Guide for Tenants - Properties to Rent in Bournemouth

Thinking of renting a property in Bournemouth? House & Son will help you find the most suitable property, and will arrange all practicalities throughout the tenancy. We have decades of expertise and a local knowledge of the Bournemouth area, so do not hesitate to conact us. View our list of properties in Bournemouth, and Request a Lettings List for more information on our available properties.

First Steps...

By coming into our office, registering your details and discussing your requirements with us, we will be able to ascertain which of our properties may suit you. We will then carry out accompanied viewings to these properties. We would suggest that you commence your property search 3 or 4 weeks before you intend to move in.

Then...

Once House and Son have found you suitable accommodation and Terms have been agreed with our client, it is advisable to place a holding deposit on the property. This amount will be deducted from the initial invoice at the commencement of the tenancy. By placing this deposit down, you are committing to the property. We will cease marketing the property. In the case that the Landlord is unable to continue with the prospective tenancy, your money will be refunded in full. However, should you decide not to take the property, this amount will be surrendered.

References

References must be applied for by House and Son. The contact names and addresses of the prospective tenant's bank, previous landlord, accountant/solicitor, employers and personal references may be asked for. Alternatively, House and Son may decide to use Homelet, an independent referencing company to do the references in which case prospective tenants would be asked to complete a form. All tenants over the age of 18 years who wish to occupy the property must be referenced and named on the Tenancy Agreement. References usually take 24-48 hours but tenants should provide details promptly in order to avoid a delay in the tenancy commencement.

In some cases, i.e. where a tenant has not been in their current job for more than six months or maintained a bank account in credit for a satisfactory period, a UK based guarantor may be requested. This person will be asked to guarantee that if the prospective tenant fails to pay rent or causes damage to the property beyond the deposit held for damage or dilapidations (see later), they will be responsible for incurring all costs. A separate form is available from House & Son. All guarantors must be fully referenced. There is no charge for referencing the first guarantor provided by the tenant. Should the guarantor not be satisfactory, a further cost will be incurred per guarantor referenced thereafter.

The Tenancy Agreement 

The Tenancy Agreement is usually drawn up by House & Son and is, of course, subject to satisfactory references being obtained. The normal length of contract is a six month period, after which time the Landlord may decide to grant the tenant permission to extend. It may be that the Landlord is willing to agree to extending for a longer Term for the next period, alternatively it may be decided that tenants may extend on an ongoing monthly basis. The cost of preparing further Agreements is £40.00 + VAT for each Term.

Insurance 

It is mandatory to take out a tenant's contents insurance policy, which includes accidental damage for the duration of your tenancy to protect the contents within the property you are letting, both yours and the Landlords.  This could save large deductions from your deposit.  This said, the Homelet policy also provides cover for the tenant's accidental damage to the Landlord's possessions up to a certain figure.  Arranging suitable cover may ensure the return of your deposit at the end of the tenancy rather than forfeiting an appropriate amount for damage or dilapidation.  Please ask a member of our Lettings team for advice on contents insurance if you have any queries.

Any items lost or damaged during the property should be replaced by the tenant before the check-out at the end of the tenancy. At this time, meter readings will be taken, all keys must be returned, final bills ordered and utility companies advised of departure. House and Son will also require a forwarding address to return the deposit. There is a check-out fee at the end of the tenancy and this amount will be deducted from the deposit. If the property was professionally cleaned at the commencement of the tenancy, it will be expected that the same is carried out prior to the inventory check-out. Tenants failing to do this may incur costs if House & Son arrange a professional clean. 
Should the tenants return items to the House & Son office which were missing from inventory after the check-out, a charge will be incurred each time it is necessary to revisit

Keys 

Landlord's will be responsible for providing tenants with a set of keys each. In the case of a multi-tenancy, the landlord is resposible for providing a total of two complete sets. Any additional sets required by the Tenants must be ordered from House and Son prior to the tenancy commencement date. The tenants are entitled to one set per tenant. Where House and Son manage the property, a spare key will be held in our office in order that we may access the property in the case of an emergency.

Payment Of Rent 

All rent should be paid in the matter agreed by Landlord and Tenant initially. This will be confirmed in the Tenancy Agreement. Unless paying for the whole Term in advance, Tenants are expected to set up a monthly Standing Order Mandate at the commencement of the Tenancy. As there is sometimes a delay with the bank when transferring money from your account, it is advisable to arrange for the money to be transferred a few days before it is due in order to avoid 'late rent'. 
It may be arranged that the rent is paid to House & Son by cheque. In this case, the cheque should be brought into the office five days before the rent is due in order that it may be in cleared funds by the due date

Other Costs 

Unless otherwise stated, your rent is exclusive of council tax, water rates, sewage rates, gas and electricity. House and Son can advise you on the council tax band into which the property falls in order that you can budget for this cost. House and Son / the Landlord will arrange for all utilities to be transferred into the new tenant's name. However, British Telecom do not accept instructions from Agents and must be contacted by the new tenant/s personally to set up an account. You are responsible for paying council tax in either a furnished or unfurnished property.

Summary 

Before you move into the property, a payment in the form of cleared funds is required. This may be cash, bank transfer or bankers draft. A cheque is acceptable as long as it is presented five working days before the tenancy commencement. 
Please ensure you are able to pay the following costs prior to the tenancy commencement:

1) One month's rent 
2) Six week's deposit 
3) Inventory and Tenancy Agreement fee

We will gladly advise you of the costs and fees involved upon request.

What next?

Contact us if you require more information.

Find out more about our lettings in Bournemouth.

Browse our list of available properties.