All deposits received by an agent or Landlord on any Assured Shorthold Tenancy after 6.4.07 must by Law be protected in one of the three schemes authorized by the Government for this purpose. You will be advised which scheme your deposit is to be held in as part of the tenancy completion process and given full details of the scheme in case of any disputes over how the deposit should be allocated at the end of the tenancy.

Moving In

Appointments to move into the property can only take place during office hours and on the day of moving into your property you will need to bring further monies to cover any other fees such as for pets and the security deposit if not already paid and between 2 and 6 weeks rent depending on the exact tenancy commencement date. Our local office will confirm to you verbally the exact amount payable by you and if time permits will also advise you in writing. Please note these monies MUST be paid in cash, Building Society counter cheque or by Bankers draft - personal cheques will NOT be accepted.

Please also note that in order to avoid embarrassment and additional costs under no circumstances will tenants be checked into a property unless and until all necessary fees and payments have been paid in full and by way of cleared funds and all tenants are able to sign the necessary legal documentation before the legal commencement of the tenancy i.e. taking up authorised occupancy.

Checking into the Property

The check-in will either take place at the property where the inventory will also be agreed or at our offices in which case if tenants then check themselves in they will have up to 5 days in which to raise any queries on the inventory which they will also have been asked to sign. Tenants are also advised that although BT points and TV aerial or cable points may be present, there is no guarantee they are ‘live’ and it is the Tenants responsibility to make these active if attention is needed to them. One set of keys will be handed over and if you require extra keys this must be advised, they will be cut at your expense and must be handed back to Castle Estates when you vacate the property.

The Tenancy Agreement

The Tenancy Agreement will be drawn up for a period of time agreed with you, though the initial term will usually be 6 or 12 months. Provided the tenancy has been conducted satisfactorily and if your Landlord is prepared to renew your tenancy at the end of the initial fixed period you may be offered a Renewal Tenancy.  If this happens then depending on the Landlord’s instructions to us we will discuss this with you and then ask you to sign a new tenancy agreement and any other necessary formal papers and confirm to you any fee payable as per our tariff of fees.

This process will be repeated every time a new tenancy agreement is offered to you.

Who may occupy the Property?

Only those named on the tenancy agreement as tenants and members of those tenants immediate family may occupy the property. The tenancy may not be transferred to any other third party.

When You Can Leave

Your tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract; it is for a fixed duration and you cannot give notice to vacate before the expiry date.

Giving Notice

Tenants must give their notice in accordance with the tenancy agreement and the Law relating to a tenant's ability to give notice.

Check Out Appointment

We will arrange to meet you at the property to carry out the check-out, verify the condition of the property and read the meters. You will be required to return all sets of keys at this meeting; you will be charged on a daily basis until all keys and possession are surrendered.
You must be ready to leave the property and all of your personal effects and your furniture must be removed.  If your property has been professionally cleaned prior to your moving in we may charge you for a professional clean when you vacate.

Deposit Return

If your tenancy was an Assured Shorthold Tenancy and if the deposit is registered with a Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme as referred to at the top of page 2 above then we will need to agree any deductions with you and then both you and the landlord (or ourselves on their behalf) are required to sign a form confirming your mutual agreement to any such deductions. The deposit can then be paid out accordingly.

You will receive much more information from us on this within 14 days of paying your deposit, but please note if a dispute arises between landlord and tenant then none of the deposit can be released until either the matter is resolved and the necessary form signed or else the dispute has been referred to the TDP scheme Administrator or the Courts and an independent decision on apportionment of the deposit has been reached.

In everyone’s best interests therefore we would therefore urge your prompt and continued cooperation at the end of the tenancy in order to agree any such deductions.

Fees and Charges

We reserve the right to charge certain minimum charges. Please note that a fee will be charged for any appointment(s) not kept by the Tenant. The fee will be dependant on the costs incurred as a result of any appointment not being kept.

