Tenant guide
We outline on this page a basic, quick guide and overview for Tenants, to explain what is typically involved with letting a property. If you need any further information or advice, please don't hesitate to contact us
That depends on the service package the landlord has chosen. In most of the cases, you’ll be dealing with one of our agents the whole time, from viewing, to signing the Tenancy Agreement, to day-to-day maintenance and servicing.
However, if the landlord is managing their own property, we’ll send your details to them once you move in. They'll then contact you to discuss and manage the tenancy.
This will take you to My Area and automatically add the property to your Portfolio giving you the option to select a preferred viewing timeslot.
A holding fee (equivalent to a maximum of one weeks rent) is requested from a tenant once they have been approved for a tenancy. This secures the property for them for a tenancy to start on an agreed date and no further applications are taken from other interested parties. The first month rent and deposit must be paid prior to a tenancy starting, but the holding fee is credited to these costs. i.e. the holding fee becomes part of the deposit of the tenancy.
In the event that a tenant withdraws prior to the tenancy commencing, the holding fee is retained by the agent on behalf of the landlord. Should a landlord withdraw the property, the holding fee is fully refunded to tenant.
Both the Landlord and tenant or tenants will be required to sign a tenancy agreement prior to the tenancy commencing, the agreement outlines both tenant and landlord obligations.
Generally, most tenancies run for a period of twelve months, we will contact you at the end of the tenancy to see whether you wish to renew your agreement for a further period and will liaise with the landlord to organise the documentation. It is important you note that the agreement is made between landlord and tenant, we act for the landlord only.
By legal requirement we will issue you with a sample template agreement which we ask you read very carefully, should any questions arise regarding this legal document we advise you to seek independent legal advice.
Once a moving date has been agreed and references have all been approved by the landlord, the tenancy agreement will need to be signed by all parties and the initial monies in full will become due less any holding deposit previously paid:
The above monies need to be in a cleared form before the tenancy is able to commence, payment by means of either a bankers draft, cash or paid directly into our client bank account and showing as cleared.
Rent will be paid to either Propeller Properties or the landlord directly, depending on whether we have been instructed to fully manage the property, or collect rent on the landlord's behalf.
We do get instructed to fully manage some of our landlord's properties, if this is the case, with your tenancy we will inform you prior to your tenancy commencing. If we are managing then any faults with appliances or problems within the property will need to be reported to us and we will deal with the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. Failure to report an ongoing problem may turn the onus onto you; please report any problems you feel need attention.
To terminate your tenancy subject to term, you will normally be required to give us at least one month notice in writing of your intention to leave, unless otherwise specified in your specific tenancy agreement.
The responsibility for your belongings are down to you, you must ensure you have adequate contents insurance, the landlord accepts no responsibility and cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to tenants possessions.
A well-prepared inventory and check-in report protects landlords and tenants alike, providing an accurate description of the condition and contents of a property at the start of a tenancy.
The condition of the property and its contents at the end of the tenancy is then compared back to this report in the form of a check-out report. The inventory clerk will also provide an opinion on whether any damage that has arisen during the tenancy is attributable to the tenants, to ‘fair wear and tear' or to the landlord as required maintenance.
It is in a landlord's interest to ensure that inventories are prepared for properties that they own. In the worst case scenario, should you end up in court, the judge will tend to look more favourably on an impartial, unbiased inventory prepared by a third party unconnected to either the landlord or the tenant. Inventories prepared by landlords could be viewed as biased and one-sided.
Normally an inventory of the property condition, furniture and fittings and effects will be prepared by the landlord, or an independent inventory clerk instructed by the landlord prior to the tenancy commencing. The tenancy is checked and agreed between the tenant and the landlord at the tenancy commencement.
When your tenancy ends, an inspection of the property will be carried out, either by the landlord or an independent inventory clerk instructed by the landlord.
The landlord may propose deductions to the deposit for cleaning, damages or unpaid rent (this is assessed by comparing the inventory check-in to the check-out) and provided you agree with this, the money will be returned to your account.
If you disagree with the proposed deductions, you should try and come to an agreement with the landlord. If this cannot be done, you will need to raise a dispute with the deposit protection service where an independent adjudicator will assess the evidence and decide how much of the deposit will go to your and/ or the landlord.
Too much moisture inside a property can cause mould forming. Tenants are responsible for avoiding actions that can make the indoors air too damp.
These are some things tenants should do to avoid inside moisture:
If we are instructed as managing agents for your property, we will carry out quarterly inspections to assess the condition of the property and that everything is being kept in a satisfactory condition. We will always arrange this with you at a mutually convenient time.
It is the tenant's responsibility to inform the utility companies of their occupation of the property at the commencement of the tenancy, and to pay council tax to the local authority. Students, who may be exempt from the payment of council tax, are responsible for informing the Local Authority of this.
Wherever applicable VAT will be charged at the current VAT rate.
Search properties for sale and to rent in the UK