With the current cost-of-living crisis squeezing everyone hard, the first thing to do is plan your budget. Find out what your current outgoings are, and then decide what you can comfortably spend on rent each month. Remember that you will have to pay out a refundable holding deposit up front, as well as the first month’s rent.

Booking a viewing should be your first step. It is the perfect opportunity for you to meet the agent representing the property, and the landlord you may be renting from. After the viewing, if you are happy and would like to proceed, the letting agent will ask you to sign a Tenancy Declaration form which lists the services we will provide, and what payments will be expected from you. Once we have this, the agent will begin the referencing process.

When signing the tenancy agreement, your landlord is entrusting you to keep their property in a respectable condition, and in good order. The deposit is their security to ensure that the property is treated well, and that any damages (outside of reasonable wear and tear) can be corrected at the end of the tenancy.

All UK landlords and letting agents are required by law to register your deposit with a government-approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme for the period of the tenancy. Fleming Lettings is registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Once your deposit has been registered, it will be held securely for the duration of the tenancy by the scheme, unless the landlord chooses to hold it themselves. You will receive full details of how and where the deposit is being held.  

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme, and those schemes like it, will protect your deposit for you throughout your tenancy. They will offer to help with any disputes that might arise between you and the landlord over potential deductions they might make against the deposit once the tenancy has expired.

What happens with your deposit depends on whether you have met your obligations under the tenancy agreement. Numerous factors will be taken into consideration, such as the condition the property is left in, whether there are any repairs or replacements that need to be made, and whether there are any outstanding rental arrears or utility payments. If there are none, you should receive your

The Tenancy Agreement is the contract that outlines all the obligations for the tenant and the landlord during the tenancy. It includes specifics such as your notice periods and monthly rental figure and cannot be changed during the period of the tenancy. It must be signed by both the landlord and the tenant to be considered ‘in effect’.

Either your landlord or agent will regularly schedule a visit to the property, to ensure that the property is well looked after and there are no maintenance issues. They will work with you to try and plan these visits to suit everyone’s schedule.

This will depend on the agreement the landlord has with us, so it’s important to look at your documentation, to find out what type of agreement they have with us. If your landlord has either a Let Only or a Rent Collection agreement with us, then you have to speak with your landlord directly.

In most cases, you will need the express permission of the landlord to make changes, and it is best to have this permission in writing before proceeding. The landlord may make a claim against your deposit to restore the property, and, without their written permission, it may be successful.

It’s inevitable, accidents will happen. Landlords understand that, and so do we. You should report the incident to the person in charge of property maintenance, whether it’s us or your landlord, as soon as you can. You will be expected to cover the associated repair or replacement cost, but it is important that you do not try to hide or ignore the damage. It could worsen over time, and it will only increase the effect on your deposit at the end of the tenancy.

If you believe your landlord is not keeping to their obligations, the first thing to do is to speak with us. As a letting agency, we have a duty of care for our tenants, as much as we have a duty to the landlord. We may be able to resolve any issues, it just depends on what agreement they have with us. Alternatively, you can always seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

No. Unless it is an emergency, a landlord must give their tenant notice before they enter the property.

If you are tied into a fixed term tenancy agreement, you will be liable for the rent and assorted utility bills on the property until the term expires. Once the tenancy expires, you will enter a ‘rolling contract’ phase, where you can negotiate either a new tenancy agreement or choose to end your tenancy. You should check your tenancy agreement to see if there is a notice period if you would like to end your tenancy. If there is not, and the tenancy agreement has expired, you can leave without providing notice,

Not necessarily. Once a tenancy, unless the landlord wishes to reclaim the property, you can enter a ‘rolling contract’ phase, where you continue to pay the rent agreed in the tenancy agreement each month and an negotiate a new tenancy with the landlord during this time. Bear in mind, the monthly rent may change on any new tenancy that might be agreed, but it cannot change while an agreement is in effect.

Landlords can reclaim their properties, however there is an established process they must follow. The landlord must serve the tenant with the appropriate notices, and they must show they have reasonable grounds for doing so, such as persistent late payment of rent, rental arrears, or a serious breach of the tenancy agreement. To find out more, click here to see our article on Grounds for Repossession. 

It is your responsibility to pay the rent each month, but we’re all aware circumstances can change with time. It’s important not to let any arrears become unmanageable. We advise speaking with the landlord, or ourselves, to see whether we may can work out a new payment schedule to give you more chance to sort out any financial issues. You can also get insurance against sickness and unemployment to keep yourself, and your family protected. Find out more here.

Short answer, yes. It’s vital to pay your rent in full and on time. Late payment or non-payment can negatively affect your credit score and lower your chances of any future credit, or a mortgage if you were to decide to buy a property, being given.