Tenants - Estate Agents Surveyors & Valuers in Hertfordshire, Trend & Thomas

INFORMATION FOR TENANTS

At Trend & Thomas, we let and manage an enormous variety of furnished and unfurnished properties throughout Rickmansworth, Croxley Green, Chorleywood and the wider Hertfordshire County. As members of NALS, the Property Ombudsman and the Tenancy Dispute Service we are one of the most reputable Agents in the area and all Tenancy deposits are held in a designated Clients Account and fully protected as required by the above Associations.

WHAT TO DO NEXT WHEN LOOKING FOR A PROPERTY TO RENT

REGISTRATION
Your first step in looking for a property to Let, is to register your Lettings requirements with us. Our website is updated several times a day with the current rental properties we have available, simply click here to see our latest list and click here to register and ensure we have your details so we can contact you with details of new properties to suit your specified requirements, as soon as they become available.

We would be delighted to discuss your requirements with you in more detail, so feel free to pop into the office or phone us to discuss your exact requirements for rental properties on 01923 713 680.

Please keep in mind that a range of rigorous checks on all prospective tenants will be carried out and we will require a minimum of six weeks rent as a Tenancy deposit plus one month’s rent paid in advance prior to you taking possession of the property. Should you be uncertain as to any aspect of the process please feel free to contact us to discuss things further.

VIEWINGS
Our friendly team are available to arrange those all important viewings of your selected properties during our offices hours of Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturdays from 9am to 4pm and Sundays by appointment. Please contact us to arrange a mutually convenient time on 01923 713 680.

YOUR OFFER & HOLDING DEPOSIT
Once we have found you your suitable property we will contact the Landlord to inform them of your interest in their property. Please note that any offer you make would be subject to you fulfilling our reference criteria. At this point, you will be required to provide a Holding Deposit. This Holding Deposit is equal to two weeks of the property's rent and will secure the property for you until referencing can be completed. However, if the Tenancy Agreement is not signed by you (the Tenant) within 7 to 14 working days after receipt of your application, the Landlord reserves the right to re-offer the property to the market. In these circumstances the Holding Deposit would be non-refundable.

AGREEING THE LET
As soon as the Landlord has agreed the terms, we will get you to complete the referencing forms and necessary paperwork. Once these have been successfully received by us we will then draw up the relevant documentation which will form the basis of the agreement between you and the Landlord.

The paperwork you will need to provide is:

Identification/Proof of Identity - All tenants must show proof of address and the following forms of identification are accepted - A Utility Bill (less than 3 months old, a full driving license or Passport, Council Tax Bill (less than 3 months old)
References - We will need to contact your employer and your landlord (if you are in rented accommodation already). Your previous employer will also be contacted if you have recently changed jobs. If you are self employed we will need to contact your accountant. A credit check will also be conducted. To assist us in collating the necessary references, it would be advantageous for you to let the above individuals know in advance that they may be contacted by our Referencing company so as to speed up the process and avoid any delays.
Occasionally, a Guarantor will be required if, for example the tenant has not been continuously employed for the past 18 months; has been working abroad in the previous 6 months; the tenants’ income falls short of our criteria or the tenants’ employment is considered as changeable. Please note that the same criteria applies to the guarantor and, furthermore, the guarantor must earn the equivalent of 3 times the yearly sum of the rent, be in full time employment or be able to prove by bank statements that they have “independent means”. The guarantor must be aware that they will stand as guarantor for you, (and your partner if you are moving in to the property with some one else), for the entire occupancy of the property, not just for the period of the initial tenancy term.

TENANCY AGREEMENT
An appointment will be arranged with you to visit our offices to sign the Tenancy Agreement and make payment for any remaining funds, when all references have been received. The Tenancy Agreement will then be signed by the Landlord and a copy returned to you at our earliest convenience.

RENT AND DEPOSIT
Before you will be able to collect the keys for your new rental property you will need to have paid the 6 week Tenancy Deposit and the first month's rent in advance. Please note that these funds will need to be cleared prior to your taking possession of the property and there is no flexibility for this unfortunately. It may be worth noting that the easiest ways to complete this payment are either via Internet Banking made at least 4 days prior to the tenancy start date; a cheque payment made at least 4 working days prior to the tenancy start date; cash; or a bankers draft on the day.

The 6 week deposit is required for the full tenancy against loss, damage or charges payable at the termination of the tenancy. The deposit will be held by Trend & Thomas in a designated Clients’ Account and is fully protected. It is returnable in full at the end of the tenancy, subject to a final inspection of the property and it should be noted that deductions will also be made for cleaning should the property (and garden areas) not have been left in a satisfactory condition.

Rent is to be paid monthly in advance, commencing on the first day of the tenancy and then on the same day each month thereafter. The recommended method is by bank standing order and we will give you the details to set this up with your bank.

ARRANGEMENT & TENANCY AGREEMENT FEE
We charge an arrangement fee to cover the referencing and drawing up of the Tenancy Agreement which is non-refundable. A Letting renewal fee is charged to the tenant for renewal of all fixed term tenancies after the initial agreement has run its course (usually after 12 months).

CHECK IN AND INVENTORY
If we have been instructed by the Landlord, an Inventory will be prepared for your new home and a convenient appointment will be made with the Inventory Clerk to carry out a Check In of the property, to coincide with your move in day.

PROPERTY VISITS
On an annual or bi-annual basis Trend & Thomas will contact you to arrange a property visit to your home. This is a responsibility of our duty to your Landlord and will simply involved a 30 minute visit to your property to ascertain the condition and ensure all safety and legal obligations are being met.

CHECK OUT OF THE PROPERTY AT THE END OF THE TENANCY
The Check Out of the property at the end of the tenancy will be charged to the Tenant and will provide a thorough report of the condition of the property for the benefit of yourself as the Tenant.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR PROPERTY ALERTS OF OUR LATEST RENTAL PROPERTIES!

A FEW HELPFUL ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR TENANTS

The Tenant is responsible for insuring their own possessions and we can assist you with specific Insurance companies which handle Tenancy Insurance so please feel free to ask.
The Tenant will take over all utilities such as Gas, Electricity, Water, Council Tax & Telephone, upon moving into the property and will be responsible for contacting the relevant suppliers accordingly, prior to commencement of the tenancy.
The Landlord is responsible for any repair/maintenance problems but the Tenant is responsible for any damages or breakages which should be reported immediately.
Decoration of the property must only be done with your Landlord’s permission.
No pets are allowed unless the Landlord has given consent.
Trend & Thomas will deal with the property viewings, references, agreements and getting you moved in. If we have also been instructed to manage the property then you will normally report any repairs or queries to us directly but if not, then you will deal directly with the Landlord.
Trend & Thomas, whilst acting for the Landlord, operates within accepted guidelines in the industry to ensure that you are able to rely on a professional letting agent taking your concerns seriously and advising the Landlord if they are being unreasonable. In this regard, you should be assured that the property conforms to all necessary regulations.