Tenants

When you rent a property there are a number of costs to consider, and you should be able to see every one of them before you commit to anything.

What follows is every charge that can apply to a tenancy with us, what triggers it and what it comes to. Costs vary with the area and the type of let, so we have set the figures out by tenancy type rather than averaging them into one number that would not tell you much.

Deposits protected by the TDS
No agent fees on assured periodic tenancies
Right to Rent checks handled for you

What renting costs

These costs fall into two kinds: the ones you pay once at the start, and the ones that carry on for as long as you live there.

These costs will include stand alone and ongoing items:

Rent: one month’s advance rent when you move in and on-going monthly rent throughout the tenancy, unless a different frequency has been agreed.
Security deposit: for assured periodic tenancies (APTs) this will be equal to five weeks’ rent if the rent is under £50,000 per annum or equal to six weeks’ rent if the rent is over £50,000 per annum. For non-Housing Act tenancies deposits are generally equal to six weeks’ rent.
Agent fees: reference checks, inventory check in, tenancy agreement fee are applicable for non Housing Act tenancies only. There is no charge to the tenant if the tenancy is to be an APT.
Moving costs: removal company or vehicle hire, storage costs
Household bills: electricity, gas, water, council tax, telephone and internet, TV licence, insurance for personal belongings
Rent increases if this has been agreed and included within the tenancy agreement

Offer stage

What you should allow for at the point of making an offer. Which set applies depends on whether the tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy.

You should allow for the following payments when making an offer to rent a property:

For Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs)

Holding deposit: Equal to one week’s rent*

An APT tenancy is where:

The tenant is an individual(s)
The rent is less than £100,000 per annum
The property is the tenant’s principal home
The landlord is not a resident landlord

For all other non-APT tenancies

Holding deposit: Equal to one week’s rent*
Preparation of tenancy agreement (when using a PGL agreement, this may vary if a landlord uses their own agreement): £300 per tenancy
Referencing: individual applicant, guarantor or company (including ‘Right to Rent’ check): £66 per person / company
‘Right to Rent’ check: additional adult occupant: £6 per person
Inventory check-in: £130 per tenancy

All offers are subject to contract.

*If your offer is accepted then this amount will be offset against the initial rental payment, so you are not making this payment twice. Please be aware that if you make an offer which you later withdraw or if the tenancy application cannot proceed because you have given misleading or incorrect information, then you may lose all or some of the above. Please ask to see the conditions on the holding deposit receipt form for full details.

References and Right to Rent

Referencing is handled by an independent specialist, whilst the Right to Rent check is a legal requirement we complete with you rather than for you.

All applicant references (where applicable) are undertaken by an independent specialist referencing company. You will be asked to complete their online application form.

You will need to provide us with proof of your right to rent a property in England, in line with the Immigration Acts 2014 and 2016 and to prove your current address (such as an original bank statement, credit card, utility bill, council tax demand, etc. dated within the last three months). We will take a photocopy and return the originals to you. We cannot accept photocopies, faxes or scanned copies from you.

Offer accepted stage

Everything payable in cleared funds before the tenancy begins, and how the deposit is protected once we hold it.

If your offer is accepted (subject to contract) then before the tenancy starts you will need to make the following payments to us by cleared funds, which are usually:

Advance rent (less the holding deposit already taken as above): 1 x month’s rent
Security deposit for APTs where annual rent is under £50,000: Equivalent of 5 x weeks’ rent
Security deposit for APTs where annual rent is above £50,000: Equivalent of 6 weeks’ rent
All other tenancies, as agreed between parties: Variable

Further rents will be taken by direct debit from one nominated UK bank account.

All deposits held by us for Assured Shorthold Tenancies will be protected by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

Renewal charge

What applies if a non-APT tenancy is renewed rather than allowed to continue periodically.

Preparation of renewal tenancy agreement for non APTs: £300 per tenancy
Further Right to Rent ID verification (if necessary) for non APTs: £6 per adult occupant

Additional charges

Charges that only arise if something changes during your tenancy. None of these applies as a matter of course, and each one is listed with what triggers it.

Reference

If you require a reference for a tenancy or mortgage etc., for non APTs: £42 per reference

Amendments or changes to the tenancy terms

Change or amendment to terms during tenancy, requested by tenant (APTs): £50 or reasonable costs
Change or amendment to terms during tenancy, requested by tenant (all other tenancies): £120

Early release

If, for any reason, you request your landlord to agree to ending the tenancy earlier than the end date set out in the tenancy agreement (or in line with any break clause included in the tenancy agreement) then he/she does not have to agree to this. However should your landlord agree, then he/she can ask you to reimburse him/her for any financial loss he/she might suffer as a result. This may include:

The equivalent of the letting fee already paid by your landlord to us from the date you wish to end the tenancy until the date you could contractually end the tenancy (calculated as a daily rate): Variable
The landlord’s cost of the preparation of a new agreement: £450
The cost of an inventory check-out: £130

Change of sharer

Your landlord does not have to agree to you changing any of the named tenants during the tenancy term. However he/she may agree to do so subject to you reimbursing him/her for any financial loss he/she might suffer as a result of ending one tenancy early and creating a new tenancy. This may include:

For APTs

The cost of the preparation of a new agreement: £50 or reasonable costs

For all other tenancies

The cost of the preparation of a new agreement: £450
The cost of an inventory check-out: £130
Referencing proposed new tenant(s)/guarantor(s): £66 per person
Re-referencing current tenant(s)/guarantor(s) (at landlord’s request): £66 per person
Further Right to Rent ID verification (if necessary): £6 per adult occupant
Tenancy deposit protection administration charge: £60

Late rent payments

Payable once rent is 14 days or more overdue and levied from the first day of rent arrears period: 3% above Bank of England Base Rate

Lost keys or security devices

The cost of replacing lost keys or security devices: Actual cost of replacement

Lost keys or lock changes may incur a £15 per hour administration charge, depending on the circumstances.

Lock change or repair

Lock change or repair: Locksmith’s charge

Accredited

The memberships and registrations we hold, with the numbers on them, including the scheme your deposit is protected by.

UKALA Client Money Protection, CMP certified

UKALA 10977 · ICO ZB240936 · VAT 430013367