The Renting Process Explained

The process of renting a home can sometimes be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re looking to rent a house or flat, see our step by step guide which will help you know what to expect.

1. Find your ideal property to rent

The best place to look for available properties is online, make a shortlist of the ones you like the look of and fit your most important criteria’s, number of bedrooms and location usually are key! Once you’ve found a property that you are interested in, don’t hang about, the rental market is competitive with property being Let Agreed quickly. Contact the Agent as soon as possible to view and ask any questions that you might have. Try to be as flexible as possible with you availability to view as you could miss out by not being so. You may also be asked information about your income, this is normal as an Agent does need to know your affordability fits the property you are enquiring for. Take a look at our properties here.

2. Fill in an application form

Once you have secured a property, the next step is to complete an online application form which will commence the referencing checks (see the next step). You will also be asked to pay a holding deposit which will be deducted from the final sum of money that’s due before the move in day. At this stage, you will also provisionally agree important details like when the rental period will start, the duration of the letting term and the rent payable each month

3. Reference Checks

To ensure a smooth tenancy, references will be sought on behalf of the Landlord and will be included within the online application process. The references tend to include an employment reference and previous landlord reference where applicable. Credit checks, Identity and Right to Rent checks will also be completed at this stage, so its good to make sure you’re aware of any adverse credit or CCJ’s that may appear on your credit score.

4. Signing the Tenancy Agreement and pay the deposit

Once satisfactory references have been confirmed you will be provided with the tenancy agreement. It is important that you read and understand the contents of the agreement. Here at David Robinson Estates we invite you in to the Branch to sign the tenancy agreement, this way you can ask any final questions that you may have. You will also be required to pay the remainder of the deposit, the total deposit held will represent 5 weeks’ rent. Your deposit money will be registered in an approved government deposit protection scheme and you should receive details on this.

5. Move in day

Once you have signed the tenancy agreement, you will be able to collect your keys to your new rental property on the agreed move in date. You will also be required to pay one months’ rent on or before your move in day. You should receive a copy of the inventory, which should be a detailed description of the property and its condition. Before signing the inventory, have a good look around the property and make sure you are happy that everything has been documented. Once you have settled in, expect periodic inspections to be arranged with the managing agents, to check for any maintenance issues.

Important Information

Right to Rent

Right to Rent requires letting agents in England to check that all tenants who occupy their properties have a legal status to live in the UK. This means that before you can rent a home in England, a letting agent must undertake ID checks prior to you letting out a property. Agents are also legally required to conduct follow-up checks where identification is time-limited (e.g student visa)

To complete the Right to Rent checks, David Robison Estates will

Check your original ID (from a list of acceptable identification documents) We will be required to see you in person with your documentation to do so.

If you are not a British or Irish Citizen will view your Right to Rent online via the Home Office ‘share code’ system. We will also request to see your original documentation upon signing of the tenancy agreement.

Further information can be found here https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent

Tenancy information and Permitted Payments

Permitted payments
In addition to monthly rental payments, for properties in England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that in addition to the rent, lettings agents can only charge tenants (or anyone acting on the tenant’s behalf) the following permitted payments:

Holding deposits (a maximum of 1 week’s rent);
Deposits (a maximum deposit of 5 weeks’ rent for annual rent below £50,000, or 6 weeks’ rent for annual rental of £50,000 and above);
Payments to change a tenancy agreement eg. change of occupier (capped at £50 or, if higher, any reasonable costs)
Payments associated with early termination of a tenancy (capped at the landlord’s loss (to include relet and remarketing charges) or the agent’s reasonably incurred costs);
Utilities (gas, electric, water), communication services (telephone, broadband), Installation of cable, satellite, TV licence and council tax;
Interest payments for the late payment of rent (up to 3% above Bank of England’s annual percentage rate);
Reasonable costs for replacement of lost keys or other security devices;
Contractual damages in the event of the tenant’s default of a tenancy agreement; and
Any other permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

As well as paying the rent, you may also be required to make the following permitted payments:

Tenant Protection Information:

David Robinson Estate Agents Limited of 77 Main Street, Broughton Astley, Leicester, LE9 6RE are a member of the Client Money Protection Scheme and The Property Ombudsman and The Deposit Protection Scheme.

Client Money Protect (CMP – Membership number – CMP 003527

CM Protect Limited
Premier House
1^st Floor
Elstree Way
Boreham Wood
WD6 1JH

The Property Ombudsman – Membership Number – D02112

The Property Ombudsman
Milford House
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP

The Deposit Protection Scheme – Membership Number – 1216154

The DPS
The Pavilions
Bridgwater Road
Bristol
BS13 8AE