Tenant Guide
Renting through Selectiv
Even before you start searching for a property to rent, it’s important to understand the legal aspects of being a tenant.
When you become a tenant, you take on certain responsibilities for the property. Depending on your agreement, you will usually be responsible for paying council tax, utility bills such as water, gas and electricity, TV licence and other incidentals including telephone bills, subscriptions such as Sky or broadband.
What’s expected of you will be documented in your tenancy agreement which we encourage you to read carefully and thoroughly, but to help you through the process our dedicated lettings team are always on hand to answer any questions.
Using this guide
We do hope this guide will provide you with advice and information on how to secure a rental property, and help you understand tenancy agreements as well as other useful information to help you navigate your way through the rental process
Searching for your property
Talk to our lettings team and let them know exactly what type of property you are looking for; we manage an extensive range across the region with lots of properties to choose from, we’ll help you find your ideal home. Once you’ve found a rental property you like, book a viewing as early as possible. There is high demand for properties in the rental market and if you find a property that’s ‘got your name’ on it, it’s best to move fast to secure it. Contact us and we’ll arrange a convenient viewing for you.
Application of property
Once you have found a suitable property, it’s time to apply for the home along with a holding deposit, this is equivalent to one week of the monthly rental amount. The landlord will need to know who will be living at the home, a proposed moving in date, the length of the tenancy and any other requirements you may have.
Intro
It’s the landlords decision whether to accept your application or not. A landlord will review all elements of your application so it’s crucial that everything is put forward at this stage. Please note that if you intend to keep pets at the property you must declare this as part of your application. Any changes or requests made once your application has been accepted may not be considered, or may be rejected outright.
Rental Agreed
Once we have successfully agreed terms with the landlord, it’s time to take you through the credit checks. It is our responsibility to ensure you are suitable tenant and are able to proceed with the agreement. As part of this process you may be required to provide the following:
- Three years’ address history
- Previous landlord details for any properties rented in the past three years
- Confirmation of earnings, making sure you meet the criteria
- Employment details
- Evidence of the past three years’ account if self-employed
- Your bank details
You may need to provide proof of your “Right to Rent” under the immigration act.
Your deposit payment
The deposit required is 5 weeks of the rental amount and this is held as cover for any excessive damages that need attending to at the end of the tenancy on behalf of the landlord.
If Selectiv is managing the property on behalf of the landlord, the deposit will be registered with The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). The Tenancy Deposit Protection was introduced in April 2007 as part of the Housing Act 2004 for all assured shorthold tenancies in England and Wales. . All deposits by law must be held in an independent account, this is to protect both you and the landlord in the event of any dispute at the end of the tenancy. If the landlord manages the property themselves, we’ll inform you what deposit scheme the landlord will be using and the terms and conditions of that scheme will form part of your Tenancy Agreement.
At the end of your tenancy you and your landlord need to agree how your deposit will be repaid. In the event that you’re unable to agree on how your deposit should be repaid, the free independent Alternative Dispute Resolution service, provided by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) can be used to resolve your dispute.
Tenant Fees during a tenancy
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, there are fees that will be payable during a tenancy:
- A payment will be charged when a tenant requests a change to their tenancy, this being a change of sharer or permission to keep a pet at the property. A charge of £50 including VAT will be charged for the amendment of a tenancy or addition of an addendum. Further charges may be applicable in some circumstances.
- Tenants are responsible for paying utility bills in accordance with their tenancy agreement, which could include council tax, utility payments (gas, electric & water), and communication services (phone, TV & broadband).
- A default fee for late payment of rent. Any outstanding rent of 14 days or more will be charged at 3% above the Base of England’s bank rate for each day the payment remains outstanding.
- Replacement of lost keys or security devices will be charged at the cost of the replacement of keys or a change of security locks for prevention of a security breach.
- If an agreement has been made to an early termination of a tenancy, a charge will be made equal to the loss of rent, plus any landlords costs in re-marketing and paperwork to allow the change of tenant.
Moving in
Once we’ve completed all the formalities and your deposit and payments have all cleared, it’s time to move in. Our lettings team are always on hand to help you through the process, so you’re never left alone to work it out for yourself. Now you’ve got this far, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your new home!
