Tenant Terms & Fees

Posted on October 8th, 2014.

Tenancy fees and terms for tenants – Short Lets.

  • A minimum of a four weeks deposit must be paid in advance for all short let rentals that exceed 60 days duration.
  • For short let rentals all moving in monies have to be paid in advance for the duration of the tenancy.
  • Long/Short Let Rentals – Mid tenancy to end of tenancy
  • Tenant/Occupant change Fee £50 + VAT per person
  • Deposit- where our client landlord is not a member of any insurance based or custodial scheme, such monies will be held Ashmore Estates Limited as stakeholder in an insurance based scheme TDS (Tenancy deposit scheme).

 

Tenancy fees and terms for tenants – Long Lets :

Administration fees

Should you wish to terminate your tenancy before the end of the fixed term and the landlord agrees that you can terminate early, you will be responsible for the repayment of the pro-rata commission paid in advance by the landlord for the unexpired portion of the tenancy, unless you are exercising a break clause which is contained in your tenancy agreement.

It is your obligation to obtain written consent from the landlord for any change in the identity of the tenants. Upon receipt of this consent Ashmore Residential will draw up a tenancy agreement for signature by all parties. 

An administration fee of £25  will be charged for each letter sent by Ashmore Residential regarding late or non-payment of rent or administration charges.

Renewal of tenancy

Please contact us in advance if you wish to extend your tenancy. If the tenancy is renewed.

Payment of rent

The first instalment of rent must be paid in cleared funds when you sign the tenancy agreement. Thereafter, rent is payable by standing order (unless agreed otherwise) to arrive on the due date as stated in the tenancy agreement. This means that the standing order must be set up so that the funds leave your account three days in advance of when the rent is due. The full rent must be paid by a single standing order, we are unable to accept multiple standing orders.

Deposit

A deposit equivalent to five weeks rent must be paid in cleared funds when you sign the tenancy agreement and is held by Ashmore Estates Limited as Stakeholder for the duration of the tenancy in accordance with the terms of the tenancy. Ashmore Estates Limited will register the deposit monies with a deposit protection scheme on the landlord’s behalf. This excludes liability in relation to loss caused by the insolvency of a financial institution which holds deposits in its contracts with landlords and tenants. All deposit deductions must be agreed in writing by both landlord and tenant upon the termination of the tenancy. The tenancy agreement entered into is between the landlord and the tenant and therefore, the tenant cannot hold Ashmore Estates Limited liable for any deductions made from the deposit which may fall into dispute. The deposit sum is held in a non interest bearing account.

References/identification

We will take up references based on the details that you have supplied to us. These references will be passed to our client and placed under review for approval so that they can make a decision on granting a tenancy. 

Before the tenancy can proceed you need to provide us with a photo ID in the form of a passport or EU driving licence or current valid work permit or Visa if you are from a country that is outside of the European Economic area. The Visa/work permit must be valid for the duration of the tenancy that you are applying for. 

Check-in and check-out

Ashmore Residential will be instructed by the landlord as to what arrangements are to be made for the inventory and check-in. The landlord will be responsible for the cost of the inventory and check-in and check-out. We advise you to make yourself available for the check-in and check-out. You will be required to sign the declaration at the time of check-in to certify your acceptance of the condition of the property and its contents/fixtures and fittings. 

Management of the property

At the start of the tenancy we will advise you who is responsible for managing the property. Where we are not managing the property we cannot authorise any repairs or maintenance or guarantee the speed at which repairs will be carried out. Where we are managing the property, we must  obtain the landlord’s consent before proceeding with a repairs or maintenance work.

Where we manage a property and hold keys, we can usually provide access to contractors (with your permission). However, where we do not hold keys or the contractor is not willing to collect keys it will be the tenant’s responsibility to provide access.

Insurance

It is your responsibility to insure your own belongings throughout the tenancy.

Utilities

You will be responsible for the payment of telephone/broadband, gas, water and electricity accounts at the property during your tenancy, as well as the council tax. It is your responsibility to notify the relevant companies and the local authority that you are moving into/out of the property. You are also responsible for ensuring that a valid television licence remains in place for the duration of the tenancy. Utility companies will also always require the occupant to provide access for any visit.

Taxation

If you pay rent directly to your landlord’s bank account and your landlord is resident overseas, you will be responsible for applying the provisions of the HM Revenue and Customs Non-Resident Landlords scheme for taxing UK rental income and should ask us for advice on this. These provisions do not apply where you are paying your rent to Ashmore Residential or if the managing agent is based in the UK.

Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

Ashmore Residential is subject to the Money Laundering Regulations 2007. As a result we will need to ask you for suitable identification, and will be unable to proceed with any work on your behalf if we are unable to obtain this from you.

Complaints Procedure

Should you have any problems with  our service which you are unable to resolve with the Negotiator involved or the branch/department Manager, you should write to the company  Director for the area/department in question. This complaint will be acknowledged within two working days of receipt and an investigation undertaken. A formal written outcome of the investigation will be sent to you within 10 working days.

A written statement expressing Ashmore Residential’s final view will be sent to you and will include any offer made. This letter will confirm that you are entitled, if dissatisfied, to refer the matter to The Property Ombudsman (TPO) within 12 months for a review. For the avoidance of doubt, TPO will only review complaints made by consumers.

If you remain dissatisfied, you can then contact The Property Ombudsman to request an independent review:
The Property Ombudsman Ltd
Milford House, 43-45 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2BP
01722 333 306
www.tpos.co.uk

Please note the following:
You will need to submit your complaint to The Property Ombudsman within 12 months of receiving our final viewpoint letter, including any evidence to support your case.
The Property Ombudsman requires that all complaints are addressed through this in-house complaints procedure, before being submitted for an independent review.

 

Ashmore Residential is a member of ARLA Propertymark. As a member Agent, we have adhere to strict code of conduct and hold Professional Indemnity Insurance and have Client Money Protection Bonding (CMP).All Client Money is held in a separate ring-fenced account that is fully audited each year under the ARLA Propertymark Regulations.
Client Money Protection (CMP) is provided by ARLA Propertymark – Association of Residential Letting Agents.

Click here to see our certificate.

See link for our Client Money Handling Procedures.