A Holding Deposit secures the property subject to Landlord's approval and is then deducted from the months rent and months deposit on day of move in. This fee it is only refundable in the event that the Landlord/Agent rejects the Tenants or decides not to let the property.

We will normally ask for a Reference Fee and then a professional referencing company will carry out a number of referees.

A bank reference may be required, depending on your banking arrangements.

We will then pass on to you an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, and would ask you to read this carefully and ensure it is fully understood. We are quite happy to answer any and all questions you may have, we would urge you to be quite clear about the Tenancy Agreement in every detail. You may wish to have it checked by a Solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau.

You will need to contact the service companies for Gas, Electric, Water rates and Council Tax. These companies, which can be found in all Kings Lettings offices, they must be notified of the date of commencement of the Tenancy and the names of all the Tenants. Meter readings, where appropriate, will be taken on the move in day. The companies are usually quite happy to accept a subsequent phone call notifying them of the meter reading. The same process is usually required at the end of the Tenancy.
Your first months' rent and your deposit must be paid in "cleared funds". This can be building society cheque, bankers draft or cash. Personal cheques can be used to pay rent or deposit, but they must be banked 10 days prior to the start date of the Tenancy and cleared before moving into the property. Subsequent rental payments are required by standing order. Cash or monthly cheques are acceptable.

You will need to sign a copy of the inventory on day of move in. We will leave you with a copy of the inventory. If there are any adjustments you would like to make you must inform Kings Staff.

An appointment will be arranged to meet you in our offices on the day of your move in. Keys to the property will not be passed over to you until we have received the following from you: a signed Tenancy agreement, rent & deposit in cleared funds.

Once You Have Moved Into The Property

Usually there will be a number of instruction manuals at the property for appliances, and the instructions for turning on the gas central heating boiler.

If there are any initial problems, and Kings Letings are fully managing the proprerty, we would ask you to call us immediately. Alternatively calling your Landlord if the property is Non Managed. Either way, please advise us of your new home telephone number as soon as you receive it.

If there are any routine maintenance or repairs required during the tenancy, we would ask you to call us (Fully Managed) so that we may carry out the repairs on behalf of the Landlord. If these are of a non-urgent nature, an appropriate time scale for repair will be organised, if of a urgent nature the relevant trades person will be arranged immediately. If your property is a non-management status, then we will advise you of your Landlord's telephone numbers so you may contact them regarding the above.

If you wish to change or alter the property in any way, you must call us so that we may gain the Landlord's permission. This would including decorating, erection of shelves, and placing pictures on the wall. We find that if a polite request is made then most Landlord's will oblige with their agreement. Please remember that the Landlord's permission is required and if you carry out any alterations to the property without permission, you will be in breach of your Tenancy Agreement. Again, if your property is a Non Management status, then we will advise you of your Landlord’s telephone numbers so you may contact them regarding the above.

If you have an accident at the property or damage the property in any way during your Tenancy, then please advise us immediately (Fully Managed). Any accidents you have, the cost will be your responsibility. We can assist you by recommending appropriate tradesmen and services should they be needed, then we are more than happy to do so. We are sure that if we can assist you, it is very likely that we will save you money.

Property inspections will be carried out throughout your Tenancy, three monthly intervals unless your property is a Non Managed basis, when these will be carried out by your Landlord. This is time for us to check the condition of the property, and also for you to advise us of any problems you may be encountering. We will write to you suggesting a particular time and day, giving approximately one weeks notice. Should the day or time be inconvenient for yourself, we would ask you to call us to arrange an alternative appointment.

Your rent is due on the same date each month as stated in the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, and we would ask you to have this with us on time. If for any reason it is going to be paid late, or your standing order is cancelled, please advise us in advance, inform us of the problems you may be having and inform us of when you expect to pay the rent. This will allow us to inform the Landlord. Good clear communication is always the best policy in these situations.

Condensation

Some Tenants report "DAMPNESS" to us, which turns out to be condensation. This happens when warm air comes into contact with a cold surface and moisture in the air turns into droplets of water.

If your home has condensation, you will find a black mould growing on outside walls, in the corners of rooms, on windows and behind wardrobes.
You can reduce the risk of condensation by doing the following:-
Ventilating when you are cooking, bathing or showering,
Do not block air vents or air bricks,
Open windows on all you rooms for a few minutes each day to let some fresh air circulate,
Leave some background heating on all day in cold weather.

Ending The Tenancy

To end the Tenancy you must give the appropriate notice in writing, normally two months. Please check your Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement to confirm at what point you can officially give your notice.
When the final day for the Tenancy has been agreed we will arrange to meet you at the property for the final inspection. Normally this will include yourselves, the landlord and Kings Lettings checking the property after all your belongings have been removed, and after the property has been cleaned. If there are any discrepancies with the property, these will be discussed immediately. This may involve a deduction or use of your deposit. If there are no discrepancies, the landlord will endeavour to return your deposit to you swiftly, normally within seven working days. Please remember we will need a forwarding address for which to send your cheque. For security reasons we cannot return deposits in cash.