EARLY TERMINATION

If you wish to terminate a fixed term tenancy earlier than the end date of the agreement currently in operation, and if, at his option, the landlord agrees to an early release, the following terms will apply:

Option 1:

Full payment of the remaining rent in cleared funds, allowing you to vacate immediately and your deposit to be returned after you vacate, minus any possible dilapidations from the original inventory.

Option 2

a) Payment of a fee for breaking of the contract equal to the landlord’s reasonable costs of re-letting the Property, including all the landlord’s disbursements as shown in the agent’s terms and conditions of business, and any loss of rent or other monies incurred by the landlord should you request early termination, or try to unlawfully terminate the agreement; subject to a minimum base fee of £50.00 including VAT.

b) Suitable tenants must be secured to take occupancy during the remainder of your term.

If requirements a) and b) are not fulfilled you will be liable for the total remaining rent. If all requirements are fulfilled you will be charged rent up to the day new tenants take occupancy and your deposit will be forwarded to you after that date, minus any possible dilapidations from the original inventory.

The landlord has the right to insist that the terms of the Tenancy Agreement are completed in full.