Contents Insurance

Tenants are advised to have their own contents insurance for their personal possessions. These items will not be covered by the Landlord’s insurance if the property is broken into or subjected to flooding, fire etc. However more importantly having a tenant’s contents policy will enable you to cover the Landlord’s goods against accidental damage by you and will also provide you with Public Liability cover which is essential should a substantial claim ever be made against you.

Neither Castle Estates nor your landlord can accept any liability for a tenant’s failure to have their personal possessions fully insured, protection against accidental damage to the Landlord’s goods, or a lack of Public Liability cover.

Utility, Telephone, Broadband, Media Providers and Council Tax

It is the tenant’s responsibility to arrange for the transfer of utility, telephone, broadband, Media providers and council tax accounts into their name.

Payment of Rent

Your tenancy agreement is a legally binding document which requires you to pay the rent in full in cleared funds on the rent due dates. Failure to do this means that you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement

*You may not use the deposit held by us as payment for your final rental payment.*

Repairs and Maintenance

Should you experience any problem with either the structure or contents (provided by the landlord) of the property, please contact our office immediately during office hours and we will arrange for one of our approved contractors to investigate the problem.

In certain circumstances, and normally where any work required is substantial, either in terms of cost or magnitude, it may be necessary to obtain more than one quotation from contractors, or to instruct a surveyor to assess the nature of the problem so that it can be resolved effectively.

If a contractor attends to a problem that the tenant has reported and the fault is due to lack of care or misuse, the tenant will be charged for the cost of putting it right.

Maintaining the Property

The tenant is responsible for normal household maintenance at the property just as if they owned the property instead of renting it. Normal day to day occurrences happen as a result of living in a property whether it is owned or rented, and so issues such as replacing light bulbs, cleaning windows, cutting lawns, maintaining hedges and borders, keeping all guttering and drains clear from leaves and blockages, the removal of such pests as fleas, ants, wasps, etc. and any other tasks have been ruled as being normal household management and therefore tenant responsibility.
If there is a garden with your property you must keep it in good seasonal order. You must not uproot established trees and shrubs and you must not remove lawns as already laid at the commencement of your tenancy.

Inspections

Inspections may be carried out on the property by our staff at any time, but the tenant will be notified of the time and date of the proposed inspection, and have the option of being present at the inspection.

Gas Appliances

By law the landlord must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and subsequent associated legislation. The landlord must have all gas systems, appliances and flues checked at least every 12 months by a CORGI registered engineer. These regulations do not apply to gas appliances owned by tenants for example a gas cooker. The tenant will be provided with a copy of the gas safety certificate provided by the inspecting engineer.

Tenant decorations and alterations

The landlord wants the property to be treated as the tenants own home. However, the landlord’s consent must be obtained prior to any redecoration or alterations being carried out. Failure to comply with this may result in you being charged the cost of returning the property to its original condition at the end of your tenancy.

Lost Keys

If a tenant loses house keys, whatever the circumstances, they are responsible for the cost of replacement and the cost of having additional sets cut is to be borne by the tenant. If a lock change is required as a result of the tenant losing a key they will be charged the cost of the lock change. If the tenant occupies a flat in a block which has a common entrance door key they will also be charged the cost of providing all occupiers in the block with new keys.
It is the responsibility of the tenant, to repair and/or re-glaze any windows or glazing broken at the property.

The Emergency Helpline is only available out of office hours and is to assist you in the event of a real emergency. When telephoning the Emergency Maintenance Helpline please give as much information as to the type of emergency.  You will need to give your name, full address and contact telephone numbers.

PLEASE NOTE THAT INFORMING THE EMERGENCY HELPLINE OF A PROBLEM DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE DEALT WITH OUTSIDE NORMAL WORKING HOURS. THE HELPLINE IS PROVIDED PRIMARILY TO DEAL WITH REAL EMERGENCIES – FOR EXAMPLE GAS LEAKS OR MAJOR WATER LEAKS. ALL STANDARD MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO OUR OFFICE DURING NORMAL OFFICE HOURS.