As a professional lettings service covering Marlow, Bourne End, Wooburn, Flackwell Heath, Cookham and surrounding areas, we are committed to providing our tenants with the best possible experience.
Here are some top tips for tenants:
Do your research - make sure you know what you're looking for before and what to expect before you start your search. You should know your timeframe for when you're looking to take occupancy. Also make sure you have your documentation ready, as you will need this when you want to secure a property.
- Passport as proof of identity for you and anyone over the age of 18 that will reside at the property. You will need the original when your agent does the relevant tenant reference checks, before signing contracts.
- Visa - if you're a foreign national
- Proof of address
Think about your budget - not only what you’ve planned for your rent, but all the general running costs, especially if it's your first time renting, or your upsizing. Register your interest once you have a clear outline of what you want and how much your budget is.
Your income or joint income should be at least 32 x the monthly rent.
Get organised - Register for properties with estate agents, once you've identified potential properties that meet your requirements, make a shortlist, and arrange viewings. It is advisable to do the viewings sooner rather than later, so you don’t miss out on your perfect property.
Check the details - Once you have chosen a particular property, be sure to ask questions about things like bills, council tax,etc to make sure there are no surprises later on. Also, make a note and ask what is included with the property, which makes up part of what the rent cost covers.
Make an offer - keep communication open if you like a property and want to make an offer.Make sure your offer includes any items that make part of the rental, i.e. furniture, appliances etc.
You don’t want to assume anything is included unless it’s explicitly detailed as part of your offer and later on in the contract.
Don't be afraid to discuss this early on, as you want to make sure you and the landlord are on the same page and the tenancy works for both parties.
Make it official - once everything is agreed upon, make sure all documentation is ready to present to your agent as you will need to complete a rental application form. The form is for all your information, and anyone over the age of 18. This is required by the agency for referencing, i.e:
- Current Address with proof of address dates in the last 3 months prior to commencement of the tenancy
- Employer details, and their contact information, for all the named tenants on the agreement responsible for the rent
- Salary slips
- Current landlord or agent
All referencing is done by an approved company we instruct.
Signing the contract - Once you’ve past referencing, once you're all good to go, you will sign your tenancy agreement via online sign documents.
Checking in - You will check in on the day you agreed as per your agreement. Ideally, you should be there with the inventory clerk at the property. They take a full detailed condition report and metre readings prior to you moving in, which you will receive a copy of once it’s completed. This will be used as a reference point for you at the end of tenancy on checkout to determine if the property has been left in an acceptable condition as per the tenancy agreement (AST).
You will also receive your keys.
When you rent through us, you'll get more than just a property to rent – you'll receive comprehensive support throughout your tenancy. From finding the right property for your needs to signing the rental agreement and everything in between – we're here to help every step of the way.