Each landlord in Chelmsford that rents out rooms will have a slightly different process for you to go through if you want to rents their rooms however there are usually some common steps that each tenant will have to go through. You can be certain that whatever you are asked to do or whatever information you are asked to provide that all the other tenants will have had to do the same before you so in some ways the more thorough and detailed the process is the more certain you be can that the other tenants must be of a reasonable standard to pass the test.
If you can just move in straight away without providing any information or much money upfront I would be wary of the sort of tenants that will be attracted to live in that property.Whilst we want to make the process and simple and pain free for all our tenants we still collect a lot of information upfront and all monies must be paid in advance including a deposit to secure the room and some rent upfront depending on the date in the month that you want to move in.
Among the many bits of information that some landlords may ask for include:
- Current/Previous address
- Previous landlord or agents contact details
- A reference from either of those sources
- Date of birth
- Place of employment
- Salary
- Line Manager’s contact details
- National Insurance Number
- Next of kin and their contact details
- Passport number and photocopy
- Photocopy of your driving license
- Your email address and mobile phone number
- Guarantor and their contact details
- 3 month’s previous bank statements
We collect a lot of this information but not all of it. We are also registered for the Data Protection Act as that is a lot of personal information which must be stored and kept in a certain way and not shared with other parties. I doubt many private landlords are registered even though they will hold a lot of information about certain individuals.
As well as the information that is collected above most landlords or agents will need/want you to show your committment to secure the room by giving them some money. If you pay a “deposit” for a property that money must be registered with a 3rd party scheme. Please see our previous post about registration of deposits. If you pay a “holding deposit” you should ask whether that money is refundable if you change your mind. in 99% of cases I suspect that you will lose that money but you should ask the question before you hand over any of your money.
If landlords ask you to pay 2 months rent in advance instead of a deposit then that money does not need to be registered with a third party scheme although you should be aware that landlords are not allowed to deduct any money for damage etc from rent and so they will not be able to take any money from you when you come to move out. effectively you shouldn’t have to pay rent on our last month in that accommodation but you may be asked to so that you then get that money back afterwards. It can be a messy situation between you and the landlord if there are any disputes surrounding damage or wear and tear to the room at the end of the tenancy so you are actually better off paying a deposit and then rent with everyone being clear upfront as to what each bit of money is for.
Most landlord’s will require rent to be paid in advance as well. Again this will differ greatly amongst landlords in Chelmsford but typically this will the equivalent of a month’s rent to be paid in advance. Some landlords will accept less and some will want more. You need to be aware of the upfront costs to move into the room and also understand how long that rent payment lasts for and when you are then next required to pay rent again. In our case we generally collect rents on the 1st of each month so initially if you move in mid month you make a pro rata payment and then make a full rent payment on the 1st of the following month. Should you move in on the 1st of each month then you make a full rent payment on or before your move in day which covers you for the whole of that initial month. With a deposit of £433 and one month’s rent being about £433 per month that can add up to a large amount of money upfront but as long as the room is left in a good condition then you will receive the £433 deposit back when you move out of the property.
If you are interested in renting rooms from us in Chelmsford then please do get in contact or view the other pages, links and video tours for more information.