Renting Process

Renting a property is a financial and legal commitment.

Prior to registering with agents or us – ensure you have a deposit and a months in advance ready up to the budget you are looking for.

Remember generally the deposit is approx. 5 weeks rent.

In todays fast moving market, tenants will go on portals such as www.zoopla.co.uk

You will input your preferred location and budget and hey presto you get a list of properties for you to choose from.

But many agents also have a data base of applicant to contact, make sure you are on the list they contact.

At Diamond Move Estate Agents, when we are about to advertise a property online, the first thing we do is send any new properties to everyone currently registered on our database.

So there will and maybe people who will see your ideal home before you do.

Click here to Register with us today .

Sit down with a pen and paper and describe your ideal property. Most importantly, be strict with what you do and do not want, and what you consider to be a deal breaker.

Do not compromise on those deal breakers or you’ll come to regret it.

Budget should be a key factor in your property search.

Do not overstretch yourself financially, make sure you take into account all other costs involved, including bills, council tax, moving costs etc. Your take home pay (of all tenants combined) should be at least 2.5x your proposed monthly rent, otherwise you may not pass referencing on your income level.

Click here to use our Affordability Calculator

Click here for all Available properties TO LET

When viewing a property, always try your best to go with everyone who will be moving in with you.

The rental market is a fast moving market sometimes by the time you revisit for a 2nd viewing there maybe someone else ready to put down a deposit.

If everyone in your party goes, you will then be able to make a faster decision to avoid someone getting their first.

Once you place an offer we will discuss your offer as well any other offers with the landlord – ultimately its up to the landlord to accept the offer made.

Once your offer has been accepted, you should put down a holding payment which will be one weeks rent. This will secure the property and the agent will not arrange any more viewings. When your offer is accepted this money will form part of the initial rent or your deposit. If you pull out, you may risk losing the money but if the landlord pulls out then you will get a full refund.

Once you have placed your holding deposit, you will be required to undergo reference checks to confirm your identity, your place of work and your earnings, and to confirm that you do not have any adverse credit. You will also be verified as permitted to reside & work in the UK and are not subject to any immigration controls. You should declare if you have any unsatisfied CCJ or bankruptcies as this may jeopardise your application. You will be asked to provide a photographic ID together with evidence of Right to Rent in the UK, your earnings and your current address.

IMPORTANT: You must be truthful when disclosing your income and employment details. Failure to do so may result in a failed reference and a forfeit of your initial deposit.

The tenancy agreement will be the legal document that details your rights and obligations as tenants, and the obligations and expectations of your landlord, It will set out the core terms and will include all the rules of the property.

You should make sure your agent or landlord gives you a copy of the draft tenancy agreement well ahead of the start date of the tenancy for you to read thoroughly and understand. If you are not sure of anything contained in the agreement, ask the agent for clarification or seek legal advice.

Before you move in, you will need to pay a security deposit along with your first months rent. Your security deposit (also called damage deposit) is there to indemnify the landlord against loss of rent or to pay for any damage if you were found to be responsible for causing it. In general, the amount required is equivalent to 5 weeks rent. By law this must be protected in a Government approved deposit scheme within 30 days from the start of the tenancy. The Landlord or his Agent is required by law to give you “Prescribed Information” with details of the relevant scheme.

The Inventory and/or Schedule of Condition processes is a formal way of noting the cosmetic condition and contents of a rented property. This descriptive information will, ideally, be supported by good quality photographs.

The Inventory document is then given to all parties to sign at the beginning of the tenancy to confirm that it’s accurate. Check it carefully and question anything that you do not understand. At the end of the tenancy, the same document is then used to compare the state of the property and on the findings of this comparison the deposit is then awarded appropriately.

There are strict timescales involved in ending a tenancy. This starts from the date notice is served which is usually one or two months, depending on what has been agreed.

Once notice is served the clock starts ticking. The date you leave will be agreed and the agent will put the wheels in motion. If the property is put back on the market, viewings may take place so it’s important to keep the property looking nice for them to show round prospective new tenants.

If an inventory was compiled when you moved in, the inventory clerk will meet you at the property on your last day to conduct the check-out process and at that point you surrender the property back to the agency by handing over your keys.

From that point on you will not be allowed to return to the property. The agent will then be in touch with you within 10 working days of that date to arrange the return of your deposit if there are no deductions. If, however the landlord wishes to make deductions from your deposit, we will be in constant communication with your to resolve all concerns.