Guide to Renting Property

We request the below information from any person that will be living in the property over the age of 18, plus basic information on anyone under 18 that will also be living there. This includes children who will be staying on a regular but part time basis.

We have to check you are who you say you are and you have the right to rent in the UK. We usually do this via a UK passport or other approved ID combinations as per the governments Right to Rent list. We will require this as part of your referencing and prior to signing a Tenancy Agreement. If you are unable to produce this documentation please discuss this with us prior to any payment, or viewing.

We love pets as much as you do, but you MUST inform us if you have any pets and what they are, including breed. The more information the better. Photos/references all help. This includes pets that are kept in cages/tanks or any that visit regularly.

We will ask you for information on your income and credit history and this will be checked once your application has been accepted.

You will need to show that you have a household income of at least 30 times the monthly rent i.e. £1000pcm rent = £30,000 per annum gross. If your basic guaranteed income is below this please discuss this with us prior to applying. If you get paid hourly or weekly and your hours vary, we look at the averages so providing us with 6 months of payslips is helpful.

We take into account all provable income (e.g. salary from work, pensions, private pensions, child benefit and other benefits from DWP including Universal Credit). There are different rules for commission and zero hour contracts and how this is counted.

If you are self employed talk to us about the income information we need. Most people advise us of their turnover, but the amount used for proving how much you earn is your profit. Providing us with the wrong information is considered providing false or misleading information. If you are a Director of your own business, for this purpose you are still considered self-employed so we have different processes for verifying your income.

We strongly recommend you carry out a free credit check on yourself prior to applying as County Court Judgements (CCJ’s) on your credit record is one of the main reasons for failing an application to rent. Even if you are not aware of them, if they come up on a search and you haven’t previously declared, then it is considered that you have provided false or misleading information.

We also need to know about any bankruptcies or insolvencies including debt repayment orders as these also affect your credit.

In some cases guarantors will be required. This is on a case by case basis. A guarantor will be required to live in the UK and have a verifiable income of 36 times the monthly rent. i.e. rent £1,000 pcm. Guarantors income will need to be at least £36,000 per annum gross.

The same rules apply to self employed guarantors as they do to tenants in terms of what can be used. A guarantor must have a completely clear credit history. We will usually know if you need to provide a guarantor prior to taking a holding deposit. You must discuss the requirements with the guarantor and they are welcome to ask us questions directly. It is important for them to know that they will be responsible for all the same obligations as the tenant for the entire time you are the tenant at the property. A Guarantor will only be removed from the tenancy by agreement with the landlord.

We will also ask you when you want to move in, and how long a tenancy you require. All of this will then be discussed with the landlord and if there are any queries we will always come back to you.

If you have any special conditions or requests i.e. supplying a fridge freezer, or curtains, this must be made prior to making a holding deposit payment as this then becomes binding on both parties. We cannot guarantee any later requests will be agreed to.

Any changes you request to the term of the tenancy (start date/rent due date/pets/permitted occupier) after the drafting of the Tenancy Agreement will incur a fee as permitted in the Tenant Fee Act 2019.

You will have 15 days (or less if your start date is sooner) from the point of emailing you your holding deposit invoice, to complete all your referencing requirements AND sign the tenancy agreement. If you do not, we withhold the right to retain your holding deposit in accordance with the Tenant Fee Act 2019.

In the majority of cases this timeframe is more than enough to complete all requirements. If further time is needed this will be reviewed on a case by case basis and in discussion with the landlord.

You will be provided with your deadline date in your documentation prior to making any payment.

This information is given for guidance only and further information may be requested.

It is important that you complete this information accurately, honestly and in full.

If you are unsure of anything please talk to us prior to making any payment.

Once your application is accepted we will ask you to pay a holding deposit and if we find you have provided any false or misleading information, we have the right to withhold your holding deposit in accordance with the Tenant Fee Act 2019.

We provide you with this information in accordance with our founding principles of being CLEAR, HONEST AND TRANSPARENT - We ONLY want to take a payment and put a property on hold for someone that we truly believe will be able to proceed with moving in.

This must be done within the 15 day deadline (or other deadline for agreement that has been agreed). Tenancy Agreements are signed digitally and the tenancy is not able to commence until all parties to it have signed and it has been executed.

You will be required to pay a security deposit on the property which will be registered with one of the government backed schemes. More information on the terms of the deposit and what it can be used for will be found in your Tenancy Agreement. A draft of your Tenancy Agreement will be provided to you at the time you are requested to pay your holding deposit.

Security Deposit for rent under £50,000 per year - equal to five weeks' rent

Security Deposit for rent of £50,000 or over per year - equal to six weeks' rent

Instead of paying a cash Security Deposit, The landlord may have offered a Nil Deposit option on the property.

This is a good option for those needing to free up cash to move, particularly if you are already renting and have a large sum tied up in a cash deposit.

Opting for Nil Deposit reduces your moving costs as you simply pay the equivalent of 1 weeks rent plus VAT to our partner supplier.

This is non-refundable at the end of the tenancy and you must be aware that you are still responsible for any end of tenancy costs such as cleaning, damage or unpaid rent. More information can be provided upon request.

If you have opted for this then proof you have taken this out and all conditions met must be provided to the Agent prior to the commencement of the tenancy.

Now your tenancy agreement is all signed off, we will send you an invoice confirming how much is left to pay prior to you moving into your new home. Typically this will be the security deposit plus the first months rent, less the holding deposit that you have already paid.

