FAQ's

A Check-In appointment will be arranged with one of our team members or our independent Inventory Clerk. We will normally ask you to meet at the property. At this appointment, all keys will be handed over and it will be responsibility of the Tenant to distribute accordingly. Please remember that we cannot hand over keys without the damages deposit, first months rent, contract signed and right to rent checks completed.

For properties we manage, we’ll ask you to set up a Standing Order to pay your rent, which will either be monthly in advance or quarterly. You’ll need to make sure that you’ve got enough money in your account each month for the Standing Order to work. For properties which aren’t managed by us, you’ll need to pay your rent directly to your Landlord. The bank details you’ll need and your reference will be forwarded to you in advance.

Often landlords will ask that you pay your rent quarterly. This means you will pay 4 larger payments during the year rather than 12 monthly payments. If your contract starts on the 1st July your payment dates will be 1st July, 1st October, 1st January and 1st April. Please refer to your contract for your payments dates. The payments due on each of these dates will be equivalent to 3 months’ rent.

If we manage your property, you will need to email: [email protected]. We need all issues to be reported in writing. If you call us, we will ask you to email. Our team of trusted tradesmen and contractors will resolve any issues you may have during your tenancy.

Most tenancy agreements (especially student ones) are joint and several, which basically means that you sign the agreement as a group and are all responsible jointly for the liabilities explained in the contract. For example, if there is damage to the property the landlord can hold you all liable; the landlord is also able to hold any one of you as being liable for the damage. It also means that if the landlord is required to give you notice of anything, they are only legally required to inform one of you.

Although your obligations are joint and several, your guarantors are not. This means that the landlord can only ask your guarantor for a particular share of any joint liability. For example, if it is a 4 bedroom house, your guarantor can only be asked for 1⁄4 of the total rent due if you haven’t paid, or 1⁄4 of any damage not covered by the deposit.

If more than two unrelated people rent in the same house, the property is classified as a ‘house in multiple occupation’ (HMO). If the property has three or more bedrooms, it may have to be licensed with the local council and meet certain safety requirements.

Your landlord is responsible for making sure the gas appliances at your property are safe and is required to have them inspected by a ‘Gas Safe’ engineer every 12 months. We will make a copy available to you before you move in and again when it is renewed.

Your landlord is responsible for making sure the electric at your property are safe and is required to have them inspected by a qualified electrician every 5 years. We will make a copy available to you before you move in and again when it is renewed.

You are all jointly liable for rent payments. Therefore, if someone doesn’t pay their rent, the landlord is able to pursue all of you for any rent due. It is normal practice, however, that a landlord would pursue the individual tenant first, and then their guarantor before approaching the other tenants.

It is normal practice for your inventory to be supplied to you within the first 14 days of the tenancy agreement. You then usually have 7-14 days to return it signed with any amendments. If you don’t return the inventory then you agree to accept the property in the condition described in the inventory.

There aren’t exactly 4 weeks in a month, so you have to multiply your weekly rent by 52 and divide by 12 to get a monthly figure. This will be done on your contract for you.

An EPC shows how energy efficient a house is and can help you work out how much your utilities will cost. We put them on our website and provide a copy before the start of your tenancy for you to look at but if you can’t find one let us know.

As of 1 April 2018 there is a requirement for properties rented to have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

It is unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement to have at least an E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption.