Frequently Asked Questions

Once you have decided on the property you wish to take then you need to speak to one of our team who will go through the process with you. They would be delighted to help you with your application.

All of our landlords ask for a Guarantor to ensure that their rent is covered in the event that you are unable to pay it. This is not uncommon and you should not be concerned. You must choose someone to be your Guarantor who owns a property in the UK and can cover your rental commitment in the event of default. They must own their own home in order to be your guarantor.

We ask for Guarantors when dealing with tenants and it is extremely rare that we will be asked to do a reference but it does happen so on occasions we may ask you to ask a landlord or employer to provide a reference.

The Government has introduced a new scheme where we have to ensure that you have the right to rent in this Country. This will be done by various checks and you would need to provide us with proof of your identity and possibly other documentation once we have carried out a search on you.

Landlords require a tenancy deposit to protect their property against any damage that might be caused during the tenancy. They can only charge for cleaning, damage, or issues that go above the normal wear and tear and this will be assessed at the end of your tenancy, with the aid of a detailed inventory and schedule of condition. The deposit can also be held against non-payment of your rent and any costs. These are all outlined within your tenancy agreement.

It is now a legal requirement that all deposits are held by a Government backed scheme and we use the Deposit Protection Service. They will physically hold the deposit and deal with this.

This is a legal document with precise terms and conditions of the tenancy. It is to help you the tenant and the landlord to lay out the terms of the tenancy. Our tenancy has been approved by Trading Standards and is one of the only companies in Brighton and Hove to have had this done.

If you have a problem at your property and you think it needs dealing with then you can contact our dedicated administration team who will be able to help you. We will inform your landlord and if necessary call upon one of the many trusted tradesmen we have from our extensive database of contractors. They will then contact you direct to deal with any problems that you may have.

Your landlord and ourselves must give you sufficient notice if we wish to enter the property, except in the case of an emergency, when there may be a burst pipe or other emergency. For instance the normal notice is 24 hours.

You are signing a Tenancy Agreement that is for a fixed term and therefore you are responsible for that property during that term. The most common duties you have to perform are paying your rent on time, paying the household bills without delay, reporting any damages you notice and maintaining the property as clean and as tidy as possible. It is important that you read through the tenancy in order to understand your responsibilities.

Once the initial fixed term has come to an end it is often possible to renew the contract and continue living at the property. We will contact your landlord in the final few months of the tenancy to make sure of their willingness to extend your stay and we will then contact you with a new contract.

You enter into a fixed term period for the term of your tenancy and therefore the landlord cannot raise the rent within this fixed term. They can on renewal or if your contract goes on a periodic month to month basis by serving you with the relevant notice or offering a new contract at a higher rent.

A period of notice is set out within your tenancy agreement and you must give this when you intend to leave the property. Providing you follow this it is easy to move out of the property, and as long as you respect the times scales i.e. that if you are on a fixed term that you move out at the end of the fixed term. You should tell us and give us notice when you decide to move out and we will advise you of the next step.

When you move out of the property we will conduct a check out service and examine your inventory. We shall report the result to the landlord. Once we have his instructions we will then inform you and the Deposit Protection Service of the outcome and make any claims or any deductions as required and if not release this automatically to you.