TenantsGuide

Our Tenants Deserve the Best!

We understand that moving can be very stressful... Our services are tailor-made for you.

• Wide range of clean and decent properties...
• Polite, helpful and professional staff...
• We have the resources to fast-track your tenancy set up where practical to suit your individual needs.
•  Get the latest matching properties details from our free email and text message alert services - before they are advertised in the local papers.
• Change your search criteria any time you want online with the full knowledge that you will only get sent information on the properties you actually want.
• Careful documentation and confirmation of your requirements to ensure we only offer you what you want.

 

Tenants' Frequently Asked Questions

What money do I need to find at the beginning?

Most agents will charge an administration fee for taking up your references, inventories and the preparation of the tenancy agreement. This fee is usually non-refundable if you pull out of the transaction, excessively delay matters or if your references fail. Ask your agent how much they charge, as this differs from agent to agent.

You will also need to pay a month’s rent in advance and a deposit which is normally the same value as the rent but could be as high as two month’s rent – especially if you have pets!
You get the deposit back at the end of the tenancy as long as there are no damages or monies outstanding on your account.

What information will I need to supply?

In order to complete your reference checks, the following will normally be required.

Proof of your identity -
passport or driver’s licence photo-card

Proof of your current address -
driver’s licence, a recent utility bill or a letter from your company.

Payslips -
most recent 3 months or your new employment contract if you have just started.
Students will normally require a proof of studentship and UK based working guarantor that earns enough – ask your letting agent for details.

What are my responsibilities?

These should be clearly set out in your tenancy agreement, which you should read carefully before you sign. If in doubt, ask the agent. There is a duty for professional agents to ensure that anyone relying on them is offered correct advice.

What is a tenancy agreement?

It is a legally binding document between you and the landlord, applicable only to you and the property you are renting that states the amount of rent, the length of the tenancy, your rights and responsibilities. Your agreement will most probably be an Assured Shorthold tenancy under the Housing Act 1988. For bona fide companies and/or rental values over £25000 a year, the agreement will be drawn up under contract law.

How long does it all take?

Ohmes expect to take no longer than five working days to take up and confirm references, clear your payment of the first rent period and the deposit, arrange for inventories and the transfer of utility accounts into your name. No professional agent should allow you possession before all this has been done.

How long is a typical let?

Most agents require it to be a minimum of six months and rarely write a tenancy agreement for longer than 12 months at the beginning. However...

What happens if I want to stay on or leave early?

Tenancies are frequently renewed and agents often agree the terms for renewal at the beginning and include them in the tenancy agreement. If you’re likely to leave before the end of the original term agreed, you must negotiate break clauses to be written into the agreement. If not, you will remain responsible for the rent until the end of the term agreed, unless a new and satisfactory tenant can be found - usually at your expense.

What else do I have to pay for?

The tenant usually pays the utility bills such as gas, electricity, water, TV. Licence, the Council Tax and your land telephone line during the tenancy as applicable to the property.
Ask your agent for what applies, as some properties come with some or all the bills inclusive in the rent!

What must I do at the end of a tenancy?

Ensure you fulfil your obligations stated in the tenancy agreement to leave the property in the condition it was in at the start, or deductions will be made from your deposit. These will include thorough cleaning and all linen, used or not, freshly laundered. If you have moved furniture, return it to where you found it at the time of the inventory.

How do I get my deposit back?

After an inventory check and condition inspection, provided there are no missing items or damage, your deposit should be returned shortly after you leave the property. You should not set your deposit against the last rent payment due.

Who holds my deposit?

From the 6th of April 2007, it became a legal requirement for a tenant’s deposit to be protected via one of the three government approved schemes, if it is an assured short-hold (Housing Act) tenancy. Your letting agent or landlord must inform you in writing within 14 days of making the deposit payment, of how your deposit will be protected. Ohmes in this respect, do not hold tenants’ deposits. Deposits are passed on to The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), the ONLY government-approved custodial scheme. This provides added peace of mind for tenants that take a property through Ohmes.

What is a holding deposit? Do I get it back?

Some agents will also charge a Holding Deposits - usually a nominal amount - when you make an offer on a property. If, for any reason, you decide not to go ahead by an agreed date, the holding deposit or part of it will be retained against administrative costs already incurred.

Otherwise it will be off-set against the first rent and full deposit payments. If the landlord decides not to proceed then the holding deposit will be returned. Paying a holding deposit in no way legally obliges either party to enter into the tenancy.

Ohmes do not currently charge a holding deposit.