Russell & Butler TENANTS INFORMATION SHEET

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1 TENANTS INFORMATION SHEET Please keep this simple guide to hand as a reference when looking to apply for a Tenancy through Russell and Butler Ltd. We also attach a copy of our Tenants Fees. Once you have registered your details with us we will be able for arrange for you to view properties that are within you criteria, should you then wish to proceed with an application to rent the following process will be followed:- Initial Payment A set up fee of (inc VAT) becomes payable in order for an application to be processed, we also require a holding fee equivalent to a minimum of 25% of one month s rent of the property for which you are making an application. Should a Guarantor be required an additional fee of ( plus VAT) will apply. A property can only be held for you once this payment has been received. Should your application not be successful or you choose to cancel your application the payment will not be refundable, should the application be cancelled on behalf of the Landlord you will be reimbursed accordingly. Referencing Rent To Salary Ratio Our referencing agency require all applicants to be earning either a sole or joint gross annual income, (before the deduction of tax & national insurance) of 32 times the monthly rent. Right To Rent With effect from the 1 st February 2016, it is a legal requirement for all landlords/agents of private rental accommodation in England to carry out Right to Rent checks for new tenancy agreements, in order to determine whether occupiers aged 18 and over have the right to live in the UK legally. Under Section 22 of the Immigration Act 2014 a landlord must not authorise an adult to occupy property as their only or main home under a residential tenancy agreement unless the adult is a British citizen, or European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national, or has a Right to Rent in the UK. For British Citizens we are required by Law to see an original of a passport and make a copy of this, this original document must be produced by the holder in person to a member of staff in order to verify this. Employment Status Information about the applicant s current employment and salary information are obtained from the employer in writing. Employers are asked for confirmation of the applicant's position, status (full/part-time, permanent/temporary), length of service and salary. Employment history covering 3 years is, where possible, checked and verified. In the event that a previous employer no longer exists payslips / P60 s / P45 s are requested. Applicants may, depending on circumstances and other information provided be required to produce Contracts of Employment. If an applicant is self-employed a reference will be obtained from their accountant and where possible certified copies of their most recent accounts or tax returns. Other proof of income, such as bank statements may also be requested to confirm income. Other Income - In all cases documentation is required to support information in respect of other income i.e. pensions, investments, family credits, savings.

2 Verification of Address or Addresses Proof of current and previous addresses/residency is required for each applicant. We are able to confirm information supplied through the use of specialist data bases including information from Voters Rolls. In the event that this information is not available applicants will also require you to provide proof of addresses by means of acceptable documents such as utility bills, bank statements (we do not accept mobile phone bills as proof of residence) County Court Judgments IVA s & Bankruptcy Data Each applicant and related address supplied is searched for CCJ's, Bankruptcy and IVA data. Bank Account Validation The Information provided by the applicant is verified to be valid and correct. Landlord/Letting Agent Reference - If the applicant is currently in rented accommodation enquiries in writing will be made to the landlord/letting agent in respect of the applicants conduct. In some cases sight of the current tenancy agreement will be requested. Assessment of Affordability - From the information provided and verified every applicant or guarantor is individually assessed using a rent to earnings ratio and taking account of income and existing commitments to confirm their ability, at the time of the referencing being carried out, to meet the rent payments. The applicant s bank statements will highlight their lifestyle and affordability. We are able to see how much the applicant receives in their account each month ie. wages, pensions etc., what day they receive it and where the money is coming from. We check rental payments going out and any other recurring monthly expenses. Affordability is key. Guarantors - Once we have verified the information given by an applicant and have assessed the rent affordability we may recommend a guarantor. There are many reasons for this such as current employment is within a probationary period, applicant is a student or on low income, has just started their own business and financial information is not yet available, there are breaks in employment history. Please note, Guarantors must either be a mother, father, aunt or uncle of the applicant and be a permanent UK resident. Overseas Applicants Passports, work permits and visas of applicants from overseas are checked and verified. Company Applications - References are obtained from accountants together with most recent set of management accounts. Companies House search /verification and copies of last filed accounts. Companies are required to ensure that all occupiers of the property have a Right to Rent in the UK and undertake any necessary checks as required under the legislation advised above. All guarantors are subject to the same referencing checks and assessment as applicants

