INFORMATION FOR TENANTS

INFORMATION FOR TENANTS
Whether you are a first time tenant or have rented a number of properties, there are a few important matters that you will need to consider at the beginning, during and at the end of your tenancy.

BEFORE THE TENANCY STARTS
When renting a property, as a tenant, there is a process that needs to be completed before a tenancy can begin.

Once terms of a rental have been agreed, you will be asked to complete a preliminary application form, visit our offices with your ID documents to satisfy the Right to Rent checks and pay a holding deposit, which will be no more than one week’s rent.

When this form has been reviewed and accepted, referencing forms will be issued for completion and full referencing will be carried out by a third-party referencing agency (including a credit check, financial check and obtaining a reference from a previous landlord).

On completion of the referencing process, we will request the deposit and the balance of the first month’s rent.  You will also be asked to sign the tenancy agreement (including having your signature witnessed) and the prescribed information associated with the protection of your tenancy deposit. The landlord will also need to sign a counterpart copy of this documentation.

Once this is in place the tenancy can begin.  On the start date of the tenancy a check-in will be booked, and an independent inventory clerk will go through the condition of the property and agree this with you. A few days later you will receive the inventory and check-in report which becomes a formal document for the purposes of stating the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy.

Letting agents are required to be transparent over tenant's fees. Please see our Tenant Fees Schedule for more information on what you may be required to pay. 

DURING THE TENANCY
We have produced a useful sheet which outlines some of what would usually be considered a tenant’s responsibility during a tenancy.

END OF TENANCY
Within the terms of your tenancy, it will confirm how long the tenancy is for.  If you have a break clause you will need to comply with the terms of the break clause. At the end of the original agreement, the tenancy may become a periodic tenancy, in which case a tenant is required to give one month’s notice and the landlord is required to give two months’ notice to end the tenancy.

It is likely that your landlord or letting agent will inspect the property prior to your vacation to establish whether there are any works required following your vacation and to take new photographs and update the letting particulars.  Your tenancy agreement will have provision for the landlord or letting agent to access the property with reasonable notice to carry out viewing appointments with prospective tenants and your cooperation in this respect is appreciated. 

When a tenancy comes to an end, you should refer to your inventory/check-in report and your tenancy agreement for guidance as to how the property should be returned and refer to the tenancy agreement to confirm your end of tenancy obligations. 

An independent inventory clerk will be appointed to conduct the inventory/check-out, once the property has been vacated, which is an assessment of the property and is compared against the ingoing inventory/check-in report prepared at the start of your tenancy. The check-out report will highlight the condition of the property following your vacation including closing meter readings, any damages or inconsistencies. The check-out report will be sent to you and the landlord or letting agent. If necessary, there will be a discussion concerning any items that have not been returned satisfactorily and if there may need to be a retention from your deposit to remedy these. There will be no deduction made unless you are in full agreement. Once all has been agreed, your deposit will be returned (less any agreed reductions, if relevant).

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A RENTAL PROPERTY?
You will find our rental instructions listed on our website. If you cannot find what you are looking for, why not contact our letting agents in East Grinstead or Petworth to discuss your requirements?