Guidance for Tenants

Application process

Once you have found your desired property, each person over the age of 18 years will be invited to complete and submit an application form to enable us to obtain references. To confirm your commitment to the application you will be required to remit £199.00 (per couple and multiples of £21.00 for any further applicants thereafter) in settlement of your share of the costs of preparing the tenancy agreement and administration of your application, and £35 (plus VAT) for the cost of the Check-in, meter readings and copy of inventory (for any full terms and conditions, please request these from our office).

References will be required from an employer (if employed), present or previous landlord/agent (if applicable) and a character referee (not a relative or the any previously nominated referee). A check for registration to the electoral role and a credit reference will also be applied for and a score of at least 700 will be sought, where 550 is very poor and 950 is very good. Should the credit score be particularly low and or adverse credit history is found, it is likely that your application will be unsuccessful.

Assuming that all references are satisfactory, your offer to rent the property will be submitted to our client landlord along with the references obtained. Assuming that the client landlord accepts your offer, Hose Rhodes Dickson Residential Lettings, will confirm acceptance with you, in writing, detailing the level instruction to which Hose Rhodes Dickson Residential Lettings has been appointed, the date for signing the tenancy agreement and a breakdown of the monies due on signing.

Once the tenancy agreement has been signed and you have remitted the initial monies, keys to the property will be issued to you and an appointment made with you for Check-in.

The Check-in will enable you to establish that state of the property at commencement of your tenancy, which will facilitate the Checkout process when you vacate the property and provide additional protection for your deposit.

A deposit will be required equal to £100.00 more than the agreed monthly rent (i.e. £500.00 rent = £600.00 deposit) and when renting property you should take measures to ensure that your deposit is safely registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to avoid discrepancies at the determination of the Tenancy Agreement. It is therefore essential that you minimise the risk by renting through a professional, accredited letting agent.

Hose Rhodes Dickson Residential Lettings is honoured to have attained accreditation by ARLA (Association of Residential Lettings Agents), which operates to provide a much-needed benchmark accreditation scheme to enable landlords and tenants to avoid the pitfalls of dealing with cowboy letting agents.

What is ARLA?

The Association of Residential Letting Agents, ARLA, is the only professional body that is solely concerned with the self-regulation of letting agents and for nearly 25 years has been actively promoting the highest standards across every aspect of residential lettings and management in the Private Rented Sector.
ARLA is viewed by government, consumer groups, academia, think tanks and the media as the leading voice in the industry. ARLA member firms are seen as being at the forefront of the Private Rented Sector, ready, willing and able to comply with existing and anticipated government legislation.
ARLA member firms successfully create, on average, over a quarter of a million new tenancies a year as well as arranging the renewal or extension of thousands more of existing tenancies every month.


Why Should A Landlord Or Tenant Seek Out An ARLA Member Firm?

Probity and Protection - ARLA leads the industry in setting and regulating the highest standards in the industry and demands certain levels of professionalism and commitment to customer service from its membership.

ARLA member firms are required to work within a robust Code of Practice, which covers the key stages in letting and managing a property. There are comprehensive membership Byelaws which include compliance with such issues as handling and accounting for Clients’ money; the mandatory ARLA Client Money Protection Bonding Scheme; Professional Indemnity Insurance; Dealing with Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures.

ARLA member firms are required to employ a minimum of at least one member of staff, in any office, who holds a suitable industry qualification, recognised by the Association.

ARLA keeps it members up to date with changes in legislation and provides wide-ranging training and guidance to help members understand and interpret all aspects of letting and managing a property.