TENANTS

RENTING THROUGH ROFFEYS LETTINGS

Guide for Applicants/Tenants

At Roffeys Residential Lettings, we have a policy of being as open and fair as possible when dealing with applicant / tenant enquiries. Please ensure you read and understand the details outlined in this guide and for more information, ask one of our friendly lettings staff who will be pleased to assist.

Please note:

•    Tenancies will be on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST), unless agreed otherwise. All tenants and guarantors, where applicable, must be available to sign the relevant tenancy agreements prior to the commencement of the tenancy.

  •    All applications are subject to contract and will be dependent upon the receipt of satisfactory references and credit searches. Roffeys Residential Lettings and/or the landlord reserve the right to decline any application without disclosing a reason, nor entering discussions relating to that decision.

• The provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 shall apply.

• Any reference to the singular also refers to the plural.

Prior to the start of your tenancy

Once you have found a suitable property you are interested in renting, we will ask you to provide us with proof of your ID and residency (original documents only). Ideally, we would like you to call into our office where we can take copies.

Example proof of ID: valid passport, or photo driving licence

Example proof of residency: recent (less than three months old) bank statement; council tax statement, or utilities bill. Mobile telephone bills are not acceptable.

We may also require you to provide additional documentation necessary as acceptable evidence in support of the ‘Right to Rent’ checks we need to complete.

Following the above, we will forward you a draft copy of the AST, together with details of any special conditions and request you pay us a Holding Deposit, equivalent to one week’s rent which we will retain in accordance with the provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019.  Once we are in possession of cleared funds, we will provide you with our Holding Deposit Agreement/Receipt and Tenancy Deposit Details document which you should complete and return so that we can forward you a link to activate your online Referencing Application. All prospective tenants will need to complete the Referencing Application, together with UK based guarantor where applicable.

Payment of Advance Rent and Tenancy Deposit

Prior to completion of your proposed tenancy, you will be required to make a payment to Roffeys Residential Lettings of one month’s advance rent, together with the Tenancy Deposit which will be equivalent to five weeks’ rent if the rent is less than £50,000 per annum, or six weeks’ rent if the rent is over £50,000 per annum.

Payments must be cleared prior to the commencement of the tenancy. Payments should be made using either bank automated transfer (BACS or CHAPS), debit card or credit card.

Please note, we DO NOT accept any payments in cash or by personal or company cheques.

An invoice for the advance rent and Tenancy Deposit will usually be sent to you at, or before, the commencement of the tenancy.

During your Tenancy

Tenancy Inventory and Schedule of Condision

On taking possession of the property you should carefully check the Inventory and Schedule of Condition to ensure it accurately reflects the condition of the property. You have seven days’ grace from the commencement of the tenancy to sign and return the Inventory and Schedule of Condition and report back to the landlord (or Roffeys Residential Lettings, if we are the landlord's managing agents) with any observations and/or discrepancies. Failure to do so will be deemed as your acceptance of the Inventory and Schedule of Condition.

Utility Suppliers

You will need to notify all utility suppliers (gas, electricity, telephone, broadband, water) of your requirement for supply and we suggest that you carry this out on the first day of occupation.  Details of the current utility suppliers, as available, will be provided to you upon tenancy sign-up.

Monthly rental payments

Rent is payable monthly in advance by bank standing order (unless agreed otherwise). It is due on or before the day of the month corresponding with the date the tenancy commenced. Please ensure, at least two weeks prior to your rent due date following commencement of your tenancy, that your bank has set up the standing order for rent to be paid direct to the landlord (or Roffeys Residential Lettings, if we manage the property on behalf of the landlord). Roffeys Residential Lettings will provide you with the relevant bank details upon tenancy sign-up.  You should also ensure that you provide your bank with the property address as a reference for all rental payments.

Tenancy Deposit

The Tenancy Deposit will be held in the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), unless otherwise stated.  The Tenancy Deposit is required to ensure that you fulfil your obligations under the terms of the tenancy agreement.  For example, any damage to the property, or its contents (including garden and outbuildings), unpaid bills and unpaid rent, or interest on any late rent payments, can be deducted from the Tenancy Deposit at the end of the tenancy to compensate the landlord. The Tenancy Deposit should not be confused with rent payments.

Roffeys Residential Lettings is a member of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme which is a government- approved scheme administered by:

The Dispute Service Ltd (“TDS” or “The Tenancy Deposit Scheme”)

1 The Progression Centre

42 Mark Road

Hemel Hempstead

HP2 7DW

T: 0300 037 1000

W: tenancydepositscheme.com

E: deposits@tenancydepositscheme.com

Where Roffeys Residential Lettings is instructed to hold the Tenancy Deposit, we will do so in our designated client account as stakeholder and it will be safeguarded under the terms of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. This means we cannot release it without the agreement of both the landlord and tenant, or by the order of a court.

You will receive formal notification that your deposit is registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme within fourteen days of the commencement of the tenancy. We do not make any charge to the tenant for holding the Tenancy Deposit and no interest is payable.

Insurance

We strongly recommend you take out insurance adequate to cover all your contents and any landlord’s contents at the property.  Roffeys Residential Lettings can provide details of suitable cover for your contents, as well as cover for accidental damage to the landlord’s contents. Simply ask us for a proposal form, then complete the form and return direct to the insurer. You can also complete the process online, CLICK HERE

Renewing your tenancy

Providing the landlord is happy to renew the tenancy agreement, we will contact you normally within eight weeks from the end of your tenancy to establish whether you wish to renew, or otherwise extend the tenancy for a further term. Should you decide to renew, we will draw up the appropriate paperwork and forward to you for signing.

At the end of your tenancy

Please bear in mind that at the end of your tenancy your Tenancy Deposit cannot be returned until:

i)  you have paid all rent due
ii) you have vacated the property and returned all the keys
iii) the Inventory and Schedule of Condition has been checked and a final inspection report made to the landlord
iv) any subsequent works or repairs have been completed and/or paid for
v)  all services and any other relevant bills have been paid
vi) the landlord signs a release authorisation.

We will endeavour to refund your Tenancy Deposit as soon as possible following the end of the tenancy, but this process can take up to ten working days from receiving written consent from both parties.  In the event of a dispute where agreement or compromise cannot be reached after ten working days, we will recommend the matter be referred to The Dispute Service Ltd who will normally issue an adjudication within fifteen working days of receiving all the necessary paperwork. 

Note: Where Roffeys Residential Lettings is not acting as managing agents, we will not be involved in any correspondence regarding the Inventory and Schedule of Condition, or in any negotiations with the tenants for the return of the Tenancy Deposit. Under these circumstances, all correspondence and other negotiations must be directed to the landlord.

Post

Prior to the end of your tenancy you should arrange to have your mail redirected, as Roffeys Residential Lettings is unable to forward it and cannot accept liability for any possible losses caused and expenses incurred as a result your mail not being forwarded.

Utility company meter readings

We recommend that at the end of your tenancy you make a note of any utility company meter readings and confirm these to them in writing, together with the date you will be vacating the property. Failure to do so could result in you incurring additional charges.

You may be assured

Its good to know that Roffeys Residential Lettings has been letting and managing properties successfully since 1988 and are fully paid up members of the letting industry’s leading, professional organisations including:

Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)
National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)
Safe Agent
The Property Ombudsman (TPO)
Guild of Professional Estate Agents (GPEA)

In addition, we belong to a government-approved Client Money Protection scheme (CMP) provided by ARLA Propertymark

CLICK HERE for Tenant Fee Information