Tenancy Information
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to your new home. Please see a few helpful tips to make your tenancy run as smoothly as possible.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO FIRST
Inventory
Please ensure you thoroughly read through the inventory once you move in. If there are any comments you would like to make, please send these through as soon as possible.
Payments
You should have been made aware of your rent schedule, including the total amount, and due date. If you are unsure, please refer to your Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) for details.
Utility Bills
You will need to set up an account for the utilities from the first day of your tenancy. These utility bills include gas (if applicable), electricity, water and Council Tax. To find out who your current utility providers at the property are you can go to the following link: www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-supplies-my-electricity-and-gas/
Security
It is your responsibility to keep your keys safe and for these to be returned at the end of your tenancy. Any lost keys must be reported immediately, and any costs incurred to change locks/have new keys cut must be paid by you in advance of being issued another key.
Insurance
You are responsible for insuring your possessions during the term of your tenancy. The landlord will take no responsibility for any damage or loss to Tenant’s possessions. It is recommended the cover includes accidental damage caused to the Landlord’s contents, building, furniture, fixture & fittings.
Mail
If you received any mail for the Landlord or Ex-Tenants, please either drop this off at your local branch or re-direct through the postal system.
Water Hygiene
At the start of the tenancy please ensure all taps are run for a short period and all toilets flushed.
Please ensure you thoroughly read through the inventory once you move in. If there are any comments you would like to make, please send these through as soon as possible.
Payments
You should have been made aware of your rent schedule, including the total amount, and due date. If you are unsure, please refer to your Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) for details.
Utility Bills
You will need to set up an account for the utilities from the first day of your tenancy. These utility bills include gas (if applicable), electricity, water and Council Tax. To find out who your current utility providers at the property are you can go to the following link: www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-supplies-my-electricity-and-gas/
Security
It is your responsibility to keep your keys safe and for these to be returned at the end of your tenancy. Any lost keys must be reported immediately, and any costs incurred to change locks/have new keys cut must be paid by you in advance of being issued another key.
Insurance
You are responsible for insuring your possessions during the term of your tenancy. The landlord will take no responsibility for any damage or loss to Tenant’s possessions. It is recommended the cover includes accidental damage caused to the Landlord’s contents, building, furniture, fixture & fittings.
If you received any mail for the Landlord or Ex-Tenants, please either drop this off at your local branch or re-direct through the postal system.
Water Hygiene
At the start of the tenancy please ensure all taps are run for a short period and all toilets flushed.
ONGOING MAINTENANCE
Garden
The garden is an extension of your home, so its maintenance is your responsibility during your tenancy. Please make sure to regularly:
Mow the lawn/weed outside space and keep it tidy.
Water flowers and small shrubs when necessary.
It is inevitable when you’re moving into a new home there will be some minor maintenance issues that we may have missed. If this is the case, don’t worry at all. You can report any maintenance issues to your property manager through phoning or emailing.
Condensation
Condensation is one of the biggest problems tenants experience in shared accommodation.
To avoid this:
Please ensure you ventilate your room by opening your windows on regular intervals and avoid air drying any clothing/fabric items inside.
Cover pans and turn down the heat when boiling food. If you have an extractor fan, please use it.
When taking a shower or bath, ventilate the bathroom by opening the window or turning on the extractor fan if there is one.
Open windows or trickle vents to change the air.
If you don’t do this, damp patches will appear on the walls and ceiling. It is your responsibility to remove these marks if they appear by wiping them away with a mould spray or purchasing a dehumidifier.
Fair Wear & Tear
If it can be removed, it is not fair wear & tear.
Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you are under an obligation to look after the landlords’ contents.
House Inspections
We conduct bi-annually interim inspections on all of our properties to help keep them in a good condition. If a set of keys is held, then you will be notified in advance of any inspections and permission will be gained for access. During the inspection, we will check for cleanliness, damages, missing items and any un-reported maintenance issues.
Going on Holiday
If the property is to be left vacant for longer than 21 days, please ensure that you advise your Property Manager.
The garden is an extension of your home, so its maintenance is your responsibility during your tenancy. Please make sure to regularly:
Mow the lawn/weed outside space and keep it tidy.
Water flowers and small shrubs when necessary.
It is inevitable when you’re moving into a new home there will be some minor maintenance issues that we may have missed. If this is the case, don’t worry at all. You can report any maintenance issues to your property manager through phoning or emailing.
Condensation
Condensation is one of the biggest problems tenants experience in shared accommodation.
To avoid this:
Please ensure you ventilate your room by opening your windows on regular intervals and avoid air drying any clothing/fabric items inside.
Cover pans and turn down the heat when boiling food. If you have an extractor fan, please use it.
When taking a shower or bath, ventilate the bathroom by opening the window or turning on the extractor fan if there is one.
Open windows or trickle vents to change the air.
