How it works in detail

To reserve a property, you must pay a holding deposit. In accordance with the Tenant Fees Act 2019, the holding deposit cannot be more than 1 week's worth of rent, therefore, depending on what the monthly rent is, it usually equals around £100-£150. 

We will send you a holding deposit agreement which you will have 24 hours to sign and pay the holding deposit. Once received, the property will be taken off the market, reserving it for you. 

Properties are reserved on a first come, first served basis, subject to successful application. 

If your referencing (Step 2) is successful, your holding deposit will be deducted from your first payment of rent upon starting your tenancy (Step 3). 

We carry out reference checks to learn a bit about you and your personal, financial and rental history so we know who will be living in the property and if you can afford to pay the rent. 

This is the longest part of the process usually taking around 3-5 working days, however, it can be completed quicker depending on how quickly you provide the required information. 

The referencing company we use is called Canopy. 

You must provide the following to be accepted for a tenancy:

• Identity and right to rent in England 
• A credit file with no adverse credit or bankruptcies 
• A annual income (before tax) of at least 30 X the monthly rent, and an employers reference if employed, or an SA100 tax return if self-employed (we may also need a reference from your accountant) 
• Current address, and a landlord reference if you are currently renting 

You can view the full referencing criteria, and the information and documents that you need to provide by clicking here. 

If you don't meet the above criteria, we may ask for a guarantor. Your guarantor must also carry out a reference check and meet the guarantor criteria that you can view by clicking here. 

If we ask for a guarantor, but do not have anyone to support you, we have partnered with RentGuarantor who you can apply to to guarantee your tenancy by clicking here. 

Once your referencing is completed and verified, we will contact you to confirm your tenancy start date and arrange a date and time to check in before sending you a tenancy agreement for your review and signature. 

Your tenancy agreement will outline all the terms and conditions of the tenancy, your tenancy start date, your first payment of rent and your tenancy deposit or deposit replacement fee (Step 4).

Your tenancy agreement, first payment of rent and your tenancy deposit or deposit replacement fee, must all be signed and received before your tenancy starts and we hand you the keys.

We collect rent on the 1st day of each month, therefore in most cases your first payment of rent will be prorated to the end of the month that you start your tenancy in. 

Tenancy deposits and deposit replacements are required so that the landlord is protected against any rent arrears, damages or cleaning required at the end of your tenancy. You can learn more about the deposit options we offer by clicking here. 

We will meet you at the property at an agreed day and time to show you around as a reminder of where everything is, run through the inventory report and some safety items, and answer any questions you have before handing you the keys. 

Once we have handed you the keys, you can come and go as you please and start enjoying your new home!