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Frequently
Asked Questions
Q) What is the minimum and Maximum Tenancy agreement?
Its 3 months minimum and 5 years maximum.
Q) What if I decide to leave before 3 months?
You will loose deposit unless agreed by the company in writing.
Q) What if I want to live for over 5 years?
We will review your past history and will extend accordingly.
Q) Can I keep pets?
No
Q) Can I smoke in the property?
No
Q) Can I pay the rent by credit or debit card?
Yes (See payment terms and conditions for charges)
Q) What if rent is late?
You will be fined £20 per week and if it exceeds 3 weeks, you will be served
court order.
Q) How do I pay my rent?
Rent payments are normally made by standing order. When you sign your tenancy
agreement we will ask you to sign a standing order mandate from your bank.
Q) What about visitors and guests?
All individuals named on the tenancy agreement have the right to live and
"peacefully enjoy" the property. Common sense dictates that tenants may have
occasional friends and family stay over. Nevertheless only those mentioned on
the agreement have the right to reside there. In the unlikely event that a
tenant has more people staying at the property than provided for in the tenancy
agreement the landlord would have good grounds for claiming an amount for wear
beyond "fair wear and tear" at the end of the term. Under no circumstances can a
tenant take in paid guests or lodgers.
Q) Can two
people share one room?
Yes. Two people can share a
room, but there will be an extra charge of £25 pounds per month.
Q) What are the regulations relating to furniture fire
safety?
In short, it is our responsibility to ensure that foam filled furniture supplied
in a rental property meets current fire safety legislation. All foam filled
furniture MUST carry a fire safety label. In practise, furniture manufactured by
a reputable firm after 1988 will comply with these regulations.
Q) What is a CORGI certificate / CORGI inspection?
All gas appliances in rented property must be inspected annually by a CORGI
registered contractor to ensure compliance with statutory regulations concerning
safety, especially with regard to carbon monoxide emissions (CO). Landlords or
their managing agents must arrange an annual inspection and supply the tenant an
up to date GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATE on demand.
Q) What is a Deposit?
On signing the tenancy agreement as well as paying the first rent instalment in
advance, the tenant will pay a deposit (bond) which is held by the company in a
separate client account and is repayable to the tenant at the end of the
tenancy, less any deductions due under the tenancy agreement (see also What is
an inventory?). We guarntee to return the deposit in 14 days.
Q) What is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement?
This is the usual form of Tenancy Agreement between an individual Tenant or
Tenants and a Landlord and can apply to most lets where the annual rent is less
than £25,000 and the let is for a minimum of six months or less by mutual
agreement. Under such an Agreement the Landlord cannot terminate the Agreement
before the minimum six month term has expired (other than by mutual agreement)
and must then give the Tenant no less than two months formal notice of his
desire to terminate the Agreement, unless of course, there has been some
material breach of the Agreement by the Tenant. Usually the Tenancy Agreement
will be for a term of one year less one day and at the outset both parties will
agree when and under what circumstances the Agreement can be terminated during
that Term.
Q) What is fair wear and tear?
By definition a subjective concept. Simply put, fair wear and tear is the amount
of damage or dilapidation that a reasonable person would expect to see in a
property being used in a "tenant like manner" by the tenant(s) named on the
tenancy agreement at the end of the tenancy. If the landlord has let to a single
non smoker "fair wear and tear" will inevitably be less than where the property
had been let to, for example, three people, all of whom were smokers. Because
fair wear and tear is sometimes contentious we always recommend the services of
AN INDEPENDENT INVENTORY COMPANY.
Q) Can I be assured of a parking space at my property?
No, we strongly advise that you enquire directly to the relevant parking office
about the exact documents required to process the permit application. Be
prepared in most cases to have to produce your tenancy agreement, properly
signed and dated (often an original is required), a recent utility account or
bank statement addressed to you at the property for which you are claiming a
permit, together with your vehicle licensing documents. Whilst the above may
sound onerous, the shortage of parking in the town has meant local parking
offices receive numerous fraudulent applications. It is worth remembering that
the local authority parking office issues more permits than there are parking
spaces. Overnight spaces and spaces close to popular locations are the hardest
to come by. Bear this in mind when deciding whether to use your car to go out in
the evening.
If a garage or off street space is a "must have" for you, AREL has a
large number of properties available either with or within reasonable distance
of suitable parking. If you have a particularly valuable car, you may find that
your insurance company may limit cover if it is kept on the street, likewise
some of the costs of renting a garage might be offset by reduced insurance
premiums.
* Tip: Never leave anything, particularly coats, bags and mobile phones in your
car even if you are only away from the vehicle for a minute or two. As in any
major city, opportunist thieves exist, thankfully in smaller numbers than in
many other capitals, but all the same, removing temptation from them is key.
Q) Who cleans the windows? Who sweeps the chimney?
In most conversions (see What is a conversion?) the tenant is responsible for
arranging window cleaning , inside and out, usually every six weeks. In larger
purpose built blocks the building's managing agents will normally arrange
exterior cleaning. Something of an anachronism now, it is still the tenant's
responsibility to arrange the sweeping of chimneys.
Q) Who looks after the garden?
Where a garden exists that is demised to the property, normally the
tenant will be responsible for maintaining the garden, lawn and plants. This
also applies to pot plants and hanging baskets. Where a "high maintenance"
garden exists we strongly recommend that tenants take advice from the landlord
on maintaining the garden, or retain a part time gardener. Some landlords will
have a part time gardener already who would normally be kept on. Where the
property is an "owner's home" a separate, pragmatic, arrangement is often made
between landlord and tenant with regard to who takes care of garden maintenance
and access for this purpose. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT AREL ARE MADE AWARE
OF ANY ARRANGEMENTS SO THAT THE TENANCY AGREEMENT CAN BE AMENDED ACCORDINGLY.
Q) Who pays for contents insurance?
Each Tenant is responsible for insuring their own possessions.
Q) Who pays for the utilities (gas, electricity, water,
Council Tax, telephone, cable TV etc)?
Tenants
Q) Who pays the building service charge and building
insurance?
Our company
Q) What is Council Tax?
Council Tax is a tax levied by the local authority. It is payable by the person
permanently resident at the property. The amount of tax due is calculated on a
sliding scale that reflects the property's value. The Council Tax Bands run
alphabetically from A to H, with H being the highest.
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