Here are a few handy Q&A tips from us
Before you start searching for your new home it’s a good idea to write down a budget. What are your current outgoings and what money do you have left each month to spend on rent? Take into account that, when you first move in, you will need to front a security deposit as well as the first month’s rent. ( a weeks rent is used as a holding deposit at application stage). Also use a rough guide that your annual single or joint income should be around the monthly rent x 30. i.e if you are looking at a rent of £1000 per month your income should be no less than £30k a year (single or joint).
Register with us by visiting our website. You’ll then receive email alerts about new rental properties as they become available to the open market.
Try to be available and as flexible as possible. The lettings business is incredibly fast moving and when a good property comes to the market there can be a rush to view and offers are often made immediately. You could miss out if you can't make yourself available within 48 hours.
Make sure you go and view the property in person, if it’s too far away then make sure that a reliable relative can view it on your behalf. If you are interested in the property during or after the viewing, then please make it known to the person who is showing your around. Don’t wait for a few days as you might miss out!
Try and book your viewing by phoning us, as during busy times we will answer the phones quicker than responding to a build up of email enquiries that have come in over a weekend.
A property marked as ‘Let Agreed’ means a tenant has paid the holding deposit and the landlord or letting agency is reviewing their references and conducting credit checks. If the tenant's application is approved, the property will usually stay listed as ‘Let Agreed’ until the contracts are signed and it’s removed from the market. If the application is declined, the property will be re-listed and the ‘Let Agreed’ status with be changed to Available To Let.
The process from making an offer to moving in can be as quick as seven to ten working days, providing….. you complete and pass all references, sign all tenancy documentation, and the property is already empty and ready for habitation.
In general, we would expect someone to move-in no later than 8 weeks from when we receive your application, extended times beyond this must be agreed with the landlord/agent at the offer stage.
Once the viewing has taken place and everything has been agreed verbally and in principle, the online application form will be sent out to you by email (one application form per applicant/tenant will need to be completed + guarantor (if required) along with a covering letter explaining the process going forward.
The landlord needs to be sure that as their tenant you won’t have any problems paying the rent on a monthly basis and that you will take good care of their property.
Referencing is nothing to worry about. Tenants applying to rent need to give details of their employer and income, their previous address, and some bank account details. These will be checked to ensure they are able to commit to monthly rental payments.
Always be open and honest with the questions on your application form in order to save time and any potential embarrassment later on down the line.
In some circumstances, a tenant may not be approved immediately via referencing. Obvious examples are students without a regular income, or someone leaving their family home for the first time with no renting history. This is not uncommon, and there are still options for tenants in this position.
Yes of course you can, but please be transparent and up front with us at the time of the viewing stages and also later on during the application form stage, this will save time and any embarrassment later on down the line.
A tenancy agreement is a contract signed by both the tenant and the landlord. It outlines all the rules to which both parties must comply.
If you require to see a draft copy of this during the application stage, then please ask a member of staff.
If a tenant is not fully approved by the referencing process, they can ask a guarantor to support them. A guarantor (usually a parent or guardian) will agree to take responsibility for the rent if the tenant fails to. Guarantors are required to pay any rent arrears (if the tenant does not pay) and for any damages costing more than the deposit.
A guarantor needs to go through the same referencing process as a tenant. The normal requirement is that they are employed and a UK resident, with sufficient earnings to cover the tenant’s rental commitment.
We’ll send you a confirmation letter outlining the initial payments due. This includes the first months payment (one month rent), and a deposit (typically five weeks' rent in total).
All payments must be cleared before the tenancy starts.
The landlord trusts the tenant to keep their property in a good clean condition and in good order. The deposit is held to ensure that any damages (over and above fair wear and tear) can be corrected at the end of the tenancy, or it can be used to clear any arrears.
Landlords and Letting Agents are required to register your deposit with a government approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Alan Hawkins register the deposits with TDS (Tenant Deposit Scheme)Welcome to LWC Communities!.
The deposit is then either held by the landlords chosen approved deposit scheme or by the Agent's chosen deposit scheme. (it depends on who’s managing the property). Details of which will be outlined on your tenancy agreement, you will also receive confirmation of the deposit being registered directly from the deposit scheme used.
On the day your tenancy commences, an inventory clerk would have already carried out a fully and documented inventory on the property, this documents the property’s condition, contents and cleanliness inside and out from top to bottom, it also documents the keys and the utility meter readings. We will hand you a complimentary welcome pack along with the keys and the signed tenancy agreement.
If we are managing the property for the landlords then we will assist you with any issues you may have throughout your tenancy period.
If the property is managed by the landlord then we will provide you with their contact details so that you can contact them in an emergency or for any other matters.
The landlord will be required to insure the building against flood or fire, but it is strongly recommended that tenants buy contents insurance to cover their own items against damage or theft or even extend the cover to cover landlords items against damage that you may cause accidentally. (i.e burning a carpet with an iron). The landlord’s insurance cannot cover the tenant’s belongings under any circumstances.
