Where SMART Tenants discover a better way to find their next new home.
As one of Exeter, Exmouth & Penryn’s leading and most trusted letting agents, we help tenants find quality properties that make them feel safe, secure and truly at home.
If you haven’t rented before, you will probably be wondering what’s involved, and what you will need to do to start renting your chosen property.
Once you have seen a property you really like the look of, you will need to contact us to arrange a viewing.
If you wish to go ahead and rent the property, you will need to pay a holding deposit, which will be the equivalent to one week’s rent.
This holding deposit is not refundable if you fail to take up your tenancy and pull out during referencing, or if you do not pass referencing due to you providing us with misleading or false information. However, you will be refunded in full if the landlord decides not to let the property to you.
Once your tenancy starts, your holding deposit will be deducted from your security deposit.
Before you are accepted as a tenant, you will need to provide us with some information so that we can verify who you are, if you are legally allowed to rent in England and if you can afford to pay your rent.
These checks include:
In order to carry out the required tenant checks, you will need to provide us with information and documentation including:
While your referencing is being carried out, your tenancy agreement will be prepared, ready for your approval and signature once referencing has been completed. In most instances this will be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement.
Please read your tenancy agreement thoroughly as this a legally binding document and if there is anything you do not fully understand, please ask us and we’ll be happy to go through it with you.
We will also ask you to fill in a direct debit mandate for your monthly rental payments and ask you to set up a payment for the balance of your security deposit and one month’s rent in advance.
Your security deposit will be the equivalent to 5 week’s rent (less the holding deposit already retained).
This security deposit will be registered in a Tenant Deposit Scheme. This protects your deposit and ensures its swift return to you at the end of your tenancy, less any agreed deductions for damage or owed rent.
You will be provided with account details for this scheme within 10 days of registration.
Once your tenancy agreement has been signed and you have paid your security deposit and first month’s rent, we will arrange to meet you at the property to check you in and hand over the keys.
We will go through the property inventory with you, show you where things are such as the water stop-cock, electricity trip switches, boiler and heating control manuals, as well as providing you with the required gas and electric safety certification, EPC and test the smoke and CO2 alarms.
You will also be given login details for our Property File Tenant Reporting System, where you can access your tenancy documents and report any repair or maintenance issues 24/7.
You can now settle in and enjoy your new home.
Many properties are let before they even reach the open market so be one of the first to know about new listings by registering your requirements with us HERE.
Keys cut - £12.50 per key unless special key
Lease renewal - £114
Holding deposit – 1 weeks rent
Security Deposit – 5 weeks rent
Break lease – Tenant find cost and pay the rent until new move in date of new tenant
Variation of contract - £114
Change of sharer - £180