Buckingham

General Information for Tenants

Before you choose a property you must ensure that you will be able to afford the monthly rental and outgoings. There is a simple calculation which you can apply:

Times the monthly rent by 30. If your annual salary exceeds this amount, you should pass the first stage of the referencing procedure. (i.e. if the property you have chosen has a monthly rental of £500.00 pcm, you will need to earn an annual salary of £15,000 or more). If you are a couple and you both work, your joint income will be taken into consideration.

Tenants must also be able to provide one year continuous employment history.

Proof of Identity:

When submitting your reference forms, you will also need to provide the following proof of ID:

  1. Copy of your driving licence or passport and
  2. Copy of a utility bill or mobile phone bill showing your current address

Joint Tenancies:

If more than one tenant is covered by the Tenancy Agreement, all tenants must nominate a Head Tenant to act on their behalf concerning all matters of the tenancy, the protection and release of the deposit and any dispute that may arise at the end of the tenancy.

Self-Employed applicants:

If you are self-employed you will need to provide 3 years audited accounts or the contact details of your accountant so that this information can be requested. If you are unable to provide this information your application will not be able to be considered.

Guarantors:

If you fail to pass the referencing it may still be possible for your application to be considered if you can provide a suitable Guarantor but this will be decided by the referencing agency.

If you need to provide a Guarantor, he/she must be a UK property owner and be resident in the UK. He/she will also need to complete a Guarantor reference form and an extra nominal fee may be applicable. A Guarantor must be able to cover the rental costs as well as their own bills and outgoings so the following calculation should be applied to give you an idea of how much the Guarantor needs to earn per annum to qualify:

Times the monthly rent by 3, then times by 12. If the annual salary exceeds this amount, the Guarantor will pass the first stage of the referencing procedure. (i.e. if the property you have chosen has a monthly rental of £500.00 pcm, your Guarantor will need to earn an annual salary of £18,000 or more).

One of each of the following means of ID must also be provided by your Guarantor to support the application:

  1. Copy of your driving licence or passport and
  2. Copy of a utility bill or mobile phone bill showing your current address

When a Guarantor has passed the reference procedure, they will be sent a copy of the tenancy agreement (which you will sign to start the tenancy) so that they understand the implications of being your Guarantor. They will also be sent a Guarantor Agreement to sign and return. We must have this documentation in place before a tenancy can proceed.

If a Guarantor is required, please allow extra time before you will be able to move into the property.

Contents Insurance:

The tenant is responsible for ensuring that there is adequate contents insurance in place during the tenancy. We will need to see a copy of your policy prior to you moving into a property. The Landlord is responsible for the Buildings Insurance.

Utilities:

Unless otherwise stated, the monthly rent is exclusive of all bills. Relevant meters will be read on the day you move into the property and the local authorities will be notified.

Pets

Pets will only be allowed at the absolute discretion of the landlord. If pets are to be allowed, at the end of tenancy the tenant must agree to have all the carpets in the property professionally cleaned, fumigated and deodorised with a copy of the relevant invoice provided to the agent.

Inventory & Schedule of Condition:

The cost of making the inventory and check-in is borne by the landlord. The tenant is resonsible to pay a check-out charge at the end of the tenancy, which will be deducted from their deposit.

Damages deposit & first month’s rent:

The first month’s rent and deposit must be paid in cleared effects prior to collecting the keys to any property. The deposit required in each case will be one and a half times one month’s rent (i.e. on a rental figure of £500 pcm the deposit required will be £750). These amounts must be paid by either bankers’ draft or building society cheque (made payable to ella Residential Lettings). If you pay by personal cheque you will need to allow at least 5 working days for this to clear before collecting the keys to your property. You will not be able to move into your property until the funds are cleared.

Ella Residential Lettings belong to The Deposit Protection Scheme (The DPS) accredited by the Government:
The Deposit Protection Service
The Pavilions
Bridgewater Road
Bristol
BS99 6AA

Tel 0870 703 0300 www.depositprotection.com

Subsequent rental payments:

Subsequent rental payments become due on the following month after you move into the property, i.e. if you move into the property on 12th January, your next rental payment becomes due on 12th February. Rent must be paid by standing order into our client bank account. Details will be given to you at the appropriate time.

Keys (Managed properties only)

If you require us to meet you at the property with a spare set of keys during office hours for whatever reason, a charge of £10.00 will be made.

Tenants deposit scheme

Information on the Tenants deposit scheme can be found by clicking on this link: Tenants deposit scheme

Registered Office: Ella Homes, Bourton Business Centre, Bourton Road, Buckingham, MK18 7DS | Company No: 04579426 | VAT No: 807845017