Frequently Asked Questions

What money do I need to pay at the beginning?

Once you have agreed to rent the property you will need to pay a holding deposit to take the property off the market whilst we are waiting for your references. This will be no more than the equivalent of one week's rent. This will be withheld if any prospective tenant(s) or guarantor(s) withdraw from the tenancy, fail a Right-to-Rent check, provide false or misleading information or fail to sign their tenancy agreement or deed of guarantee within the agreed timescales.

We expect our tenants to pay a month’s rent in advance and the equivalent of five week's rent, which will be held as a deposit bond. This bond covers damages or defaults on the part of the tenant during the tenancy. Alternatively, tenants can opt for a 'Nil Deposit service, details of which are included below.

You should note that paying the holding deposit in no way legally obliges Lifestyle Lets or the Landlord to enter into a tenancy agreement with you.

What information do I need to supply?

In the first instance you will need to confirm your identity and current address to us. At the time you complete and submit the application form attached, you will need to show us a passport, driving licence or forces ID card together with a bank or credit card statement addressed to you at your current address. We then use an established agency to check these details further. A guarantor may be required in some instances and if you are self employed we may need details of your accountant. We may also ask you to supply us with details of personal referees who we can contact in order to confirm your trustworthiness. If you elect to complete your information on-line, you must do this within 7 days.

What are my responsibilities as a tenant?

These are clearly set out in the tenancy agreement you will be asked to sign. You should read this carefully and ensure you understand all of the terms and conditions. If in doubt, ask. We have a duty to offer you the correct advice, or if you prefer, you may take independent advice at your own cost. You will find more information in ‘Looking After the Property’, below.

What is a tenancy agreement?

The tenancy agreement is a legally binding document between you, as tenant, and the landlord of the property, brokered by us as the landlord’s agent. It applies only to you and the property you are renting and includes details about the amount of rent, the length of the tenancy, your rights and responsibilities. The agreement will be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy under the Housing Act 1988, unless we stipulate otherwise.

How long will it take to arrange?

We expect that it will take around 10 days to take up and confirm references, clear your payments covering the first rent period and the deposit, arrange for an inventory of the property and transfer of the utility accounts into your name. We may review your application with the landlord of the property and it is ultimately the landlord who has the final say on accepting the tenancy in many instances. We cannot allow you possession until all this is completed, but remember, it is in both our interests to get you into the property as quickly as possible so we won’t unduly delay things.

Nil Deposit Option

Tenants can opt into a 'Nil Deposit' service, operated by our referencing agents, 'Let Alliance'. Instead of paying a full deposit to us, you will pay a non refundable Nil Deposit service charge to Let Alliance. This is usually the equivalent of on week's rent +VAT. The Let Alliance Nil Deposit service covers payment of rent arrears or damages for which you may be liable, up to the value of 6 week's rent. You will need to satisfy Let Alliance's terms and conditions and have Liability Insurance in place (covering damage to the landlord's fixtures and fittings), in order to use this service.

Payment of Rent

Rent must be paid monthly by standing order or regular payment from your bank to our client account using the details we provide you with. We do not operate a direct system and it is your responsibility to ensure that the rent payment has left your account and to correct matters if there is any problem. If your regular payment method fails, it is your responsibility to ensure that we receive your rent payment as promptly as possible after the due date. We do not generally accept rent in cash, however we can accept card payments. Late rents may be subject to interest at a rate of 3%.

How long does the tenancy agreement last and can I stay on or leave early?

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements we offer are for 6 months unless we agree otherwise with you. You are responsible for the rent until the end of the term agreed at which point you must leave the premises. It is however possible to renew your shorthold tenancy at the end of the fixed term. This can be for a further fixed term but is usually extended on a periodic basis. We ask that you confirm your intention to either remain in the property or to leave at the end of the fixed term, two months before the end of the fixed term, in writing. If we do not hear from you at least one month prior to the end of the fixed term of the contract, we will presume that you are remaining at the property and a further month’s rent will be due on the 1st day of the next rent period and monthly after that. If you remain in the property beyond the fixed term on a periodic basis, we would ask that you give us at least one months notice in writing of your intention to leave. During the notice period or in the last months of the tenancy, we can arrange to bring prospective new tenants to view the property. If the landlord wishes you to leave the property then two months notice must be given to you. The leaving date must coincide with the last day of the fixed term or be on a day prior to the next months rent being due if outside the fixed term. If you leave your tenancy early, you will be liable for any unpaid rent and any other reasonable costs associated with the early termination.

What else do I have to pay for?

As tenant, you will be responsible for any utility bills such as gas, electricity, water, telephone and cable TV during the tenancy, together with TV. Licence and the Council Tax applicable to the property. If you lose your keys or any other security devices such as car park or door fobs/remotes you will need to pay any reasonable cost for replacement including locksmith charges if necessary. Changes to your tenancy agreement will incur a cost of £25 to cover to the cost of taking landlord instructions and preparation of new legal documents.

