We know that many people have had a bad experience renting. Here at George Edwards we do what we can to make that experience as easy and smooth as possible. The flowing guide is designed to help you through renting with George Edwards.
Although it is never too early to start looking, we would recommend waiting until six to eight weeks prior to when you want to move in, unless you are looking for student accommodation. The rental market is fast moving, and you are unlikely to be able to secure a property before this.
Once you have found a suitable property you will need to fill out our registration of interest form, a copy of which can be found here (Link to registration of interest form – Still to come). On the form there will be several questions:
Once you have been accepted for a property you will be asked for a holding deposit which will be equal to one weeks rent. Only once the holding deposit has been paid will the property stop being advertised. We will then check that the information we have been provided is accurate. This includes running checks against your income, previous landlords and your credit file. George Edwards will do what we can during this process, but it is your responsibility to make sure that you supply the information requested in a timely manner. In England, we will also establish your right to rent within the UK at this time.
Once you have passed references, we will go through the legal process of signing the tenancy. It is at this point you will be supplied with all of the appropriate documentation and will be asked to supply the remaining four weeks deposit. This will take your deposit up to five weeks which will be secured in an appropriate deposit protection scheme.
The moment you have been waiting for – moving in day! A representative from George Edwards will arrange to meet you at the property. They will give you keys as well as run through the property and the inventory. The inventory is a record of the condition of the property at the time you moved in. This is for the benefit of both yourself and the landlord and will be used to determine any disputes at the time your tenancy ends so it is important you agree with the report.
To reserve a property, a deposit is required of one week’s rent. This will be withheld if you withdraw from the tenancy, fail a Right-to-Rent check, provide false or misleading information, or fail to sign your tenancy agreement within 14 calendar days.
This covers damages or defaults on the part of the tenant during the tenancy.
Interest will be charged at 3% above the Bank of England base rate from the rent due date until paid, in order to pursue non-payment of rent. Please note this will not be levied until the rent is more than 14 days in arrears.
Tenants are liable for the cost of replacing any keys or security devices. The cost of a new key will be £15 per hour of staff time plus 45p per mile if George Edwards have to travel to you, along with the cost of cutting a new key. If the loss results in locks needing to be changed, the actual costs of a locksmith, new lock and replacement keys for the tenant, landlord any other persons requiring keys will be charged to the tenant along with staff time at the above rate
If you need to change the names of your tenancy agreement, a standard charge of £50 will apply for the first change, along with an additional £25 per person to cover referencing and associated costs.
| Chargeable Costs to Tenants | Amount |
| Holding Deposit | One weeks rent |
| Security Deposit for rent under £50,000 pa | Five weeks rent |
| Late or unpaid payment | 3% above bank of England base rate applied after 14 days |
| Change of Sharer per person | £50 + £25 for additional changes |
| Keys / Security devices | From £15 per hour + mileage and key cost |
Due to the excellent sales particulars produced by Paul and the advice he provided we were in a position to accept an offer after the house had been on the market for only four days.
Rob
Paul Halliday really knows and understands the local market and is a pleasure to deal with from the initial market appraisal to the full marketing. He has been absolutely first rate at communicating and answering all...
Stephen
Selling a home can be emotionally trying but Paul Halliday did everything possible to relieve us of that and accommodate our sticking points and specifics. We have bought and sold many times on different continents...
Robert