Any funds that are now due to be paid MUST be received by Franklin Residential in cleared funds by bank transfer at least 2 working days prior to the commencement of the tenancy. Your Nil Deposit documentation must be received by Franklin Residential at least 2 working days before the commencement of the tenancy. Any delay to receiving these funds may cause a delay to your ability to move into your new home, so please plan to have these funds available when you are deciding on the date you want to move in.

Now everything is signed and sealed, it's a good time to start organising your move and booking things in especially your broadband and sky as these services can take time to get connected.

We also recommend you look into tenants liability and contents insurance to protect your goods and your deposit.

We work with a fantastic local independent inventory provider who will meet you at the property to hand over keys, record the meter readings and take you through the inventory to check you in. Once all your referencing is confirmed and the tenancy agreement is signed, they will contact you directly to arrange a mutually convenient time on the first day of your tenancy.

Please be aware, we are not able to release keys or allow access for storage to the property prior to the first day of the tenancy.

Moving day is pretty stressful, and we hope it goes well. We will have prepared and checked the property as best we can, but if there are any items you need to discuss with us, it can be best to wait a couple of days to get settled and then let us know so we can discuss with your landlord. Your inventory clerk will send over the check in report and inventory for you to sign off, and we will notify the local council and current utility suppliers that you have moved in with the gas, electricity and water meter readings. Look out for letters from them so you can complete setting up your accounts. Whilst we do our best to help, ultimately, you as the tenant are responsible for setting up your accounts with the utility companies, and closing them when you leave.

If anything stops working then if your home is being managed by Franklin Residential do please let us know via our online reporting tool. This is the best way to ensure your maintenance issues are logged and dealt with. For anything urgent, please call the office.

It is your responsibility to set up a standing order to pay your rent each month on the rent due date. We cannot do this for you, or make any changes to your standing order.

A Standing Order, is an instruction YOU give to YOUR bank to pay someone a fixed amount on a fixed date each month. We have no control over this. It is the easiest way to ensure your rent arrives with us on time each month.

If you do not have funds in your account when the payment is attempted, we do not have any control over whether an attempt to make the payment is made or not.

We do not accept payment of rent by cash, credit or debit card. Payment must be made via bank transfer.

If you think you are going to have a problem with paying your rent the most important thing is for you to talk to us and keep the lines of communication open.

If we are managing your property routine maintenance should be reported to us via our reporting app to ensure issues are logged and dealt with.

We will also carry out regular property visits which are usually after 3 months and then every 6 months. These visits are important for us to check on the condition of the property and perhaps spot things that you may have missed that require attention. They will be a requirement of your landlords insurance policies but we do try to keep the intrusion to a minimum. We will arrange these visits in advance with you. In accordance with our principles of being transparent, we provide both the landlord and YOU a copy of our report.

Please be aware that routine maintenance will be needed to attend to in order to comply with legal requirements during your tenancy and you are obligated to provide access. Appropriate notice and arrangements for this will be made with you.

For all access requirements you will either need to be available to provide access just like a homeowner, or allow entrance with keys. We do not accompany contractors to properties.

We all like to make ourselves at home so it's only natural to want to put some pictures up and make it yours.

Our Tenancy Agreements all state that permission must be sought before making any alterations to the property. In most cases, 1 or 2 small picture hooks per room are allowed, but you need to be prepared to remove these and make good at the end of the tenancy so you leave the property how you found it. A safer option can be to use the damage free removable strips to hang items on walls. Do be aware, that these are not guaranteed, so any damage caused you are still responsible for.

Anything that requires drilling – hanging heavy pictures, mirrors, tv brackets, shelves, MUST have the landlords consent sought prior to making any changes. Drilling into walls can affect the structure and stability of certain walls, and you also need to be careful of any wires or pipes that may get damaged.

Lots of us like colour in our homes, but before you put paint brush to paint pot please talk to us. Some landlords have strict criteria regarding painting and you may find yourself liable for additional costs at the end of your tenancy.

The landlord is not obligated to consent to these changes but we will discuss on a case by case basis.

Now you're settled in you may have decided you want to get a pet. Before making any commitments please discuss this with us so we can approach your landlord. There may be valid reasons why a pet will not be permitted in the property but we promise to discuss it on a case by case basis.

If consent is given, this will incur a change to the Tenancy Agreement to record the consent and any conditions including cleaning to an appropriate standard at the end of the tenancy.

If you moved in with a dog originally and now you want to get another one, we also need to discuss this with the landlord. It's a common misconception that just because you have been allowed one, you can add to it. Not all properties are suitable to multiple pets.

Around 3 months before the end of your fixed term tenancy we will approach your landlord to confirm if they are able to continue letting the property to you and any terms they may wish to change including the rent. We will then approach you to find out your plans. Once terms are agreed we will draw up a new tenancy agreement for signing by all parties.

We know that changes happen in life and if you need to remove someone from the tenancy agreement please discuss this with us. All changes are subject to landlord approval and affordability of the remaining tenant(s). A fee may also be payable.

You may have been required to have a Guarantor at the start of the tenancy and usually this will continue for the lifetime of your tenancy in the property. Should yours or your Guarantors circumstances change please discuss this with us.

You may be lucky enough to be taking an extended holiday, or be working away from home for a long period of time. It’s really important that if that happens you let us know. Both yours, and your landlords insurance may be invalidated if the property is left unoccupied for an extended period of time and we may need to ensure that regular checks are carried out. A 2-3 week break is fine, but anything longer please check with us so we can check the terms of the landlords insurance.

It's time for you to move on – all good things must come to an end. We'll be sorry to see you go but all we ask is you comply with your Tenancy Agreement notice periods. Usually this is 2 calendar months notice. The landlord is under no obligation to accept a shorter notice period and you may be liable for the full rent for the whole notice period should you leave earlier.