Tenant Information
We try our best to look after our tenants
Particularly for younger people, renting is now the only way of living in your own place, be it by yourself or with a partner or sharers. The flexibility that comes with renting, allows people to move on freely, perhaps to move to a new job in another city or just move on from time to time to explore new pastures, it’s your choice.
Going through an established letting agent will make your experience of renting better. We are both letting agents and provide property management to our landlords if they so require this service.
Renting a property
It’s pretty common now for professionals to rent for quite a while before settling down to a mortgage commitment and a family. Our European counterparts have been renting for decades and see it as perfectly normal. You rent what you can afford and move when it suits you. Sounds good to us! Our letting service is a friendly experience as we try our best to get to know our tenants.
A brief guide on what to expect
Renting needn’t be taxing. At BS Home Lets we guide you through the rental process and answer any questions that you might have. These are some of the areas which you will encounter when applying for a property:
- We’ll show you around by appointment your chosen property
- We’ll answer any questions at the property that you might have, such as how much is the Council Tax
- We’ll draw up a tenancy agreement should you wish to move in which includes taking up employment references and id checks. We inform the existing utility companies (Water,Gas and Electricity) that you have moved in too, so you don’t have to.
- We will meet you at the property on the day you move in and not just give you keys over a desk for you to go on your way.
- Your security deposit will be registered and held by The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), who are backed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Your full deposit will be returned to you at the end of the tenancy, unless any deductions are made for cleaning or breakages/damage, over and above that of fair wear and tear. You have a legal right to dispute such charges and your deposit protection service will provide you with a dispute resolution service in the unlikely event that deductions should be made. This dispute service is a free service.
- Our standard contract term is for 6 months (the fixed term). After this period is up you can stay on on a month by month basis as your contract becomes what is known as a “statutory Periodic” tenancy. To give up the property you just need to give us 30 days notice in writing.
- Rent is always payable via a Standing Order, through a UK Bank. We try to avoid large cash sums of rent, as we have a duty to enquire and for you to prove where the cash has come from. This is a money laundering legal requirement which we comply with.
- Any personal data that you give us that is recorded electronically or used by us is subject to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), so you can be assured that your data is stored by us securely and in accordance with the law. We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
Peace of mind for tenants
We don’t charge you to renew your Agreement or charge you a check out fee. As we are full members of the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA), we provide “Client Money Protection (CMP)” which protects both Tenants and Landlords in relation to the handling of funds entrusted to the Agent. Our Insurance is provided by “LET ALLIANCE” (Total Loss Client Money Protection for Landlords and Tenants). Furthermore we are members of THE PROPERTY OMBUDSMAN (TPO) who provide both tenants and landlords with a dispute resolution service, should we (the agent) not meet your expectations in the unlikely event of a grievance which cannot be resolved between us. This scheme is a statutory requirement for all Letting Agents.
