Tenants Guide

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF MY PROPERTY IS "PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED"?

From the day you move in, you will have a 24/7 contact for all tenancy/property related issues. Your safety net at all times.

Love your home will ensure that all aspects of maintenence and well being are looked after so you enjoy your new home!

HOW DO I ARRANGE A VIEWING?

Call or email us at any time to register your interest in a property or to begin your property search.

Find a property and click the button to arrange a viewing found on the property details page.

This will take you to MY AREA and automatically add the property to your Portfolio giving you the option to select a preferred viewing timeslot.

MAKING AN OFFER AND REFERENCING?

Reference Procedure. As soon as you've found a suitable property, you will need to complete reference application forms online. We utilise the services of a credit-referencing agency to take up the following references, here is an example of just a few of the references sought:

• Confirmation of employment, salary confirmation.
• Personal & Photographic identification (passport or driving licence).
• Previous Landlord references.
• Students (Guarantor or proof or funding).
• Self-Employed (Accountants references, trading details etc)

PAYING A HOLDING DEPOSIT

• A one weeks rent holding deposit will be required in order to reserve the property and remove it from our availability list. The holding deposit will be deducted from the full deposit due (which usually consists of 5 weeks in total).
• Should the tenant withdraw from the proposed letting, through no fault of the landlord or the agent, all or a proportion of the 'Holding Deposit' will be retained in order to cover any reasonable costs (which will be outlined in full).
• None of the Holding Deposit will be retained should the Tenant's withdrawal be due to a breach of the proposed letting agreement by the landlord or managing agent.
• The holding deposit shows good faith on the part of a prospective tenant enabling the landlord to take further action in the confident knowledge that the applicant is serious and fully committed to the property:
• Cancel any advertising for the letting
• Tell other applicants that the tenancy has been taken subject to satisfactory references
• Prepare a tenancy agreement
• Take up references
• Carry out credit checks

THE TENANCY AGREEMENT

• Both the Landlord and tenant/s will be required to sign a tenancy agreement prior to the tenancy commencing, the agreement outlines both tenant and landlord obligations.
• We will contact you near to the end of the tenancy to see whether you wish to renew your agreement for a further period and will liaise with the landlord to organise the documentation. It is important you note that the agreement is made between landlord and tenant, we act for the landlord only.
• By legal requirement we will issue you with a sample template agreement which we ask you read very carefully, should any questions arise regarding this legal document we advise you to seek independent legal advice.

PAYING YOUR MOVE IN MONIES

• Once a moving date has been agreed and references have all been approved by the landlord, the tenancy agreement will need to be signed by all parties and the initial monies in full will become due less any holding deposit previously paid:
• This is made up of the following:
• Deposit normally equal to 5 or 6 weeks of rent (depending on the annual rent).
• The first months rent in advance. (rent is worked out on a per calendar month basis), which is, if you are not aware; the weekly rent, multiplied by 52 weeks and divided by twelve months to give the per calendar month rental figure.
• The above monies need to be in a cleared form before the tenancy is able to commence, payment by bank transfer paid directly into our client bank account and showing as cleared.

RENT PAYMENTS

All Rents should be paid to Love Your Home (Unless otherwise agreed within your tenancy agreement).

These should be paid by standing order and received on the due date each month in line with your tenancy agreement.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS FOR MANAGED PROPERTIES

We fully manage most of our properties. This gives you dedicated property manager and an emergency out of hours repair line. Being fully managed means we fix any faults with appliances or problems within the property. They will need to be reported to us and we will deal with the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible.

NOTICE TO END A TENANCY

To terminate your tenancy subject to term, you will normally be required to give us notice in writing of your intention to leave, unless otherwise specified in your specific tenancy agreement. You will need to have had a break clause agreed and inserted into your tenancy agreement for this to be possible though. So please check the terms of your tenancy first.

CHECK INS, INVENTORIES AND THE PEACE OF MIND THEY PROVIDE

• A well-prepared inventory and check-in report protects landlords and tenants alike, providing an accurate description of the condition and contents of a property at the start of a tenancy.
• The condition of the property and its contents at the end of the tenancy is then compared back to this report in the form of a check-out report. The inventory clerk will also provide an opinion on whether any damage that has arisen during the tenancy is attributable to the tenants, to ‘fair wear and tear' or to the landlord as required maintenance.
• It is in a landlord's interest to ensure that inventories are prepared for properties that they own. In the worst case scenario, should you end up in court, the judge will tend to look more favourably on an impartial, unbiased inventory prepared by a third party unconnected to either the landlord or the tenant. Inventories prepared by landlords could be viewed as biased and one-sided.
• Normally an inventory of the property condition, furniture and fittings and effects will be prepared by the landlord, or an independent inventory clerk instructed by the landlord prior to the tenancy commencing. The tenancy is checked and agreed between the tenant and the landlord at the tenancy commencement.

DEPOSIT RETURNS AT THE END OF THE TENANCY

• When your tenancy ends, an inspection of the property will be carried out, either by the landlord or an independent inventory clerk instructed by the landlord.
• The landlord may propose deductions to the deposit for cleaning, damages or unpaid rent (this is assessed by comparing the inventory check-in to the check-out) and provided you agree with this, the money will be returned to your account.
• If you disagree with the proposed deductions, you should try and come to an agreement with the landlord. If this cannot be done, you will need to raise a dispute with the deposit protection scheme where an independent adjudicator will assess the evidence and decide how much of the deposit will go to your and/ or the landlord.

TENANTS OBLIGATIONS

The responsibility for the property lies with the tenant during the period of tenancy, always ensure that the property is fully secured and that during the winter months steps are taken to prevent freezing of the water and heating system.

MID TERM PROPERTY INSPECTIONS

If we are instructed as managing agents for your property, we will carry out mid tenancy inspections to assess the condition of the property and that everything is being kept in a satisfactory condition. We will always arrange this with you at a mutually convenient time.

COUNCIL TAX AND UTILITY ACCOUNTS FOR THE PROPERTY

It is the tenant's responsibility to inform the utility companies of their occupation of the property at the commencement of the tenancy, and to pay council tax to the local authority. Students, who may be exempt from the payment of council tax, are responsible for informing the Local Authority of this.

Wherever applicable VAT will be charged at the current VAT rate.