Please be aware that in order to pass our referencing criteria ideally you should be in permanent employment with an annual income in excess of 30 x the monthly rental. For example, on a property rental of £1,000 per calendar month you would require an annual income of £30,000 (30 x £1,000 = £30,000).

Reservation Fee

Please submit your offer to us in writing. Once Cedar Estates have confirmed that your offer has been accepted (subject to contract and references), the equivalent of one weeks’ rent will become due and held by Cedar Estates until the commencement of the Tenancy; this fee is non-refundable in the event that the applicant(s) do not proceed with the Tenancy.  When the Tenancy proceeds the reservation fee will be offset against the ‘moving in monies’ due to be paid in cleared funds. Should you offer be rejected by the Landlord, any monies paid will become fully refundable (less any bank charges, if applicable) once we are in receipt of cleared funds.

If an application is declined by our referencing company, either with or without a guarantor, then the property will be put back onto the market for re-letting.  Under these circumstances, the reservation fee less reference fee(s) of £15.60 per application will be refunded.

Initial Rent Payment and Security Deposit

Subject to contract, once all relevant references have been approved, arrangements will be made for you to sign the Tenancy Agreement and other relevant documents prior to your move-in date and pay balance of moving in monies.  You may be asked to sign the Tenancy Agreement and other relevant documents electronically.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING MONIES MUST BE REMITTED TO US WITHIN 5 WORKING DAY OF YOUR OFFER BEING ACCEPTED:

• First Rent Instalment – less Reservation Fee
•  Damage Deposit – If the rent is less than £50,000 per year : Five weeks’ rent. This covers damages or defaults on the part of the tenant during the tenancy. If the rent is more than £50,000 per year : Six weeks’ rent. This covers damages or defaults on the part of the tenant during the tenancy.

Our bank details are as follows:     Barclays Bank,   Sort Code:  20-71-64, Account Number: 33283402,  Name of Account: Cedar Lettings Ltd Client Account

Reference:                         Please use the PROPERTY ADDRESS for reference purposes

Please be aware that we can only accept balance of monies via prior bank transfer. We do not accept credit or debit card payments.

Rental Payments

If Cedar Estates manages or collects rent on the property then the rental should be paid directly from your bank to our bank account in the form of a standing order every month, four days in advance of the rent due date (a standing order mandate is available from our office).  Cedar Estates has no control over the monthly standing order payments as this is under your instruction.

Insurance & Other Services

The Landlord will be responsible for insuring the building(s) and the contents belonging to the Landlord.  We strongly recommend that you have a suitable insurance policy to cover what you take into the property and also have accidental damage cover to pay for any damage that you may cause to the Landlord’s possessions.  From our experience this can help to avoid conflict between you and the Landlord during and at the end of the Tenancy.

As you are responsible for you own contents in the property under the terms of the Tenancy Agreement we recommend that you purchase contents insurance.

Management Service

Where we provide a full management service to the Landlord, the Landlord may require us to visit the property once a year.  In accordance with your Tenancy Agreement, Cedar Estates will give prior notice of our intention to visit the property to carry out a written inspection report.  This will be done by email notification only so we would be grateful if you could advise us if your email address changes.  Whilst it is preferred, you do not need to attend.  Our management team will carry keys to your property which will be used to gain access if you are not present and have given consent for them to be used.  The primary purpose of these visits is to keep us aware of any minor repairs and maintenance that may be necessary.

Keys

One set of keys will be provided for each tenant.  At the end of the Tenancy you must hand all keys back to the agent or the Landlord.  If any keys are not returned then you may be charged for replacing locks and/or keys.

Tax

If the Landlord’s normal place of residence is not in the UK for a period of more than six months in any tax year and if you are paying rent direct to the landlord you may have a liability for deducting tax from the rent and forwarding these monies to the Inland Revenue on a quarterly basis.  Further information can be obtained from their website (www.hmrc.gov.uk) or from your local Inland Revenue Enquiry Office.

Mail

Please note that it is not part of our normal function to forward on mail received at the property by the Post Office. 

Complaints

We are confident that you will be happy with our service.  If you are dissatisfied in any way please advise us immediately.  If the complaint is not rectified to your satisfaction please put this in writing addressed to Alex Croft at alex@cedarestates.com. 

Tenants’ Liability

If the Tenants are sharers then each individual Tenant forming the Tenancy renting the property will be responsible for all the rent and any costs incurred for any breach of the Tenancy Agreement.  If a party wishes to vacate then that person will remain liable for all obligations of the Tenancy Agreement until the Agreement ends.  The remaining party/parties will also be responsible for full payment of the rent and any other obligations under the Tenancy Agreement.  At no time can a person be moved into the property without written prior consent, references being sought and a new Tenancy Agreement being signed.

Should a change of sharer be required, our fee is £50 INCLUDING VAT per replacement tenant or any reasonable costs incurred if higher. To cover the costs associated with taking landlord’s instructions, new tenant referencing and Right-to-Rent checks, deposit registration as well as the preparation and execution of new legal documents. Please note that each change in sharer is subject to contract, references and at the discretion of the Landlord.

Should the tenant wish to leave their contract early, they shall be liable to the landlord’s costs in re-letting the property as well as all rent due under the tenancy until the start date of the replacement tenancy. These costs will be no more than the maximum amount of rent outstanding on the tenancy.

Utilities

Unless written in your Tenancy Agreement you will have to pay for water (including sewerage) and environmental charges, council tax, gas, telephone and electricity.  If Cedar Estates is managing the property we will inform all of these services regarding the occupation, however telephone and TV licence will be your own responsibility.  If Cedar Estates is not managing the property informing all utility suppliers will be your own responsibility.  Failure to do so may mean that a utility supply is disconnected or you could be prosecuted for non-payment of council tax.

Repairs and Maintenance

It is your responsibility to promptly report any repairs or maintenance that may be required to the managing agent or Landlord direct if he/she manages the property.  If the Landlord is managing the property you will be given contact details at the start of the Tenancy.  You should not, except in an emergency, instruct any contractor to carry out any works to the property.  If you do so without prior approval from the Landlord or the managing agent then you may have to pay the contractor’s invoice yourself; the amount may not be repayable to you by the Landlord nor be deductible from future rent payments.

If Cedar Estates is managing the property, repairs must be reported in writing to vicky@cedarestates.com.

Change of circumstances

If your circumstances change during the Tenancy and/or you start to receive housing benefit, you must inform your Landlord or Cedar Estates of this immediately.

End of Tenancy

Prior to the end of the Tenancy you must prepare the property.  By the last day of your Tenancy you must have removed all your belongings from the property, leave the garden (if applicable) in a good condition with the borders weeded and the grass cut and clean the property.  You cannot go back to the property after the end of the Tenancy to carry out any cleaning or gardening.  If the property is not left clean or the garden is untidy then you may be charged for carrying out these works – this money will be deducted from the Deposit.

Cleaning

Whilst you are not obligated to paying for a professional clean at the end of the Tenacny Agreement, you must return the property in the same state of cleanliness that you took occupation of the property in. We can provide you with contact details of an experienced team of cleaning contractors who can undertake all aspects of property cleaning.  Please advise us if you require estimates for cleaning during any time throughout the Tenancy.

Deposits

Provided the property is handed back to our agency as outlined in your Tenancy Agreement and to the satisfaction of the Landlord, the Security Deposit will be returned to you within a practical period.  However, we reserve the right to hold back any monies required to return the property to a satisfactory condition.