Daunted by the prospect of renting? Willow Letting can help. We will steer you through the entire process, answer all your questions and help to make your move as stress free as possible. We find homes for all sorts of tenants across Bristol and know when it’s done well, renting can be a great flexible way to live.
Our team has a wealth of experience when it comes to looking after tenants. We want our tenants to have a great experience when they rent with us so we know our job goes far beyond showing you properties. We will take you through the legal side of renting, explain your tenant rights for example, prior to renting. Run through property inspections and will be on hand if anything goes wrong
Frequently asked questions
We now have an FAQ list that we hope will help you answer some of the more common ones.
1. What does referencing involve?
The tenant referencing process is nothing to worry about. When you apply to rent a property you need to provide a few details to ensure that you are able to commit to the monthly rental payments. You will need to give details of your employer and income, previous address and some bank account details.
2. What identification is required?
You will be required to provide some form of identification as part of the referencing process. We need to be sure that you are who you say you are, you are over the age of 18 and that you are legally permitted to reside within the UK. Suitable ID documents include a passport, a national identity card or driving licence of which we will take a photocopy. To provide proof of residency a utility bill, bank statement or council tax bill for the last 3 months will suffice.
3. Do I need to pay a deposit?
As a tenant you are entrusted by the landlord to keep the property in good condition and in good order. The deposit is held to ensure that any excessive damage (over and above fair wear and tear) can be made right at the end of the tenancy.
4. What happens to my deposit?
All deposits paid by tenants must be registered with an approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. Willow Letting will register the deposit on your behalf. The deposit is then either held by the landlord, us (the agent) or the deposit scheme itself. You will receive details of the scheme, explaining where the deposit is held.
This is in place to protect your money and to protect the landlord’s property against possible damage which can be checked against the inventory at the end of the tenancy.
5. What is a tenancy agreement?
A tenancy agreement is a contract between a tenant and landlord. It’s a legally binding document that outlines all the rules to which both parties must comply.
6. How do I pay my rent?
You will be asked to set up a monthly standing order with you bank for the monthly rental payments. This will be payable each month in advance and will be collected on a set date as stated in the tenancy agreement.
7. Who is responsible for repairs?
The landlord is responsible for all repairs and maintenance of the property. This will include any appliances. They will either take care of this directly, or do so via us the letting agent. You will be informed who to go to if/when there is a fault at the start of your letting agreement.
You must make sure that you take good care of the property and its’ contents as you may be liable for the cost of any damage or repairs if you do not. If you do damage the property you will be expected to cover the cost of putting this right.
8. Will the landlord enter the property?
Periodically landlords or us as the letting agents will require access to the property to carry out maintenance or general property inspections. You must be given at least 24 hours’ notice. The only exception to this is if access is required for an emergency. This is extremely rare, and if waiting the required time would be negligent to the property, tenant or landlord – a large leakage repair for example.