At WADSWORTH & CO we let and manage a variety of unfurnished properties throughout the North Birmingham and West Midlands area. As members of The Dispute Service all security deposits are held in a designated Client Account and fully bonded. Our site contains a constantly updated register of rental property. CLICK HERE to see our latest list. In order to receive a regularly updated list of our available rental properties, please register with us and we will contact you with details of new properties to suit your specified requirements. For more detailed information or appointments to view please contact us on 01922 627121. Please keep in mind that a range of rigorous checks on all prospective tenants will be carried out and we will require 5 weeks rent as a deposit and one month’s rent paid in advance. Should you be uncertain as to your suitability or have specific requirements, please contact us.
Although Letting Agents have different procedures, this guide is intended as a general overview to assist you when renting a property. We have set out below a few significant pointers to assist you.
YOUR OFFER - Once we have found your suitable property, you will be in a position to make an offer to the Landlord for consideration. Please note that any offer you make would be subject to you fulfilling our reference criteria. At this point, you will be requested to provide a HOLDING DEPOSIT OF ONE WEEK'S RENT, which holds the property for you. However, if the Tenancy Agreement is not signed by you (the Tenant) within 15 days after receipt of your application, the Landlord reserves the right to re-offer the property. In these circumstances or, should your references prove unsatisfactory, the holding deposit would be non-refundable. We are regulated for client money protection (CMP)
AGREEING THE LET - As soon as your offer has been accepted by the Landlord, we will apply for references and draw up the relevant documentation which will form the basis of the agreement between you and the Landlord.
You will be expected to provide:
IDENTIFICATION/PROOF OF RESIDENCY - Each prospective tenant is required to provide us with the following documents to support their application:
REFERENCES - We will also contact your employer and your landlord (if you are in rented accommodation already. Your previous employer will also be contacted if you have recently changed jobs. If you are self-employed, we will need to contact your accountant. A credit check will also be conducted. To assist us in collating the necessary references, it would be advantageous for you to warn the above individuals in advance that references are required as these can be return to us within a matter of a few days, barring any delays. Occasionally, a GUARANTOR will be required if, for example the tenant has not been continuously employed for the past 18 months; has been working abroad in the previous 6 months; the tenants’ income falls short of our criteria or the tenants’ employment is considered as changeable.
Please note that the same criteria apply to the guarantor and, furthermore, the guarantor must earn the equivalent of 3 times the yearly sum of the rent, be in full time employment or be able to prove by bank statements that they have “independent means”. All tenants should be able to provide a guarantor and should the tenant be unable to provide one, we will decide that the tenant has withdrawn their application. The tenant will therefore forfeit their deposit.
The guarantor must be aware that they will stand as guarantor for you, (and your partner if you are moving in to the property with some one else), for the entire occupancy of the property, not just for the period of the initial tenancy term.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO EARN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PROPERTY? Having passed all the referencing criteria to be considered for the property and, subject to the Landlord’s decision, you must earn at least 1.5 times the yearly rent (however, you will require a guarantor) or at least 2.5 times the yearly rent (you will qualify on the income part of the referencing without a guarantor).
TENANCY AGREEMENT - An appointment will be arranged with you to visit our offices to sign the Tenancy Agreement when all references have been received.
RENT AND DEPOSIT - You will be required to provide the agreed sum of rent and deposit before taking possession of the property.
The deposit is required for the full tenancy against loss, damage or charges payable at the termination of the tenancy. Whilst this is usually the equivalent of one month’s rent, this may vary therefore we suggest that the actual amount is verified via the property description as found on our letting list. The deposit will be held by The Dispute Service in their designated clients’ account and is fully bonded. It is returnable in full at the end of the tenancy subject to final inspection of the property and it should be noted that deductions will also be made for cleaning should the property (and garden areas) not have been left in a satisfactory condition.>
Rent is to be paid monthly in advance commencing on the first day of the tenancy and then on the same day each month thereafter. The preferred method is by bank standing order.
Please note that all monies to be paid on the signing of the agreement prior to the occupation and should be paid in cash or by banker’s draft, unless they are paid a minimum of seven working days prior to occupancy.
A Holding Deposit can be retained in four circumstances:
Agents can only ask for the rent in advance and the Tenancy Deposit after the tenant has signed the tenancy agreement. To take it before signing the agreement will, in effect, mean that agents have taken a significantly larger Holding Deposit than is allowed.
Where the annual rent on the tenancy is under £50,000 the maximum Tenancy Deposit is five weeks rent. Where the annual aggregate rent is over £50,000 the maximum Tenancy Deposit is six week’s rent.
As long as the requests are contained within the tenancy agreement, including the charge and the landlord consents to the request, tenants can be charged for requests such as: Can I have a pet?; Can I redecorate?; Can I run a business from my home?
Officially, the cap for a Surrender of Tenancy is the maximum rent outstanding on the property. However, the Government Guidance states that agents must be reasonable and should consider the landlord’s costs in reletting the property and the rent outstanding until a new tenant moves in. When considering reasonable costs, agents may charge the tenant the landlord’s tenancy setup cost as detailed in the landlord fee schedule and any rent until a new tenant moves in.
