The Renting Handbook

• Set yourself a realistic monthly budget including anything additional to the rent, such as bills.
• Decide on the type of property you want to live in. I.e. Apartment, terraced house, cottage etc.
• Think about the location of the property. Is it close to schools, work, and public transport?
• How many bedrooms will you need? Does the property need to be furnished or unfurnished? Do you need off road parking?
• What date do you need to move by?
• Do you need a property that will accept pets?

Once you have agreed the essential criteria, give our office a call and our lettings negotiators will be more than happy to help.

• We are open 6 days a week. Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm and Saturdays 10am – 2pm. We can accommodate viewings outside these working hours including Sundays.
• If you find a property online, which you like the look of, we recommend that you make an appointment to view as early as possible.

• Once you have found a suitable home, you will need to make an application for the property.
• All parties to the tenancy (including guarantors) will need to fill out an application form. All of the information below will be required:
– References from your previous Landlord/s within the last three years
– Permission to carry out a credit check
– Your bank details – including bank name, account number and sort code
– Employer Details – name of employer, job title, national insurance number, salary etc.
• It’s better to be honest from the start – so tell us if you have bad credit rating or if you are unemployed. We will do all that we can to help you.

Here at Duffin’s, we believe in being open and honest about the fees we charge tenants. It means you can see exactly what you’ll need to pay without any hidden surprises.

Our Permitted Fees are as follows:

What do I need to pay to reserve the property?

The amount payable is equivalent to one weeks rent. Please Note: This holding fee will be withheld if any relevant person (including both tenant and guarantor) withdraw from the tenancy, fail a Right to Rent Check, provide false or misleading information or fail to sign their tenancy agreement within 15 calendar days. This holding fee, with your agreement, can be used as a contribution towards your first month’s rent or Tenancy Deposit if the Tenancy proceeds to move in/completion.

How much is the security deposit?

If the rent is under £50,000 per year the deposit will be equivalent to Five Weeks Rent. If the rent is over £50,000 per year the deposit will be equivalent to Six Weeks Rent. This covers damages, defaults, rent arrears as per your Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST).

Unpaid Rent

Interest is payable at 3% above the Bank of England Base Rate from the Rent Due Date until the date that the Rent is paid. Please Note: This will not be levied until the rent is more than 14 days in arrears.

Lost Keys or Other Security Devices?

Tenants will be liable for the cost of replacing any lost key(s) or any other security device. If the loss results in locks needing to be changed, the costs of a locksmith, new lock and replacement keys for the tenant, landlord any other persons requiring keys will be charged to the tenant. If extra costs are incurred this will be at a charge of £15 per hour (Inc. VAT) for the time taken replacing lost key(s) or other security device(s) .

Changing the Contract Fee

If the tenant requires a change in the contract, the charge will be £50.00 (inc VAT) per agreed variation. This cover the associated costs with taking landlord's instructions as well as the preparation and execution of new legal documents .

Change of Sharer Fee

The cost of changing/adding a tenant to the AST will be £50.00 (inc VAT) per tenant or any reasonable costs incurred if higher. This will cover the costs associated with taking landlord's instructions, new tenant referencing and Right-to-Rent checks, deposit registration as well as the preparation and execution of new legal documents. .

Early Termination Fee

Should the tenant wish to leave their contract early, they shall be liable for landlord's costs in re-letting the property as well as all the rent due under the Assured Shorthold Tenancy until the start date of the replacement tenancy. These costs will be no more than the maximum amount of rent outstanding on the tenancy .

For Tenancies entered into before the 01st of June 2019 there will be a renewal fee of £75.00 to renew your tenancy at the end of the contract period, so if you sign a 6 month tenancy and then wish to extend this for another 6 months, you will need to pay a fee to cover the administration – something to keep in mind, as a 12 month contract may be financially more suitable.

• You will be required to have a guarantor if your earnings are not considered high enough for you to be able to pay your rent comfortably. I.e. if you work part time or if you are a student or if you have bad credit history.
• A guarantor can be anyone based in the UK for more than 12 months, in full time employment or in receipt of a pension who is a homeowner.
• A guarantor “guarantees” to pay the rent if you fail to do so.

• This is worked on a standard scale of multiplying the rent by 30. For example: if your rent is £600.00 a month, you will need to earn £18,000 a year to cover the rent (600 x 30).

• Once all the references have been completed, a member of the Duffin’s team will contact you to arrange a time and date for you to sign the agreement and collect the keys to your new home.
• For private individuals where by the rent is less than £25,000 a year the agreement will be Assured Shorthold. If the rent is above the £25,000 threshold or the property is a corporate let then a contractual agreement will be used. The agreement must be signed by all parties prior to the commencement of the tenancy. Upon signing a month’s rent in advance must be paid along with a deposit (this is usually 4 weeks rent).

• All Landlords and Agents are required by law to register and protect your deposit within a government-approved scheme on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. This means that your security deposit is protected. Duffin’s Estate Agents opt to use the Deposit Protection Service. More information can be found on their website at www.depositprotection.com