FINDING A PROPERTY

The first step is to contact us giving brief details about yourself and the type of accommodation you require, also which areas of Maidstone, Medway Towns or Sittingbourne that are of interest to you. You can do this by phone, e-mail, or by calling at our office. We will then register your details and search our database for suitable properties for you to view. If your needs are not urgent or we do not have any properties matching your criteria, your details will be monitored and we will contact you as suitable properties become available. It is wise to start looking for properties approximately 4 - 6 weeks before you wish to move. Our tenancy agreements are usually for an initial term of 6 months, with the option to extend the agreement upon expiry of the initial tenancy.

Viewing's
Viewing's will normally be arranged at times to suit you, including evenings and weekends, and you will be accompanied by a member of staff, who can give advice and answer any questions you may have. Application forms will available during viewing's upon request.

Applying for the property
Once you have decided which property you would like to let, you will need to complete and submit an Tenancy Application Form, returning it to our office, together with the ‘agreement fee’ and 3 forms of identification . We do not accept applications on a ‘first come first served’ basis. We will accept applications for each property up to a ‘cut off’ point, depending on the amount of people viewing - at which time all applications received will be submitted to the Landlord for approval/acceptance. Following the Landlords acceptance references will then be taken up. (All fees become non-refundable once references have been applied for).

Surety Guarantor
You may be asked to provide a Surety Guarantor. A Surety Guarantor guarantees the payment of the rent and/or other obligation agreed between the tenant and the landlord. The Guarantor needs to be a UK property owner and be in full time employment. The Guarantor will be referenced in the same manner as the applicant and needs to complete and submit a Guarantor Application Form, we also require 3 forms of identification from the Guarantor. The Guarantor will need to be present at the signing of the tenancy agreement. The cost for referencing a Guarantor is £45, Which is non-refundable once referencing is initiated and must be paid in advance.

Identification
We require three forms of identification, these could be a birth certificate, full driving licence, full ten year passport, new style National Insurance card, bank cheque guarantee card or utility bill. Two form of identification must include a photograph of you and the other must show your name and current address.

References
Once accepted by the Landlord, you will then be asked to confirm you are happy to proceed with referencing. The tenancy cannot proceed without these references. These will be from your employer, a previous landlord and your bank. We will also require a personal reference. A full credit check will be undertaken. We use the services of an independent referencing company to obtain and evaluate these references. We use an referencing agent who is registered with the data protection agency and information obtained is held within the guidelines of the data protection act.

Rents & Deposits
Rents are quoted on a calendar month basis and payable 1 month in advance. All rents are payable by bank standing order to our company bank account / the Landlord directly. A dilapidation's deposit of a minimum of 6 weeks rent must be paid, From 6 April 2007, all deposits taken for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme. From this date, tenants will be given full details of the scheme when signing a new tenancy agreement. Where we are not the managing agents, the deposit will still be held under the tenancy deposit protection scheme. full details of the scheme can be found at http://www.depositprotection.com. The deposit (or bond) is held to cover any damage, breakage's, or any other liabilities under the terms of your tenancy agreement. Please note that under no circumstances can the deposit be used by the tenant to cover rent.

Fees
We charge £45 per application to cover administration and referencing costs. This fee covers the first applicant only. Further applicants (including guarantors) also be charged at a fee £45. Please note that the application fee is non refundable once referencing is initiated.

Specialist Tenants Insurance
In accordance with the terms of the contract tenants MUST insure their own contents and accidental damage to the Landlords fixtures and fittings. Various products are available to tenants at competitive rates. For full details of these products and how to get a quote, please ask us for a leaflet.

If you wish to register your details or have any further queries regarding our services please click on the contact us button and we will reply as soon as possible.