Looking After the Property

You should look after the property as if it were your own. It is important that you notify us of any matters relating to the change in the condition of the property, its fixtures and fittings, or any breakages which occur during the tenancy. The cost of repairing any damage may well fall to you and we would recommend that you consider insuring against any risk to the landlords possessions be that, carpets, curtains, fixtures, fittings or equipment and furniture provided for your use. It is not acceptable to defer the cost of repair until the end of the tenancy in order for this to be resolved against your deposit. We are usually within our rights to withhold the return of any deposit until any charges for damage or other payments due have been made.

It is also important that you maintain the property in clean and good condition. Our advice is always to clean as you go and not wait until the property is checked or until the end of the tenancy to address those difficult cleaning jobs. The property should be kept well ventilated and heated as failure to do this can lead to condensation, damp and mould, and this too may need to be resolved by you before you leave the property. Kitchens and Bathrooms in particular should be regularly attended to as it is these areas which are most likely to fall short of the standards required at the end of the tenancy. If the property is not left cleaned to a good standard then cleaning will be charged to you.

Making Contact with Us

Our normal office hours are between 9.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. We are open on Saturday by appointment only. We will always endeavour to respond to you in a reasonable period of time within these hours, however, messages left late in the day or at weekends may not be answered until the next working day. Please call the office number (01752 249434) in the first instance however, if you need to contact us out of hours, you may also text to 07793 366466 and we try to get back to you as quickly as possible. Please limit for out of hours calls to emergencies only.

Breakdowns, Maintenance and Emergencies

We will endeavour to respond to any issues relating to the property as quickly as possible. However, you should bear in mind that the majority of matters will be dealt with by our contractors or other agents and we do not have control of their schedules for carrying out repairs or attending breakdowns. Problems occur with electrical appliances, doors, roofs, plumbing etc regardless of whether these are situated in rental or any other property. Consequently, the service level you receive should be no different to any homeowner or occupier.

Non functioning appliances, breakdowns, dripping taps, broken furniture etc, do not constitute emergencies and you should report these to us as soon as it is practical to do so in normal working hours. Any hazard caused by breakages should of course be removed or guarded.

Emergencies constitute serious failures involving plumbing, water, electricity, gas structural issues or security issues which threaten you or the safety of the property. If such emergencies occur you should isolate the gas, electricity or water, or take steps to secure or prevent further damage to the property, only if it is safe for you to do so. You should familiarise yourself with emergency numbers for your gas, electricity and water suppliers. Our main aim in response to an out of hours emergency will be to make everything safe in order that a full repair or restoration can be carried out the next working day.

What happens at the end of the tenancy?

You will need to demonstrate to us that you have fulfilled the obligations stated in the tenancy agreement to leave the property in the condition it was in at the start. If you do not, it is likely that deductions will be made from your deposit. These will include thorough cleaning to a professional standard, laundering of all linen and the returning of any furniture to its position at the time of the inventory.

You will have to make sure that you have had all meters read and arranged for all final bills to be sent to your new address. You will also need to supply us with details of your new address and return any keys you hold promptly

Who holds the deposit?

Your deposit will be held by us in a client account set up specifically for that purpose. It is a matter of law that we must protect your deposit in a Government approved insurance based scheme and we must do this within 30 days of the start of the tenancy. Our insurer will also write to you to confirm that the deposit has been protected. The deposit will not attract interest for the tenant. Alternatively we, or your landlord, may choose to place your deposit in a custodial deposit scheme. Again, you will be contacted by the scheme operator if this is the case.

How do I get my deposit back?

At the end of the tenancy, we will in most circumstance return the deposit to you and notify our insurers that it is now unprotected within 10 days of the end of the tenancy. If we are not able to do this, because we are negotiating charges or other payments at the end of the tenancy, we will tell you. Our insurer provides a free government backed dispute resolution service in the event that we are unable to agree on matters relating to the deposit at the end of the tenancy although in our experience this is very rare.

After we have checked the inventory and inspected the condition of the property, provided there are no missing items or damage, you have complied with all the conditions of the tenancy and the property has been cleaned to a high standard as required by the tenancy agreement, your deposit should be returned to you shortly after leaving the property. You cannot set your deposit against the last rent payment due.

About our Business

We hold all client money in a separate and ring-fenced client account and provide proof of this to ‘mydeposits’ as part of their membership renewal process, annually. We hold full indemnity insurance to a level of £500,000 and are members of the Residential Landlord’s Association. We are also members of the Property Redress Scheme, PRS, who you may contact in the event of a dispute relating to your tenancy. It is a legal requirement for all organisations holding client funds to protect them in an approved scheme. Our clients funds are protected in the Client Money Protect Scheme (registration number CMP005240).

Information we require so we can rent you a property

Please complete and sign the Application Form. Then return this to us with your holding deposit and your ID information, so we can start to process your application. In most cases, you will then be sent a link to the website of our referencing agent and you should answer all questions they ask fully so we are able to complete our work and establish the tenancy quickly for you.

Privacy

At Lifestyle Lets we take your privacy very seriously and will only use your personal information to provide the services we have agreed with you and to administer your tenancy. Full details are availabe in our 'Privacy Statement'.