If you don’t do this, damp patches will appear on the walls and ceiling. It is your responsibility to remove these marks if they appear by wiping them away with a mould spray or purchasing a dehumidifier.
Fair Wear & Tear
If it can be removed, it is not fair wear & tear.
Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you are under an obligation to look after the landlords’ contents.
House Inspections
We conduct bi-annually interim inspections on all of our properties to help keep them in a good condition. If a set of keys is held, then you will be notified in advance of any inspections and permission will be gained for access. During the inspection, we will check for cleanliness, damages, missing items and any un-reported maintenance issues.
Going on Holiday
If the property is to be left vacant for longer than 21 days, please ensure that you advise your Property Manager.
EMERGENCY
Emergencies
No heating or hot water only counts as an emergency if a child under two or an elderly or vulnerable person lives in the household.
Having no water whatsoever is an emergency – but just having no hot water is not. No power – but check whether it is a power cut first before calling.
Leaks that cannot be contained.
You cannot unblock a toilet and it is the only one in the household.
A broken handle or lock if it means you cannot secure or unlock the property.
A broken window.
If you have a gas leak or can smell gas, leave the home and phone the National Gas Emergencies number immediately on 0800 111 999.
If you have electricity in your house, but you have no lights working in the house Have you just replaced a bulb? If yes, then there may be something wrong with that bulb, take the new bulb out, turn the RCD for the lights on the Mains Board back on and if they stay on then it is the bulb; if not then there may be a problem with another bulb, if they are easily reachable it will be a trial-and-error process. If the lights are still not working after this process or are in an inaccessible area, please report to your Property Manager.
Water leaks
Water leaks can seriously damage a property and can be very dangerous, especially if it is leaking into the electrical fittings. If you notice any water marks or leaks you must do the following:
Closing the stop cock will stop the main flow of water into your house and in the event of a leak, it will limit the amount of damage that can be caused.
If you spot a leak, try to identify the source quickly.
If the leak is minor and you can stop it yourself, try that first.
If it is more than a steady drip for over 20 seconds, locate and close the stop cock immediately.
You should also turn on any un-associated taps and drain the entire water system as quickly as possible and report to your Property Manager.
If you have no hot water/heating
Look at the display screen of the boiler, if the pressure is low then follow the boiler manual to top the pressure back up. If this isn’t to hand, you can download it from the internet by searching the make and model.
If the pressure is not low, then you may need to reset the boiler.
Test your radiators to make sure they work correctly.
If you notice they aren’t heating properly, there are cold spots or they gurgle, bleed the radiators to let out trapped air. Don’t set the thermostat too high. This might seem counter- intuitive but the warmer your home is, the faster the heat will be lost to the outside.
If there is still not hot water or heating after reading the manual and trying the above, please report to your Property Manager.
No heating or hot water only counts as an emergency if a child under two or an elderly or vulnerable person lives in the household.
Having no water whatsoever is an emergency – but just having no hot water is not. No power – but check whether it is a power cut first before calling.
Leaks that cannot be contained.
You cannot unblock a toilet and it is the only one in the household.
A broken handle or lock if it means you cannot secure or unlock the property.
A broken window.
If you have a gas leak or can smell gas, leave the home and phone the National Gas Emergencies number immediately on 0800 111 999.
If you have electricity in your house, but you have no lights working in the house Have you just replaced a bulb? If yes, then there may be something wrong with that bulb, take the new bulb out, turn the RCD for the lights on the Mains Board back on and if they stay on then it is the bulb; if not then there may be a problem with another bulb, if they are easily reachable it will be a trial-and-error process. If the lights are still not working after this process or are in an inaccessible area, please report to your Property Manager.
Water leaks
Water leaks can seriously damage a property and can be very dangerous, especially if it is leaking into the electrical fittings. If you notice any water marks or leaks you must do the following:
Closing the stop cock will stop the main flow of water into your house and in the event of a leak, it will limit the amount of damage that can be caused.
If you spot a leak, try to identify the source quickly.
If the leak is minor and you can stop it yourself, try that first.
If it is more than a steady drip for over 20 seconds, locate and close the stop cock immediately.
You should also turn on any un-associated taps and drain the entire water system as quickly as possible and report to your Property Manager.
If you have no hot water/heating
Look at the display screen of the boiler, if the pressure is low then follow the boiler manual to top the pressure back up. If this isn’t to hand, you can download it from the internet by searching the make and model.
If the pressure is not low, then you may need to reset the boiler.
Test your radiators to make sure they work correctly.
If you notice they aren’t heating properly, there are cold spots or they gurgle, bleed the radiators to let out trapped air. Don’t set the thermostat too high. This might seem counter- intuitive but the warmer your home is, the faster the heat will be lost to the outside.
If there is still not hot water or heating after reading the manual and trying the above, please report to your Property Manager.
Staff
Our team of highly skilled & knowledgeable experts
