Register
your details
Your first step is of course to register here
with us at Winchester Lettings Group.
You can do this on this website, over the phone
or at our office on Bromley North High Street
next to the Empire Cinema – we will be
delighted to register you in person in our comfortable
cafe style office. |
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Searching for the
right property
Some people see one property and take it, others
will trawl through estate agents windows, the local
property paper and the internet, looking for that
ideal rental. Our advice is try to follow some simple
rules and this will be help you to shortlist the
best ones.
1) Do you need to be near work
or your family?
2) Does the property need to have good train,
bus, tram links? If so where to?
3) What about shops, sports clubs, gyms ect?
4) Do you need parking? Or a garden?
5) Are you looking for furnished, unfurnished
or part furnished?
6) How soon do you need to move by?
7) Does the landlord accept pets? Students?
Housing Benefit? Sharers? |
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Once we have this information this will help us
to find you a property and not waste your time with
unsuitable properties, there is no pointing sending
you to view a property that has no parking when
you need to park your sports car off the road!
Get
organised
Ok so you think you’re ready to book
some viewings, before you do make sure you
have the following organised.
1) Do you have the money to pay the letting
agents fees?
2) Have you got enough funds to pay the first
month’s rent & deposit?
3) Do you think you will require a guarantor?
(always required if on housing benefit)
4) Have you checked with your employer, landlord
& personal referees that they will be
able to provide a reference on your behalf?
Having all this organised will mean as you
are viewing you will be 100% ready to reserve
the right property and before anyone else
can. |
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The viewing
The majority of viewings are conducted by
a member of staff from Winchester Lettings Group,
the main reason for this is that we can answer
any questions you may have, but also means
that you can be open an honest as your views
will not offend us. We also prefer to show
you round as it means we can get an even better
idea of what you want to rent if that one
is not suitable.
We will give you enough time to take measurements
for furniture, if you’re still not 100%
certain we will arrange another viewing for
you, feel free to ask us any questions you
may have and we will do our best to answer
them. We are open 7 days a week for viewings
and until 7pm during the week, we have keys
for most of our properties and can generally
arrange a viewing at a moment’s notice. |
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If you’re looking to rent for the first
time you may wish to bring a relative along for
a second opinion if this is the case please advise
us in advance so we can advise any current occupiers
to expect more than 2 or 3 persons.
Making
an offer
Once you find the perfect home to rent you
are now able to make an offer. We will liaise
between you and the landlord until both parties
are 100% happy with the arrangement; we will
also confirm this in writing to you outlining
the conditions of the let.
97% properties will achieve the full asking
rent, this is due to the quality of the properties
we have on offer and a buoyant market.
Once the offer is accepted then you will
be well on your way to getting the keys and
moving in to your new home! |
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Referencing
Ok so the next part of the process is the
referencing process we use an independent
referencing agency and all person over the
age of 18 must be referenced, this will include
an employment reference, living address check,
(landlords reference if applicable), credit
check, character reference, all this information
is provided so we can advise our landlord
to proceed with the tenancy.
Please note if the references prove un satisfactory
it won’t be possible for you to proceed
with the let. |
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| The
paperwork
Now that you have passed the referencing stage
we will then be able to prepare a Tenancy
Agreement which will have any of the conditions
added at the offer stage. We will also require
your bank details to set up a standing order
mandate to pay the rent along with arrange
a paperless direct debit for the gas &
electricity provider.
See: http://www.sparkenergy.co.uk
The landlord is required by law to provide
you with, a gas safety certificate carried
out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, electrical
PAT testing on any portable appliances and
a full energy performance certificate. |
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Deposit
Payment
Most of the time we will ask you to pay a
deposit typically this is one month’s
rent although in some cases it can be 5 or
6 weeks rent, depending of the conditions
of the rental. We are also able to offer Paragon
Advances No Deposit Insurance we would have
advised you of this when viewing the property
initially.
As required by law, all deposits taken must
be lodged with one of 3 tenancy deposit companies,
in most cases we lodge the deposit on behalf
of the landlord and in those cases we use
the Deposit Protection Service (DPS). This
is the only deposit company that is authorised
by the government’s custodial scheme. |
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Agents have 14 days to lodge the deposit, if they
do not do this then you could claim compensation for
up to 3 times the original amount paid! Obviously
we have very strict administration service so this
will never happen with us.
Please note by using the DPS means that we do not
hold your deposit in our clients account the amount
is paid directly to them, for further information
click on: https://www.depositprotection.com/Public/About.aspx
also see visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/DG_066383
Check in day
We will have pre-arranged a time you can come and
collect the keys with you, at this point we also
require your rent & deposit as cleared funds,
which can be paid using our chip & pin card
machine to save you carrying around a large amount
of cash. We will provide you with a copy of the
signed tenancy agreement, any other relevant paperwork,
a fully itemised inventory & schedule of condition
with a record of the meter readings for gas, electricity
and water if applicable.
All that will be left for you
to do is move in, don’t forget the following
things!
1) Have you re-directed your post?
2) Have you informed the DVLA, your bank, credit
card company of your new address?
3) If you are changing areas do you need to
register with a different doctors, dentist or
vets?
4) If you are using a removal company, don’t
let them pack your kettle and leave a few cups,
spoons and provisions to make a brew, it may
even be worth packing a snack to keep you going
while you unpack! |
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