Tenants

Renting a Home Through Us

Our objective is to make renting a home clear, straight forward and as easy as possible (after all, you have enough to think about). We are on hand to advise and talk through all aspects of your requirements from your very first viewing to maintenance repairs during a tenancy.

Registering With Us

We know how annoying it can be to be shown around a property that doesn't meet any (or very little) of your requirements. Or turning up for a viewing only to be told it's gone 'but there's something else just around the corner'.

At James Edward, we firmly believe in only showing you properties that meet your specification and criteria. For us to achieve this, we will extensively ask about what's important to you when searching for the right property so we can eliminate any properties that don't match your requirements. Important aspects to think about and inform us of are:

  • Location/area (close to a certain tube station or park etc);
  • How much you're looking to spend;
  • Size (whether it's important to have two double bedrooms for example, or a large kitchen);
  • When you need to move by;
  • Outdoor space;
  • Age/style of property;
  • Whether you have any pets

Furnishings aren't usually too much of an issue as most landlords offer some flexibility when marketing their properties to rent.

Remember, the more we know about you and what you're looking for, the more successful we will be in finding you the right home.

Once we're satisfied we know what you're looking for, we will either arrange for you to see some properties or keep you registered until something suitable becomes available.

Viewing Properties With Us

Viewing potential homes should be a pleasurable and exciting experience and we aim to aid this as much as possible. Once the viewing is arranged, we send you confirmation of the viewing with all of the relevant information so as to avoid any confusion. We do our best to arrive early so that the property is open and available to view once you turn up, and endeavour to make the process as smooth as possible.

We know our properties very well, and the areas in which they're situated in, so please ask us any questions you feel are relevant and we'll do our utmost to answer them in as much detail as possible.

Applying For A Property/Tenancy Through Us

Once you've found 'the one', we will do our very best to negotiate and agree your offer of tenancy. We can only do this once we've received some form of commitment from you by way of a holding deposit. It's worth noting that if your offer is accepted, the holding deposit is off-set against your final balance. If it's declined, it's returned back to you. It is, however, non-refundable if your offer is accepted and you later pull out. It is at our discretion as to what is considered 'later' depending on the individual circumstances surrounding that particular property (other viewings were turned down etc.).

Upon payment of the holding deposit (one weeks' rent), we also require the following information prior to putting forward your offer of tenancy.

  • Rental amount.
  • Move date.
  • Length of tenancy (usually 12 months).
  • Requirements (removal of sofa for example).
  • Tenant information (whether a couple/sharers, age, occupation, current area of residence etc.)

Again, we find that the more we know about you, the more we can discuss with your prospective landlord.

Preparing For Your Move

Once your offer of tenancy has been accepted, it's really important we receive all required documents from you within 48 hours of the official confirmation email which is sent to you upon acceptance. A dedicated Lettings Co-ordinator will then guide you through to signing the tenancy agreement and arranging your property handover.

Guarantors

In certain circumstances it may be necessary for a tenant, or group of tenants, to have a guarantor.

A guarantor is a representative of a tenant who agrees to co-sign the tenancy agreement and becomes jointly and severally liable for any tenant obligations. Guarantors are only required in the event that one of the named tenants cannot provide acceptable financial referencing.

There are four main factors that affect if someone can act as a guarantor these are:

  • They must be a UK resident.
  • They must be a homeowner.
  • They must be in full time employment.
  • Their income must be able to cover the costs associated with the rent in the tenancy (for the whole tenancy).

Assuming that these criteria are met, the representative may be considered as an applicant guarantor. They will then be subject to referencing, in the same way as the tenant, before the tenancy is drawn up.

A guarantor will be asked to sign the tenancy agreement along with the tenant/s and therefore becomes jointly and severally liable with the tenant/s for all tenant obligations as laid out in the tenancy agreement. This includes payment of the full monthly rent if any of the named tenants default.

The guarantor will remain associated with the tenancy agreement for the full term of the tenancy and for any renewed term unless the tenants are re-referenced satisfactorily and it is agreed that they can be removed from the tenancy agreement and therefore their obligations.

If the property is a shared or student household a guarantor will be required for each named tenant that is unable to pass acceptable financial referencing. However, in the event of damages, rent arrears or a dispute it is unlikely that a court of law would recognise individual guarantors, and is likely to rule that any tenants and guarantors are jointly responsible in any event. It is critical, therefore, that tenants are confident that their co-tenants are trustworthy when signing into an agreement for their own sake as well as their guarantor.

We are often asked if we can write into the tenancy agreement that each guarantor will only represent their tenant, unfortunately this is not possible as regardless of what the tenancy agreement states, the law in relation to guarantors will be upheld in the event of a dispute. If, as a tenant, you are unable to provide a guarantor who agrees to these conditions the landlord may agree to accept the whole rent for the tenancy in advance. If this is not possible, with regret, you will not be able to let a property through James Edward Lettings.

If you require a guarantor for your tenancy please contact us to organise the relevant paperwork. The guarantor will also need a full copy of the tenancy agreement to understand what they are agreeing to.

If you are thinking of acting as a guarantor and have any questions please contact us.

The Day Of Your Move

Having arranged a time that suits you to collect the keys, we will have ready a full and comprehensive handover pack that has all of the useful information and checklists needed to make your move as smooth as possible.

Included in the handover pack is the Governments How to Rent Guide which you can also find Here.