Reserving a property
Having selected a property with Key-Lets you will be asked to
fill in an application form. In order to reserve the accommodation
an Application Fee will have to be paid with the application form.
Please ensure that the first page of the application is signed
together with the declarations found within the application.
Key-Lets use referencing agencies to carry out a full credit
check, employers and landlord reference for which an fee is
charged per applicant/guarantor. Until the Application Fee is paid Key-Lets is unable to reserve
the accommodation, and the property will continue to be advertised.
At the application stage the following information is agreed
with the landlord via Key-Lets: -
- The rent and surety deposit is confirmed.
- The date of the commencement of the tenancy.
- The duration of the Tenancy i.e. 6 or 12 months.
- Any other questions you may have relating to the Tenancy.
If I later decide not to take the property will I
lose my Application Fee?
Yes, application fees are non-returnable.
Applying for a property
REFERENCING
Key-Lets will take up full references for all prospective tenants
which include:
Employer Reference
Landlord Reference
Credit Check and/or other proof of income
What if I cannot provide references?
Where the tenant is a student, where there are other doubts over
an ability to pay the rent or where references are unobtainable
(for example through the applicant returning to the UK from abroad)
then a Guarantor will be required.
Your Guarantor will underwrite the lease obligations for the full
life of the contract and will therefore be required to sign your
lease. Moreover your Guarantor must have been in full time employment
for a minimum of one year and have a clean credit record.
Normally the Guarantor would be the applicant’s parent,
other relative or possibly an employer. The Guarantor will be
responsible for paying for any monies outstanding as a result
of the Tenancy. Therefore it is very important for the tenant
not to over stretch himself or herself when looking for a property
to avoid any liabilities on the Guarantor.
What if I claim help with my rent?
Where the tenant is in employment and in receipt of working families
tax credit the tenant is referenced in the same way as any other
working tenant. However a Guarantor may be sought to support the
lease. Tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit will require a Guarantor
to support the lease for those properties that will consider DSS
assistance.
Lease procedure
What will I have to pay when signing the lease?
Rents are quoted on a calendar month basis (e.g. £ 40.00
per week x 52 * weeks a year / 12 months = £ 173.33 pcm).
When signing the lease the tenant will have to provide one
month’s rent in advance along with the surety deposit.
This sum is
payable only in cash or alternatively payment in advance can be
made via bank transfer only on the basis that there are cleared
funds when the lease is signed. You will be required to pay your subsequent
rents by standing order. Tenants will not be able to move into the
property without cleared funds.
What kind of contract will I sign?
A Short Assured Tenancy Agreement is the standard form of lease
used by Key-Lets for the letting of rented property. These tenancies
were introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 and run for
either six or twelve months. The majority of Key-Lets properties
are long-term lets. Once you have entered into a Tenancy Agreement you are legally
bound to the contract until the end of the Tenancy Agreement.
Can the tenant leave during the tenancy?
Tenants that wish to terminate their tenancy before the expiry
of the lease continue to pay the rent until a suitable tenant is found
to release them from the contract, subject to the Landlord's
permission. Key-Lets Landlord’s are protected
through rental and legal insurance therefore failing to meet
your obligations under the lease can have expensive
repercussions.
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