Renting Process

The first step is to contact local letting agents in your chosen area and register on their rental database. You could visit their office, use their website registration or go via their properties on Rightmove or Zoopla. Make sure that you are clear about what you want especially the number of bedrooms and your budget. Then make sure you stay contactable because desirable properties go quickly. If you have been served notice by your current landlord or you have served notice to leave, be sure to tell the agent and give them the latest date you need to move out.

Sit down with a pen and paper and describe your ideal property. Most importantly, be strict with what you do and don’t want, and what you consider to be a deal breaker. Do not compromise on those deal breakers or you’ll come to regret it.

Budget should be a key factor in your property search. Do not overstretch yourself financially, make sure you consider all other costs involved, including bills, council tax, moving costs, agency fees etc. Your take home pay (of all tenants combined) should be at least 2.5x your proposed monthly rent, otherwise you may not pass referencing on your income level.

An Assured Shorthold tenancy agreement is issued for either 6 or 12 months. However, if your waiting for the purchase of a sale to go through or you’re relocating for a short time, you may want to consider a short let. Periods available can be anything from 1 month to 5 months however, the rent you’ll pay for these lets are generally significantly higher as a result.

Once you’ve found a property you like you should put down a holding payment. This will secure the property and the agent will not arrange any more viewings. When your offer is accepted this money will form part of the initial move in. If you withdraw from the transaction or do not supply agreed paperwork, you lose the holding payment however if the landlord cannot or will not let to you the funds will be returned to you.

Once you have placed your holding payment, you will be required to undergo reference checks to confirm your identity, your place of work and your earnings, and to confirm that you do not have any adverse credit. You will also be verified as permitted to reside in the UK and are not subject to any immigration controls. You should declare if you have any unsatisfied CCJs or bankruptcies as this may jeopardise your application. You will be asked to provide a photographic ID together with evidence of Right to Rent in the UK, your earnings and your current address.

If you are on a low income or unable to supply evidence that you will be able to meet the affordability criteria you may need a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who should have a clean credit history, a homeowner and/or be in full time employment with annual take home earnings of a minimum of 2.2x the gross annual rent. The guarantor should understand their obligations as they will be asked to sign a legally binding document agreeing to terms and conditions which will result in the guarantor being made liable for the rent if for any reason you are unable to meet your commitments.

The tenancy agreement will be the legal document that details your rights and obligations as tenants, and the obligations and expectations of your landlord, and the agreements made by all parties.  It will set out the core terms and will include all the rules of the property. 

You should make sure your agent or landlord gives you a copy of the draft tenancy agreement well ahead of the start date of the tenancy for you to read in the comfort of your own home and you should ensure you do this so you are clear as to what you are signing.  If you are not sure of anything contained in the agreement, ask the agent for clarification, seek legal advice or get help from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Before you move in, you will need to pay a security deposit along with your first month’s rent. Your security deposit (also called damage deposit) is there to indemnify the Landlord against loss of rent or to pay for any damage if you were found to be responsible for causing it. In general, the amount required is equivalent to 5 weeks rent. By law this must be protected in a Government approved deposit scheme within 30 days from the start of the tenancy. By law the Landlord or their Agent are required to supply you with “Prescribed Information” with details of the relevant scheme.

The Inventory and/or Schedule of Condition processes is a formal way of noting the cosmetic condition and contents of a rented property. This descriptive information will, ideally, be supported by good quality photographs.

The Inventory document is then given to all parties to sign at the beginning of the tenancy to confirm that it is accurate. Check the document carefully and question anything that you do not understand. You will have 14 days to raise any issues or disagreements with the inventory, at the end of the tenancy, the same document is then used compare the state of the property and on the findings of this comparison the deposit is then awarded appropriately.

There are strict timescales involved in ending a tenancy. This starts from the date notice is served which is usually one or two months, depending on what has been agreed.

Once notice is served the clock starts ticking. The date you leave will be agreed and the agent will put the wheels in motion. If the property is put back on the market, viewings may take place so it is important to keep the property in a good condition for viewings with prospective new tenants.

If an inventory was compiled when you moved in, the inventory clerk will conduct the check-out process and at that point you surrender the property back to the agency by handing over your keys. Once keys have been handed over you will not be permitted to return to the property. The agent will then be in touch with you within 10 working days of the check-out date to arrange the return of your deposit if there are no deductions required. If, however the Landlord wishes to make deductions from your deposit, there will be a set procedure for that to take place. Details of which can be found on the website for the deposit scheme that is being used.