Tenants Guide & Fees
Looking to move rentals? The team at Castles Estate Agency can help you with that.
With decades of industry experience, we can take the hassle out of flat hunting and are always delighted to make recommendations and help clients into their new homes.
What Can You Afford?
Take the time to review your current financial circumstances and make sure you are confident you can cover your monthly rental payments. Factor in all costs, including bills. It’s also important to review the council tax prices in your chosen area.
Where Do You Want To Live?
Talk to the friendly team of estate agents at Castles about which areas have the highest level of tenant demand and which hidden gems are available that you might not know about. We love showing off properties in our local communities.
Register On The Castles Website
By registering on our website, you will receive immediate notifications when a new property in your desired area becomes available. Once registered, one of our friendly team will be in touch to talk you through the finer details and arrange viewings.
Viewings And More Viewings
Once you’ve created a list of ‘must-haves’ for your ideal home, simply get in contact and we can arrange viewings at the properties we believe would be suitable for you.
How Will You Get About?
We can let you know about the nearest transport links, the parking restrictions in the area, and if there is good storage for pushbikes at the properties you have shortlisted.
Do You Have Contents Insurance?
We can provide you with an inventory list for all of items within your property, but we also recommend you look at contents insurance options to make sure your things are safe. Landlords do not cover your items under their rental insurance.
Check Your Tenancy Agreement
Once you’ve found the perfect home and we have agreed in principle on the monthly rental, then you’ll be sent a tenancy agreement to review. Make sure you read this in detail, so you know exactly which rules apply. Once both parties have signed your agreement, keep it in a safe place to refer back to later just in case.
Payment
You will need to pay your deposit and first month’s rent in advance. We will show you how to do this and will keep your deposit safe in accordance with TDS.
Tenant Fees & Permitted Payments
- Holding deposits – a maximum of 1 week’s rent.
- Deposits – a maximum deposit of 5 weeks’ rent for annual rent below £50,000, or 6 weeks’ rent for an annual rental of £50,000 and above.
- Payments for a variation or change to a tenancy agreement – £50 inclusive of VAT.
- Payments associated with early termination of a tenancy – capped at the landlord’s loss or the agent’s reasonably incurred costs.
- Utilities, communication services (e.g., telephone, broadband) TV licence, council tax.
- Interest payments for the late payment of rent – can be charged up to 3% over the Bank of England base rate.
- Reasonable costs for the replacement of lost keys or other security devices.