A Tenants Guide

Renting a property has never been easier through Leapfrog.   This guide will take you step by step through the moving experience and help you find your new home as quickly as possible.

Why rent?

Renting has never been easier, with rising house prices and an sharp increase on mortgage lending interest rates, renting really is the best thing to do!   There is also plenty of choice, so why not use our search facility to view the available properties we have?

Affordability

It helps to review your finances to work out what deposit and monthly rental level you can afford prior to looking for a property.  On finding a suitable property, all tenants over the age of 21 years are required to be referenced and credit checked through our designated reference companies.   You will be required to pass an affordability check.  To determine this, please check that your annual salary is at least 30 times the monthly rent  (eg. a rent of £400 pcm would require a minimum salary of £12,000 annual salary).

Deposit and costs

Tenants Holding Deposit
In order to apply for any lettings property through Leapfrog you will have to pay a holding deposit. We will ask you to pay one week’s rent as a Holding Deposit in line with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (England only). This is to reserve a property.   Please Note: this will be withheld if any relevant person (including any guarantor(s) withdraw from the tenancy, fail a Right-to-Rent check, provide materially significant false or misleading information, or fail to sign their tenancy agreement (and/or Deed of Guarantee) within 15 calendar days (or other Deadline for Agreement as mutually agreed in writing).

On finding a suitable property, all tenants over the age of 21 years are required to be referenced and credit checked through our designated reference companies. Throughout the tenancy there are other costs that must be covered on top of the rent. These might include:

  • Utilities (gas, electricity, water and telephone).
  • Council Tax.
  • Television licence.
  • Installation of cable/satellite.
  • Insurance (for your personal and own contents).
  • Garden maintenance.
  • A tenant always pays a deposit/bond prior to moving in one of our rental properties.
  • If handled correctly, the deposit remains the property of the tenant until leaving the property and is secured using a mandatory government backed scheme.
  • At the end of the tenancy there may be costs applicable to cover cleaning of the property and dilapidations.

Advance Payment
An advanced payment of a month’s rent and the security deposit must be paid before the keys can be released. Your initial payment can only be made by banker’s draft or building society cheque.

Guarantors
If you are a student or unemployed you will need a guarantor. You may also require a guarantor should your income fall short of the required figure. To determine this, please check that your annual salary is at least 30 times the monthly rent  (eg. a rent of £400 pcm would require a minimum salary of £12,000 annual salary).  Every guarantor will need pass an affordability check of 40 times monthly minimum plus they will be required to complete an application form and be fully referenced before a tenancy can be considered.  The guarantor will also have to sign a deed of guarantee before the tenancy can proceed and must be :-

* Over 21, UK resident and in full time employment or have a pension fund which will be of significant value to cover the full rental amount
* Must not have any CCJ’s or bankruptcies registered against your name
* Salary/pension must be 40 times the monthly rental amount
* Being a homeowner does not qualify being a guarantor, this will not affect our decision logic
* Savings will only be taken into account if 12 months bank statements are provided showing amounts have been in the account for this period.
* 50% commissions/bonuses/overtime would need to be verified and confirmed by the employer to be taken into consideration
* We cannot accept any other additional income
* If you are self employed you must be able to provide 12 months accounts OR an SA302
* Provide photo ID (passport or driving license) and proof of residency (recent utility bill or bank/visa statement)

Renting with pets

Be transparent and flexible about your intention to rent with a pet and make sure you can provide your potential landlord with as much information as possible. This could be a pet biog or reference from a previous landlord. Once you have permission to rent with your pet, ensure that the terms are written into your contract to prevent future misunderstandings.

What you need to remember…

When you find a home that suits your needs we’ll ask you to complete a simple application form. Anyone who is over the age of 18 will be asked to fill out an application form. Please ensure that all sections of the form are completed, we will then process your references quickly and confidentially.

You then need to concentrate on the move itself, however we will make the transition smoother by getting in touch with utility providers to arrange your gas, electricity and water connection, along with the council tax.

You will also need to think about insuring your possessions.  Contents insurance is mandatory when renting a property through Leapfrog and we will  need to see sight of an in date policy.

Tenants’ rights

Most people who rent their home are in an assured shorthold tenancy (AST), but other agreements do exist which have different levels of rights.

Assured shorthold tenants

  • Restrictions – Please be aware that some landlords impose certain restrictions in respect of the following: pets, smokers, housing benefit and students.  Please refer to our office for further information on individual properties and if restrictions apply.
  • A tenancy will automatically be an assured shorthold tenancy, after 28 February 1997, provided the tenant is a private individual who pays rent (totalling less than £25,000 p.a.) to a landlord who does not live in the same building. The property needs to be the tenant’s main residence.
  • This will also be the same if they moved in after 15 January 1989 and were given a notice informing them they were assured shorthold tenants.
  • The law provides basic rights and other conditions may be added into the tenancy agreement to be signed by the tenant and landlord.
  • A tenant has the right to live in their home without being disturbed. The landlord and other people cannot enter freely when they wish and must seek permission to visit – typically at least 24 hours at a mutually convenient time.

Rent and repairs

  • You will also be asked to complete a direct debit/standing order mandate for the monthly rental payments. This will be payable each month in advance and will be collected on a set date as stated in the tenancy agreement. For joint or multiple tenancies, only one mandate can be accepted
  • An agreed rent must be paid on time or landlords may take court action to have tenants evicted.
  • Landlords are required by law to carry out repairs that keep the building in good condition, keep gas, electricity, heating and water equipment up to scratch and do other agreed work.
  • Landlords must by law do repairs to keep the building in good condition, keep gas, electricity, heating and water equipment up to scratch and do other agreed work.
  • Landlords must have a valid gas safety certificate for every gas appliance and EICR electrical certificate and furniture should be fire resistant.
  • Tenants are responsible for looking after their home, which includes keeping it clean, and simple tasks such as changing bulbs and fuses, also regular weekly testing of smoke/fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • If repairs need to be done, tenants should inform the landlord. If the landlord refuses to do them it may be possible to force them to.

Notice and Eviction

  • A tenancy runs until it is ended by a tenant, or a landlord, through agreed surrender of the property, a notice being served, or eviction carried out.
  • Tenants within a fixed-term can only end the tenancy during that time if their tenancy agreement says so. This will depend upon the agreed notice period.

Responsibilities

  • With rights come responsibilities and tenants must keep within the terms of their tenancy agreement, which may have specific clauses inserted.
  • General conditions mean rent should be paid, in full and on-time, bills sorted, good care taken of the property, tenants and visitors must behave responsibly, permission be granted for access when needed and requests be made for any repairs or extraordinary occurrences.
  • Tenants should also not leave their home empty beyond a certain period of time, usually a week or fortnight, without warning the landlord.
  • Tenants Content Insurance – The Landlord is not responsible for insuring any of your personal belongings. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you obtain adequate contents insurance and we would like to retain a copy on our file wherever possible.
  • Non-Managed Lets – Where Leapfrog Lettings and Sales is not responsible for the management of the tenancy, you will be given the Landlord’s contact details in case you need to report any maintenance problems.

Need help finding a new pad? Give us a call on 01287 653333

Leapfrog Lettings and Sales is a member of The Property Redress Scheme and Clint Money Protection Scheme operated by UKALA.

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