There are two official Default Fees:
Utilities included as a Permitted Payment are:
Green Deal charges or other respective Energy Efficiency improvements under Section 1 of the Energy Act 2011 are also a Permitted Payment. Utilities may be charged for where the tenancy agreement requires the payment to be made.
PROPERTY CONDITION REPORT - If we have been instructed by the Landlord, a Property Condition Report will be prepared of your new home and emailed to the tenant(s) for their acceptance once in-situ. If the Report is not accepted with in 7 days of the tenancy start date, it will be deemed satisfactory.
YOUR PROPERTY MANAGER - Once you have moved into a property you will be allocated your very own property manager. The team are dedicated to solving your problems and property enquiries and are contactable on 01922 627121 or alternatively email us.
MAINTENANCE EMERGENCY - If you have a maintenance emergency outside of working hours then please contact the following contractors direct:
Assured Plumbing-Gas & Electrical Ltd:
01922 454687
07841 860662
07841 860663
Weekend Emergency Number: 07515 288117
SP Taylor Plumbing & Gas Services:
01922 474313
07773 788441
Suspected Gas Leak call TRANSCO:
0800 111 999
TENANTS CONTENT INSURANCE
As a tenant, you aren’t covered by your landlord’s contents insurance policy or home insurance policy. This means that in the event of a fire, flood, theft or household damage, you as a tenant are expected to pay for repairs from your deposit. This is why rented accommodation insurance is essential; it protects your possessions against the unexpected. Endsleigh have designed a tailor-made product to suit all your rented accommodation insurance needs. What’s more, as standard, Endsleigh will also provide you with tenants liability cover for accidental damage to glass and fixed sanitary fittings as well as public liability for your guests or visitors to the property you rent in the case of accident, injury or damage to their personal possessions. Click here to be directed straight to Endsleigh Tenant Contents Insurance Form:
All information is provided in good faith. It does not replace the advice of a qualified legal advisor. We will accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies.
USEFUL LINKS:
RIGHT TO RENT
For more information, please click here.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST:
1. The Tenant will be responsible for insuring their own possessions
2. The Tenant will take over all utilities such as Gas, Electricity, Water/Sewage charges, Council Tax & Telephone upon moving into the property and will be responsible for contacting the relevant suppliers accordingly prior to commencement of the tenancy.
3. The Landlord is responsible for any repair/maintenance problems to appliances that are supplied from the offset, but the Tenant is responsible for any breakages which should be reported immediately.
4. Decoration of the property must only be done with your Landlord’s permission
5. No pets are allowed unless the Landlord has given consent
6. Reasonable notice should be given in the event that the Letting Agent or Landlord wishes to inspect the property outside pre-agreed times. It is usual for the Agent to inspect the property at least twice during the term of your Tenancy and the Tenancy Agreement should cover this eventuality.
7. Most lets are for 12 months, although some Landlords may consider shorter terms of say 6 months.
8. Should you wish to quit your Tenancy earlier than the agreed term, you will be liable for all rent until the end of the agreed Tenancy. However, it may be worth considering negotiating a BREAK CLAUSE with the Landlord which, for example, could entitle you to give notice after 4 months.
In this case, you would only be liable for the rent for the notice period of 2 months, releasing you from the remaining 6 months of a 12-month Tenancy.
9. There is no set law regarding the time limit for returning deposits but this is normally subsequent to the final inspection of the property. Letting agents generally encourage Landlords to employ a professional inventory agent to conduct the inspection and produce a report as to the condition of the interior at the beginning of the Tenancy and again at the end but this is not obligatory. In most cases, the deposit will be returned once any damages are ascertained by the Tenant/Landlord/Inventory Clerk and appropriate deductions agreed.
10. The most common type of Tenancy Agreement is the assured short hold used for 6-12 month lets and usually takes the form of a standard contract between both parties.
However, should any “extras” be agreed such as certain furnishings to be provided by the Landlord, you should ask that an extra clause be added to the agreement to this effect. It should be noted that the landlord is not obliged to carry out promises so it is important that your requests are documented.
11. The Letting Agents will deal with the property viewings, references, agreements and getting you moved in. If the agent has been instructed to manage the property, then you will normally report any repairs or queries to them. If not, then you will deal directly with the Landlord.
12. The Letting Agent, whilst acting for the Landlord, operates within accepted guidelines in the industry to ensure that you are able to rely on a professional letting agent taking your concerns seriously and advising the Landlord if they are being unreasonable. In this regard, you should be assured that the property conforms to all safety regulations and is fairly priced.
13. You require a professional service and, as such, Wadsworth & Co is a member of a recognised body such as PropertyMark. This ensures that professional standards are met, for example, the correct Tenancy Agreement is used; proper procedures are in place for reporting and dealing with repairs; safety checks are conducted and a bonding scheme is provided to protect your deposit.
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