As part of the referencing process and to comply with Right to Rent legislation we need to be sure a tenant is who they say they are. We will require a proof of residency (such as a utility or council tax bill from the last 3 months) and proof of ID (such as a passport or driving licence). By law we also have to verify that you have the right to reside in the UK be it temporarily by way of a visa, or permanently.
To rent a property in England, you must prove you have the legal right to do so. The landlord or letting agent will conduct checks to verify your status. You have a right to rent in the UK if
Our checks require you visiting one of our offices with the correct documents as proof.
Speak to your letting agent to find out exactly which documents you need to bring.
Please note that there's no right-to-rent requirement in Scotland.
In most cases, a tenant can only decorate or make changes to the property with the express permission of the landlord or agent. We recommend receiving this permission in writing.
Not all landlords allow pets in their properties, this could be done to certain restrictions etc such as leasehold properties with headlease holders, so you should immediately make your letting agent aware if you have a pet, as they will need to check with landlords before showing you properties. If you do move into a property with a pet, you will be responsible for making sure that any damage caused by your pet is repaired prior to the end of the tenancy. A pet clause may also be inserted into the tenancy agreement with certain conditions. Also check your tenants insurance policy to see if you’re covered for damages caused by pets.
The landlord is responsible for maintaining the property to a good state of repair and also keeping the property legally compliant. They will either take care of this directly, or do so via a letting agent using skilled and regulated trades people. Make sure you know who to go to when there’s a fault at the beginning of the tenancy. If YOU do damage to the property you are expected to cover the cost of putting this right.
As a tenant you are also responsible for reporting any maintenance issues in a timely manner to the landlord/agent so as to not damage the property further, this will be outlined in your tenancy agreement contract.
They verify essential certificates (gas safety, EPC, EICR, smoke and CO alarms), draft a legally binding tenancy agreement, and register your deposit with a government-approved scheme to protect your funds and rights.
Due to recent changes following on from implementation of ‘The Renters Rights Bill’, from the 1st May 2026 you are no longer tied into a fixed term tenancy, therefore, your minimum notice period is 2 month notice, which must be in date line of your rent period. This needs to be put in writing or by email and acknowledged by the recipient.
Firstly we will need to get permission from your landlord, but adding someone new to your tenancy agreement will require them to fill out an application form with us and go through the relevant checks as you did at the start. Once they have passed referencing, we can then draw up a brand new tenancy agreement in joint names. There will be a fee associated with this variation of contract of £50.
Your landlord or letting agent will regularly schedule inspection visits at the property, usually by written notices in advance. They want to make sure that the property is being looked after and maintained in a good condition, and will be checking for any maintenance issues inside and outside of the property. We usually do our inspections after the initial 2 months and then every 6 months thereafter.
It is always your responsibility to pay the rent, but circumstances change. What happens if you become unemployed or are unable to work due to sickness? The most important thing is not to let arrears pile up until they are unmanageable. Speak to your landlord or letting agent and see if you can reschedule your payments or come to a mutual agreement. For further advise you can speak to C.A.B
Find out who is managing your property (Agent or Landlord) and make sure you have been given all their contact details. That way, if something goes wrong in the property, you'll know who to get in touch with.
Look after the property as if it were your own, but always seek approval if you wish, need, want to make any changes to the property. This reduces the likelihood of any disputes over damages, redecoration, unauthorised changes and cleaning when the tenancy comes to an end.
Remember that you should arrange tenants insurance cover for your furnishings and personal property - the landlord is not responsible for insuring these items.
Its also a good idea to take your own meter readings, and also familiarise yourself with the location of your consumer unit/fuseboard and the water stopcock just in case of an emergency.
Before moving out you should refer to your inventory document that you received when you moved in. This will show the ‘condition’ of your property, and you should be aiming to return the property in the same ‘condition’ subject to fair wear and tear. This will probably mean thoroughly cleaning the property before the inventory clerk returns to carry out the check out.
It goes without saying that you should leave the property in tip top condition and remove all your belongings, otherwise you risk losing part, or all of your deposit.
An emergency is something that could not have been foreseen, and which could cause serious damage to the property. For example:
If you smell gas or detect a gas leak call the National Gas Emergency service on 0800 111 999.
Loss of electrical power coming into the property National POWER CUT Helpline 0800 6783 105.
Flooding outside of the property or Blocked drains outside but on the boundary of your property or just on the outside of your boundary:
If one of these has occurred in your property, you need to get it resolved quickly.
If you instruct a contractor yourself then you might be liable for the cost of the call out and repair if its not justified. If Alan Hawkins does not manage the property for the landlord then you will need to contact your landlord directly in an emergency. Alan Hawkins can be reached by instant messaging through our Facebook page or by calling our ‘out of office’ mobile number on 07939 871550
