Renting with us
Renting With Us
When renting with Paul Bott and Co following the changes in legislation on 1st June 2019 our agency permitted payments are as follows;
Rent
- A tenant’s regular payment to a landlord for the use of the property
Security Deposit - 5 weeks rent of the agreed rental figure
- A Tenancy Deposit is money held by the landlord (or agent acting on the landlord’s behalf) as security during the period of the tenancy and reserved for any damages or defaults by the tenant.
Refundable Holding Deposit – 1 weeks rent of the agreed rental figure
- This is a refundable fee EXCEPT in circumstances where the tenant withdraws, fails a Right to Rent check or provides false or misleading information, which the landlord is reasonably entitled to consider in deciding whether to grant the tenancy because this materially affects their suitability to rent the property.
- If the landlord decides not to rent the property to the tenant or fails to take reasonable steps to enter into the tenancy agreement by the deadline for agreement, then the Holding Deposit must be refunded within seven days of the date of that decision or the deadline for agreement.
- The deadline for agreement is 15 days following the receipt of the Holding Deposit for the landlord to enter into an agreement with the tenant to grant the tenancy (unless an alternative date is agreed in writing with the tenant). Landlords may ‘repay’ the Holding Deposit by allowing the tenant to deduct the equivalent sum from the first payment of rent or the Tenancy Deposit.
- If the Holding Deposit is applied to the Tenancy Deposit, under the deposit protection requirements, that money is classed as received on the date the tenancy agreement was signed.
Payments in the event of a default
Landlords and letting agents may require a tenant to make a payment in the event of a default (e.g. requesting a replacement for a lost key). The amount charged cannot exceed the loss suffered by the landlord.
Charging to vary a tenancy - £50 charge
- When a tenant has requested it, landlords and agents can charge to vary, assign or replace a tenancy agreement.
Payment on termination of a tenancy
- Agents and landlords can require a tenant to make a payment for an early termination of the tenancy agreement at the tenant’s request. The payment cannot exceed the loss suffered by the landlord or reasonable costs incurred by the letting agent.
Council Tax payments
- Letting agents and landlords may require tenants to pay the Council Tax on the property they rent.
Payments for the provision of utilities
- Agents and landlords are permitted to charge tenants fees associated with utilities, such as electricity, gas or other fuel, water or sewerage, if this is clear in the tenancy agreement.
Payments for a television licence
- A payment that a tenant is required to make to have a television licence is a permitted payment if the tenant is required by the tenancy agreement to make the payment.
Communication services
- Agents and landlords are permitted to charge tenants fees associated with communication services, such as telephone (other than a mobile), internet, cable/satellite television, if this is clear in the tenancy agreement.
For Tenancies that commenced prior to 1st June 2019 they will remain subject to our tenancy fees as follows;
- Tenancy Amendment Fee £120.00 inclusive of VAT
- Tenancy Check Out fee: £120.00 inclusive of VAT
