Tenants: your questions answered

• What does ‘furnished’ really mean?
• What references and checks do you carry out?
• Once I’ve found a property I like, how soon can I move in?
• What does it cost to start a new tenancy?
• What costs am I responsible for during the tenancy?
• Is there a charge if I decide to stay in the property at the end of the tenancy?
• Are there any other hidden charges?
• How do I pay my rent?
• What happens if there is a problem with the property?
• How do I get my deposit back when I move out?
• What if I disagree with the amount of deposit my landlord is withholding?

What does ‘furnished’ really mean?

For a furnished property, the level of furnishing varies between one property and another, but most often it means there are basics like a table and chairs (if there is space), beds, wardrobes and perhaps a sofa. It very rarely means that you get everything right down to teaspoons, but it can happen.

Either way, all the soft furnishings will have been approved as fire-safe, and the gas appliances will have been checked and approved before a tenancy can begin. Learn more about a landlord’s responsibilities…

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What references and checks do you carry out?

When you have found a property you’d like to rent, we will ask you for a few things.

• From all applicants we ask for:
• two forms of identification
• reference from a previous landlord, or
• if you have not rented previously recently, we will usually ask you for a guarantor
• a reference (status enquiry) from your bank or an ‘Equifax’ credit search

• If you are working, we will ask for:
• a reference from your employer

• If you are in new employment, we may also ask for:
• a guarantor or previous employment references

• If you are self-employed we will:
• ask to see your most recent business accounts or request an accountant’s reference
• we may request a guarantor where there is no accounts history

• If you are a student we will need:
• a letter from your college or uni to confirm you are a student there
• a guarantor who guarantees the rent will be paid

Again this is only a general guide. Occasionally we vary these stipulations – either at our discretion, or at the request of the landlord or applicant – to ensure that a proper, but fair, check is made to verify the suitability of applicants for our landlords’ properties.

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Once I’ve found a property I like, how soon can I move in?

Once you’ve found a property you like, we will agree a moving-in date with you, which will normally be around two weeks later to allow time for the references and credit checks to be carried out.

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What does it cost to start a new tenancy?

When you have found a property you like, we’ll ask you for a £200 deposit which ensures we no longer market the property to any other applicants.

On moving in day, you will be required to pay:

• the balance of any deposit – usually equal to just over 1 month’s rent, less the £200 you paid when you agreed to take the property
• the first month’s rent in advance
• our administration fees of £150 plus vat per adult (this covers the cost of preparing the tenancy agreements and taking up references. It also covers your check-out costs, which some agents charge extra for).

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What costs am I responsible for during the tenancy?

As the tenant you are usually responsible for:

• all bills for electricity and gas (if present), water, and council tax
• bills for telephone, broadband or cable TV if you want these
• insuring your own possessions in the property
• repair of any appliances that the tenant has had installed
• keeping the property clean and in good condition

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Is there a charge if I decide to stay in the property at the end of the tenancy?

At Cambridge Residential we don’t think it’s right or fair to charge outrageous fees for renewing a tenancy, so we simply charge £35 plus VAT (that’s for the tenancy, not per person) to cover our administration time.

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Are there any other hidden charges?

No. All the costs as listed in the questions above. We like to treat our tenants fairly and honourably.

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How do I pay my rent?

The first month’s rent is paid at the start of the tenancy, by cash or banker’s draft on the day, or if you are paying by cheque this must have cleared before we can let you have access to the property.

Further months’ rent should be paid by standing order either to your landlord or to us, and you will be given details of which to do at the start of the tenancy.

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What happens if there is a problem with the property?

The landlord is usually responsible for:

• the hot water, heating system, pipes, electricity (but they won’t change lightbulbs for you!)
• the structure of the building, ie walls, roof
• any appliances that were included with the property

If the problem is with one of these items, then either call Cambridge Residential or your landlord – depending on which of our services your landlord has opted for, which you will have been told at the beginning of the tenancy.

If the problems is with something else, it will normally be up to you to sort it out, although if it is causing damage or sufferance to the property you should again call Cambridge Residential

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How do I get my deposit back when I move out?

When you come to leave the property, an inventory clerk will come to do the ‘check out’, comparing the condition of the property and any contents to the inventory made at the start of the tenancy.

If there are no dilapidations, your deposit will be returned within 5 working days.

If the inventory identifies that dilapidations have occurred during your tenancy, your landlord may choose to withhold some of your deposit to cover the costs. In most cases, the amount to be withheld will be agreed between the tenant and the landlord, assisted by Cambridge where necessary, and the balance will be returned to you.

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What if I disagree with the amount of deposit my landlord is withholding?

If you cannot agree with your landlord over the amount withheld to cover dilapidations, the dispute will be dealt with by The Dispute Service (TDS), an independent body approved by the government to adjudicate disputed deposits. By law all disputed deposits have to be dealt with in this way.

Under their rules, you as the tenant have 20 working days to tell us that you wish to dispute the proposed withholding, and we as the agent have 10 working days to resolve it. At this point, the disputed amount is transferred to TDS so they have control over it.

TDS will copy the details of the dispute to the other parties, giving them 10 working days to send in their side of the story. TDS will aim to issue an adjudication within 28 days of receiving all the necessary paperwork, and the disputed amount will be paid out in accordance with the adjudication within a further 10 working days.

Learn more about how TDS resolve disputes…

If you have any more questions, please contact Cambridge Residential