Tenants Guide

Finding your ideal rented property in Newcastle

Visit us or give us a call - Discuss with us what type of property you need and we will match this against the available properties that we have. We will then book an appointment for you to view any of the properties that you are interested in.

Making an offer

If one of our properties is the property you would like to rent, the next step is to make an offer which we will be put forward to the landlord. Consider the following questions to help you to make the best offer and avoid delays.

Bearing in mind the asking price, how much are you willing to pay per week or month?
Is the tenancy to be in your own name or that of a company?
Is the rent to be paid monthly, quarterly or even fully in advance?
For how long would you like to take the tenancy e.g. 6 or 12 month's.
How many people will be living at the property? All the intended occupants over the age of 18 may be asked to be named as tenants and to sign the tenancy agreement.
Do you have any special conditions or requests? In the UK , properties are "let as seen" which means that unless you make any requests at this stage you will be deemed to be happy with the property exactly as it is. We will liaise on your behalf with the landlord.

We will inform you if the landlord will be managing the property or whether they have instructed us to do so.

Securing the tenancy

Once the landlord decides to accept your offer you will need to provide suitable references and/or a signed guarantor form and sign a tenancy agreement. It is now that you will be asked to pay over monies to secure the property.

Holding Deposit

If you wish to secure the property a holding deposit can be paid. The amount is usually £300.00. This payment ensures that we take the property off the market and reserve it for you. The holding deposit is non-returnable if you change your mind, therefore you must be certain that you have picked the right property. The £300.00 will be taken off the final total of all the costs to be paid, listed below.

Deposit

A security deposit will be required. This is held against any damage which may occur during the course of your tenancy. This is usually the same amount as one months rent. The deposit for properties that we manage will be registered under The Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

Rent

Rent is always paid one month in advance usually on the 1 st of the month. This must be paid before you collect keys for the property. You will be asked to set up a standing order from your bank to our agency. If this is not possible cash or cheque payments will be required.

Agency Fees

For professional lets this is 40% of the monthly rental amount. Students are charged at £60 per student.

All the above costs must be paid before you move in and commence the tenancy. Please note that these sums must be cleared funds or cash.

A tenancy is legally binding once it has been signed.

Check in / Check out

An inventory will be drawn up, this is a record of the contents and condition of the property at the time your tenancy begins. This is for your benefit. You can make your own comments on the inventory if you are not in agreement. We will use this inventory to check the condition of the property when your tenancy ends. If there are any repairs, breakages or cleaning required which come under your responsibility, the cost of these will be taken out of the security deposit.

The Tenant's Obligations

The tenancy agreement sets out what is expected from both landlords and tenants to each other. Please remember that the tenancy agreement is binding and some points are covered by legislation. Therefore if you are in any doubt as to what is expected of you or the landlord, we advise you to chat to the agent.

During the tenancy

You must treat the property and is contents well. You are responsible for the payment of all utilities – gas, electricity, water and council tax during your tenancy.

General maintenance

Faults do occur and obviously genuine faults require attention. If anything needs fixing you should report it directly to the agent or landlord if they are managing the property.

General rules

If a problem needs attention your landlord, agent or contractor must be allowed access to the property to fix the problem.
Contractors will usually need to get into the property during normal business hours. Someone will need to be at the property to let them in. If it is not possible for anyone to be there it may be possible to arrange collection of keys via the agent.
The agent or landlord will do their best to solve the problem as soon as they can but it will depend on the availability of the contractor.
Emergencies will of course be a priority. You should seek assistance from the agent or the landlord. If they are not available you should take appropriate action and arrange for the invoice to be forwarded to the agent or landlord.

During the term of the lease the agent or landlord will contact you to arrange an inspection of the property. This will usually take place at least three times per year. Please take this opportunity to discuss any issues or concerns you may have regarding the property.

Fair Wear & Tear

You are expected to use the furniture, fittings etc throughout the tenancy and it is expected that some deterioration will occur. The term fair wear and tear refers to the inevitable deterioration which occurs during normal daily life.

However, excessive deterioration can mean that your deposit is not returned in full. Many tenancy agreements prohibit the use of blue tack and picture hooks, if in doubt ask your property manager or landlord. It is wise to protect your security deposit by taking care of the property. It is advisable not to chop directly on work surfaces or leave tea bags on surfaces which stain. Treat problems as they occur, wipe spills off carpets and furnishings and clean thoroughly and immediately.

Faulty Appliances - you may be charged for call outs if you do not use the appliance properly. Before reporting a fault, double check that the problem is not easily resolved. For example, if the vacuum cleaner is not working, is the hose blocked or is the bag full? If the cooker seems faulty, is the timer overriding manual commands? These checks can save both money and inconvenience.

Condensation - ensure that you ventilate bath or shower rooms and kitchens adequately. Clean shower heads regularly with lime scale remover and treat any mould and mildew with the appropriate product.

Locks & Alarms

In most tenancy agreements the changing of locks in the property without the permission of the landlord is not allowed (unless in the case of an emergency). If permission has been given to change locks you should supply the agent or landlord with a set of new keys. If you change the alarm code you should notify the agent or landlord immediately. Please note that you will be responsible for the callout charges of any third party who has not been informed of the change of code if you have not informed the agent.

Sundries

The tenant is usually responsible for minor items such as replacing light bulbs, broken glass, tap washers, batteries in smoke alarms etc.

TV License

If you would like to use a television you will need a TV license. Please remember that it is against the law to watch television without a licence.

Insurance

The landlord is responsible for insuring the building and the contents that are included in the tenancy. You need to insure your own belongings. We would advise you to take out cover for theft and accidental damage.

Cleaning

At the end of the tenancy you are required to hand the property back in a cleaned state. The exception to this is if the property wasn't in a clean state when your tenancy started, please take photos to back this up. It is always a good idea to deal with any staining etc at the time of the accident rather than leaving it until the end of the tenancy. Once ingrained some stains are completely fast and you may end up having to pay for the item to be replaced.

Making good the property

The property needs to be left as found. This includes:

Replace furniture, paintings and appliances etc in the correct rooms.
Removing stains. Remember that you will be charged for marks that are not deemed to be fair wear and tear. Be particularly careful to protect against ring marks, burns, nail or pin hook holes, crayon marks, damage to carpets etc.
Examining beds for staining or damage, it is always worthwhile to use your own mattress protector.
Tidying up the garden. If the property has any outside space that is your responsibility it must be returned as found. Clear up any litter, weeds etc and leave it looking tidy. Obviously a garden will change with the seasons but you will be liable for gardener's costs if work is necessary.
Replace any broken items including light bulbs, glasses, crockery etc.

Utilities

You are responsible for the utilities accounts until the last day of your tenancy. It is important to:

Ensure that the meters are read at the end of the tenancy so that final bills are accurate rather than estimated.
Ensure that all outstanding accounts are settled.
Ensure that if you have changed your utility supplier, you inform your agent so they can arrange for transfer back to the landlord.