The Tenancy Application Form
If you wish to apply for a property, you will be asked to complete a tenant application form, which must be completed and returned within 7 days. Identification documents and share code information must also be provided with the completed application form.
Any tenancy offer will be made when the form has been processed and referencing completed, which may take up to 2 weeks.
Should any of the details given prove to be false, it will affect any decision or tenancy agreement made based on information provided.
Referencing
In order for our referencing agency to carry out appropriate references on our behalf, we need to establish some key facts about you. You will need to provide us with your email address so the agency can email you a form to complete. This electronic form must be completed and submitted within 7 days of issue or it will be rejected by the system. All references will be carried out electronically and once the form and references have been completed, the agency will reach a decision on your suitability. You must complete the required information in full; failure to do so will result in a delay in your application or a decline.
You must be able to prove that your annual gross income (combined in the case of joint tenants) is a minimum of 30 times the monthly rental figure. Housing benefit cannot be included as income.
We cannot confirm a move in date until we receive a completed, satisfactory reference report.
ID and Right to Rent
We must see an original photo identification document proving nationality and take a copy of this for our records.
If you are not a British or Irish citizen, you must provide a home office share code in order for us to check your immigration status and right to rent in the UK.
If you are not able to provide appropriate identification and/or a correct share code then we will be unable to offer a tenancy until the correct documents/information has been provided.
Guarantor
If you are a full time student you will need a guarantor, even if you are over 18.
You may also need a guarantor due to your financial situation or personal circumstance, if recommended by our referencing company once your check has been completed. If the referencing indicates you need a guarantor and you cannot provide one, a minimum of 3 months rent in advance must be paid alongside the deposit.
A guarantor must be willing to make your monthly rent payment should you default. The guarantor is usually your legal guardian or a close family member. They must be over the age of 18 and a permanent resident in England or Wales, with an income per annum of at least 36 times the monthly rental commitment (share of rent) for the property.
Your guarantor will need to give permission for a financial check on themselves through our referencing company. Subject to acceptance, they will be sent 2 agreements to sign and return once you have decided a start date for the tenancy. Under no circumstances will you be able to move into the property without the guarantor agreements being signed and returned to us.
The Tenancy Agreement
The tenancy agreement is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, as defined in Section 20 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Housing Act 1996. Where a tenancy agreement is completed for more than one tenant, those persons become jointly and severally liable for all outgoings and responsibilities.
Holding deposit
A holding deposit of one weeks rent may be taken to confirm your interest in the property and commence the application process. You must provide bank details on the application form to enable us to return this holding deposit when necessary. If an agreement regarding a potential tenancy is not reached within 15 days of receipt, the funds will be transferred back to you using the bank details provided. Alternatively you must agree in writing that we can continue to hold the holding deposit for a longer period of time.
Once a tenancy offer is made and accepted, the holding deposit can be transferred to go against the tenancy deposit or first months rent. Under certain circumstances the holding deposit may be retained. If this is the case you will be notified in writing within 7 days of the decision being made.
Tenancy Deposit
We will hold a deposit equivalent to approximately 5 weeks rent. This will be due in cleared funds on move in day.
Once received, the deposit will be registered with the TDS Insured deposit protection scheme.
You will be provided with the prescribed information, TDS information booklet and registration certificate with your signed tenancy agreement.
Reposit
As an alternative to a cash deposit, we may be able to offer a zero deposit option through the Reposit scheme. You would pay an up front fee of one weeks rent and an annual fee of £30 thereafter, please ask if you would like further information.
Rent Demands and Payments
Rent will be paid on a monthly basis on the same day of each month. The start date of your tenancy will be your rent date each month; this cannot be changed during the tenancy. Rent must be paid within 7 days of this date each month; if not interest charges may apply.
You will be provided with the Ellis and Partners client account bank details when the tenancy commences so that you can set up a standing order. You must include a suitable identifying reference. It is the tenant’s responsibility to check their bank account each month, we do not have any control over standing orders and no access to tenant’s bank accounts. Ellis and Partners are not responsible if a standing order does not leave your account.
Alternatively the bank details can be used in a Natwest branch to pay into our client account, but any payment must include a reference so we can identify who it has come from.
We can also accept cash, cheque and card payments at the office.
Problems During the Tenancy
Any maintenance issues throughout the tenancy must be reported promptly to the office. We will then instruct the appropriate contractors to deal with the issue.
For any maintenance issues please call the office on 01202 552236 or send an email to bhresi@ellis-partners.co.uk. Maintenance emailed out of hours will be responded to on an urgency basis.
Inventory & Property Inspections
When you move in you will be provided with 2 copies of the property inventory. This is for noting the condition and the contents of the property. If you wish to make any amendments please do so on both copies and return one to the office within 7 days, keeping the other for your own records. Photos of the property condition are taken and held on file.
To protect the landlord’s interest, we make regular flat inspections. You will be provided with at least 24 hours advance written notice.
End of Tenancy
An inspection will be carried out after the tenancy has ended. Providing the inventory was returned within seven days of the start of the tenancy, this will be used to assess the condition of the property. Any damages or cleaning needed will be charged equally from each tenant’s deposit. Any items left in the property will be removed and charged from the deposit.
Payments
We are able to accept cash, cheque and card payments at the office.
Please note that we do not have a card machine – card payments are made using an online portal and we will require the postal address that the bank card is registered to.
Payments made by bank transfer must be made 2 working days in advance to ensure funds are cleared into our account and card payments can take up to 5 days to clear.