The Guide
We understand finding and securing a rented property that meets your needs can be stressful. We’ve put together this handy guide which provides information on renting with us and important aspects to consider when choosing your next rented home.
So, before you begin your property search and certainly before you start booking viewings, we recommend you consider the following factors.
Maintaining property and tenancy compliance is one of the many reasons landlords choose We’ll Let Your House as their agent as we help them successfully navigate the various lettings processes.
Budget
It’s essential to consider your budget, not only the initial move-in costs but also the longer-term commitment of paying the rent for the duration of your tenancy. Our referencing partners will complete an affordability check on your household to ensure your total earnings meet the minimum threshold (normally household income must be at least 3 x the rental amount), however, you must also consider whether the rent is affordable in relation to your lifestyle.
Location
Is there a particular part of town you would like to live in? Think practically in terms of proximity to family/friends, work, transport, schools, and recreation areas.
Property type
Consider which property type best suits your needs. Would a house, bungalow or flat be best? Young families may want outdoor space for children, whereas a young couple may prefer an apartment without the responsibility of needing to maintain outside areas.
Also, think about how many bedrooms you need to ensure everyone in your household has enough space and privacy.
EPC
The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) is an excellent tool a prospective tenant can use when deciding whether to rent a property. The EPC provides valuable information about the fabric pf the property, expected energy costs, and details of a property’s heating and hot water system.
Once you have found a property you like and have considered the factors listed above, you may wish to arrange a viewing.
Viewings
Once you have a list of properties that meet your long term needs, its then time to start booking in property viewings.
We strongly recommend viewing any property you are interested in in person before signing a tenancy agreement. With any available property with us, you can easily book a viewing by calling our office on 01775 888494 or by emailing [email protected]. Upon enquiry, one of our friendly agents may ask a few questions to learn more about your current situation and requirements. we may recommend other properties that we have available that may be suitable for you which you may also wish to view..
Viewings can often seem to go very quickly! It’s important to take your time and ensure the property features, many listed above, meet your everyday longer term needs. Consider, parking, outdoor spaces, storage space, heating type, water pressure etc.
Applying to rent
Following a property viewing, an agent will call you within 24 hours asking for your feedback. Should you wish to rent the property, you will need make an application, which can be done on our website.
Once complete, and should the landlord wish to proceed, your application with progress to referencing, which checks the information provided on the self declation online application form. Our referencing partners are Rightmove. They will request some additional information from you, complete a credit check, current landlord reference, employment check and right to rent check to before the application is makred complete.
Upon a successful outcome, we will offer you the property on behalf of the landlord and ask for a holding deposit to be paid which will reserve the property for you. The holding deposit is not a fee, the sum is deducting from total move in monies on the signing of the tenancy agreement.
Moving in
Once the holding deposit has been paid and a tenancy start date has been agreed, we will email you a draft tenancy agreement for review, along with other supporting documentation. Depending on how the agreement is signed, the tenancy agreement and supporting documents will either be emailed to you for review and signature digitally, or an appointment will be arranged for you to attend our office to sign all paperwork in person. Please note, keys are only handed over on the tenancy start date.
Once the tenancy deposit is paid, we protect it in our Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) within 30 days. You will receive confirmation your deposit is protected via email.
Before the keys are handed over, you will receive a copy of the digital inventory report evidencing the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy. A fully digital check out report will also be completed once you move out. The check our report will highlighting any defects between move in and move out and attribute liability for costs to correct defects.
We will also update utility companies and the local authority of your move. You can expect to receive welcome letters from utility providers and the council within 30 days of the tenancy start date.
Inspections
As part of our obligations to the landlord, we conduct regular routine inspections on our managed properties throughout the tenancy to ensure everything remains in good order. This benefits both parties. It’s a good opportunity for maintenance issues to be identified reported, logged, and later repaired.
Maintenance
Any defects you identify throughout your tenancy should be reported via our online maintenance reporting tool, fixflo. This website can be accessed by following this link: wlyh.fixflo.com . Once you have raised the issue, our team will keep you updated informing you about decisions made and appointments. Should responsibility for the issue raised fall on the landlord, we will advise them accordingly. However, if you have caused the issue due negligence or deliberate damage, we will pass on liability to you for the cost of the remedial works.
Tenancy Management
We will contact you before the initial 6-month fixed term contract ends to offer you a contract renewal, subject to satisfactory conduct throughout this initial period. At this point you will need to decide whether you wish to continue living in the property. If you do, a new fixed term tenancy will be signed.
Moving out
If you wish to move out of the property and are and at least 1 month from the expiry of your fixed term, or on a periodic tenancy, you will need to serve us with a 4-week written notice of your intention to vacate.
Before your move out day we strongly advise that you refer back to the inventory report provided to you at the start of your tenancy. This will help you ensure the property is handed back over in as similar condition as possible to that it was in when you moved in. This will reduce the likelihood of claims being raised against the deposit to correct defects.