3 Student Applications All students are generally required to pay all of their rental monies in advance for the term of their fixed term contract required, we will also require a letter from the University confirming acceptance on a course, together with a copy of your passport and, if a Non-EU Resident, sight of your Visa. WE MUST SEE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND THESE MUST BE SHOWN TO A MEMBER OF STAFF BY THE APPLICANT IN PERSON TO VERIFY THIS. ALL STUDENTS PAYING ADVANCED RENT FOR THE TERM MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF AVAILABLE FUNDS IN A UK BANK ACCOUNT BEFORE WE CAN PROCEED WITH TAKING A HOLDING FEE ON A TENANCY. Address history We require proof of your address by way of utility bills, council tax statement or current tenancy agreement. Identification We require photographic ID for each individual applying for a tenancy. This must be in the form of a current and valid passport or UK driving license. Bank statement We require 3 months bank statements which are no more than 3 months old. If you are unable to supply the documentation above please discuss the options available to you with a member of our staff. What does moving in cost? Below is a an example of the payments required based on a rental amount of 800 per calendar month: Initial Payment Set up fee Holding fee 25% of 1 months rent Payment on Move in Balance of 1 st months rent Dilapidations deposit Total Total Moving in to the property On the day you take over the property it will be necessary for you to sign your tenancy agreement and pay your move in monies in the form of a bank transfer, (if you have not already paid in advance). Our bank details can be found on your Tenancy Application Form. Please note we will require to be in receipt of cleared funds at least one working day prior to your move in, to ensure that funds are in place for your tenancy to commence.

4 Utility notifications Once you have signed your tenancy agreement and the tenancy has commenced, we will notify Gas, Electricity, Water & Council Tax companies where relevant with all ingoing meter readings taken, requesting that they set up accounts in your name. We use the services of an online company, iammoving.com, who will also contact you once your tenancy has commenced, in order to provide you with a free, independent and impartial quote on any of the new home serves that you require, including utilities, phone, TV and broadband. They are Ofgem regulated and have years of experience in finding the best deals available. Please note you are required to ensure you have arranged TV Licensing in the property should you wish to watch or record television programmes as they re being shown on TV. This includes the use of devices such as a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box and DVD/VHS recorder. Dilapidations Deposit As of 6 April 2007 all Tenants Deposits must be protected using a government authorised protection scheme. If we are managing the property, your deposit will be protected under the Deposit Protection Service (DPS). For further details please log on to At the start of the tenancy you will be provided with a copy of the inventory & schedule of condition together with digital photographs, for which you will have 5 working days in which to note any amendments and return your amended copy to us. A further signed copy of the inventory will be held on file in our office. If there are no amendments to the inventory to be made there is no requirement to return this. Please note that all student applications are required to provide the equivalent of two months rent as a Dilapidations Deposit. Maintenance Should any problems arise with the structure of the property the Landlord will be responsible for any repair costs. In the event of any maintenance problems you are required to contact our office if we are managing the property and the Landlord if it is a basic managed property. We will arrange for the necessary repairs to be undertaken when authorised to do so by the Landlord. You are NOT permitted to instruct your own contractors or undertake the repairs yourself. However, if anything goes wrong due to misuse or neglect it will be your responsibility to pay for any repairs or replacements. Likewise should we organise for a contractor to visit the property to carry out any maintenance works (by prior arrangement with yourself) and you fail to be at the property, or deny him access, any abortive call out fee will be passed over to yourself. Property Checks Once you have moved into a property that we are managing, we will undertake an initial visit two months after your occupation, we will then undertake these approximately every three months. You will receive a letter approximately two weeks prior to our visit. These inspections are to confirm

5 that the property is being kept in a clean and tidy condition and to report any maintenance items to your Landlord. Vacating at the end of the Tenancy During the last 6-8 weeks and remaining part of your tenancy you are to allow viewings to take place for future tenants. All viewings will be accompanied by Russell and Butler staff and you do not have to be present. We will always provide you with a minimum of 24 hours notice and will never enter a property without your prior authority. On the termination of your tenancy, the inventory and schedule of condition will be checked once again. This is important as it gives an accurate assessment of any dilapidations that have occurred during your tenancy (fair wear and tear excepted). The property is expected to be delivered back in the same condition as per the ingoing inventory, allowing for any reasonable fair wear & tear, any items of furniture belonging to the Landlord must be placed back in the same rooms as per the ingoing inventory also. Please note that if pets have been at the property then the carpets/flooring will have to be professionally sanitised, de-odourised and flea treated by the cleaning company. We will need to see the original invoice to confirm this has been done. Please note that you should not rely on Russell & Butler to attend to items on your behalf once your tenancy has ended. Should a property not be delivered back in the same condition as per the ingoing inventory, allowing for any agreed fair wear & tear and Russell & Butler are required to arrange works to the property, a fee to arrange any works required on behalf of the tenant will become chargeable. Conclusion We trust the above information will be of use to you whilst you are looking for a new home. Should there be any points you would like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to ask us. We agree to the terms in the Tenants Information Sheet and acknowledge all fees as specified in the Fees To Tenants Sheet Signed by.. Please print name.. Signed by... Please print name... Date..