As a prospective tenant we would recommend you deal with a reputable letting agent such as ourselves. As members of the Council of Letting Agents as well as the ARLA we are bound to treat tenants in a responsible and professional manner, observing their rights, just as we do when acting for our Landlord clients.
If you are considering letting a property through Paul Rolfe Sales & Lettings, you will find the following information helpful, it explains the processes at the beginning and end of your tenancy.
Starting a tenancy
- If you wish to proceed with an application you will be asked to pay your deposit, usually equal to one months rent plus £300. If for any reason at all your tenancy does not proceed, all of the deposit will be refunded to you.
- You will be contacted via email by our referencing company who will ask you to complete an on line application which is used to verify your credit rating, verify your employment details and obtain a reference from your existing Landlord
- Before signing a lease you will be asked to provide us with photographic ID.
- Subject to successful referencing you will be sent a draft lease by email and you will be required to confirm back by email that you have read the terms and conditions in the lease.
- At the point you sign the lease and pick up keys we require payment of the first month’s rent. This can be done either by bank transfer which has cleared into our account, or authorised debit card payment.
- You will be asked to set up a standing order to pay your rent. The date the rent leaves your account needs to one day earlier than the due date, so that it arrives in our account on the due date, which is normally the day in the month your lease started.
- We will take meter readings and inform utility companies of the readings. We will also contact the relevant council tax office. You will be responsible for utilities and council tax from the day your lease starts.
Deposits
Your deposit will be lodged by us with the companies approved by the Scottish Executive, who will hold it in trust for you.
At the beginning of your tenancy you will sign and be given an inventory of the condition and contents of the property.
This will be referred to at the end of your tenancy at the exit inspection. The best way to ensure you receive your full deposit back is to ensure you return the property to us in the same condition it was in when your tenancy started.
It is essential you return all sets of keys at the exit inspection, or before if you are not going to be present.
We try hard to resolve any exit inspection issues and reach agreement between Landlords and Tenants as quickly as possible. Once agreement is reached we can authorise release of the deposit to you.
Our residential letting agency services are provided through Paul Rolfe Letting, a partnership wholly associated with Paul Rolfe Estates Limited.