
So you’re looking for a new rental property or you may have found one, well you’ve come to the right place! At Armstrongs Sales & Lettings we are dedicated to offering expert advice and customer service to all of our tenants.
We aim to help you find your home and move you in hassle and stress free! We want to ensure that your rental experience is exceptional, that you feel happy, content and delighted that you chose Armstrongs Sales & Lettings as your rental agent. We are proud members of ARLA Propertymark, www.arla.co.uk this really does set us apart from other agents, ensuring all are tenants can rest assured they are dealing with
fully qualified staff and company that abides by all regulations.
The Renting Process Briefly;
- Register your details or directly request a viewings.
- Notify us of your interest.
- Confirm rent and preferred term (usually 6 months)
- Referencing forms completed.
- Prospective tenants identity verified.
- Information on referencing forms verified, references checked and obtained.
- Move-in date agreed.
- Deposit taken (bond) and 5 weeks rent rent in advance , tenancy agreement signed (may not have to pay rent in advance if you claim housing benefit/Lha or universal credit)
- Copies of relevant safety certificates issued.
- Keys hand over/move in.
Depending on the level of service your landlord has requested the above may vary, the above is typical of a “Tenant Find Only” service which means your landlord is for the management of your property.
Tenant Fees
Once you have found a suitable property, Armstrongs Sales & Lettings will provide you with a Tenancy Application Form. This helps explain the next stages of your application.
You will be charged NO fees to apply for and move into a property. We only take a holding fee to secure a property which will be used against your deposit and rent once you move-in. The holding fee is none-refundable if the tenant provides misleading information during the vetting process and a tenancy is not granted, fails a right to rent check or decides to not enter into the tenancy agreement.
Below is a list of our current permitted payments.
Holding Deposit – equivalent to one weeks normal rent (please ask our office for calculation if you need assistance).
Damage deposit – 5 weeks normal rent, unless specifically quoted lower on our advertisements
Lost keys – Receipt cost of supply of replacement keys
Surrender of tenancy – Cost of remaining contract rent
Change to your tenancy contract (Inc. Change of Names) – £50 including vat. Please ask our office for costs in respect to your request.
Late Payment of Rent – Rent falling 14 days overdue will attract late payment interest penalty of 3% above the Bank of England base rate at that time, and may be subject to issuance of a county court summons for the debt outstanding.
Payment of any damages in accordance with tenancy terms are permitted payments.
Other useful guidance on renting costs/expenses
- Payment for the late payment of rent
- Payment for a breach of the tenancy agreement up to the prescribed limit
- Utilities – gas, electricity, water
- Communications – telephone and broadband
- Installation of cable/satellite
- Subscription to cable/satellite supplier
- Television license
- Council Tax and
- Other permitted payments (any other permitted payments, not included above, under the relevant legislation including contractual damages). Armstrongs Sales & Lettings is a member of the CMP (Client Money Protection) Scheme, and provides client money protection under scheme ‘Client Money Protect’. If you require any further information contact Armstrongs Sales & Lettings direct or via our website.
We require the following ID for each tenant
- Passport/UK driving licence
- X 2 Utility bills from last 3 months
We require the following from the guarantor
- Passport/UK driving licence
- Copy of mortgage statement/proof of home ownership
- Filled in guarantor agreement document
Guarantors
If we require you to provide a Guarantor they must be UK based, a property owner and have sufficient income. They will be required to sign a Deed of Guarantee and they will be a party to the tenancy. Guarantors, like Tenants, are Jointly and Severally liable meaning that a Guarantor does not underwrite a specific sole Tenant but they underwrite the entire tenancy the same as individual Tenants do not fulfill their obligations to the terms of the tenancy by only paying their share of the rent. You must ensure that you make any Guarantor FULLY aware of what they are entering into before they agree to proceed as the terms of the Deed of Guarantee are non-negotiable.
Check Out Cleaning
The property must be returned at the end of the tenancy in the same condition, allowing for fair wear and tear, as at the start of the tenancy. If the property has been professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy then tenants will be required to have the property cleaned to the same professional standard at the end of the tenancy. Tenants will need to provide us with a copy of the cleaning companies invoice as proof.