Renting with Michael Graham

Michael Graham will provide assured shorthold tenancies for a minimum term of 6 months.

If you view a property and wish to proceed, a holding deposit equivalent to one week’s rent is required. Once this holding deposit is paid, the property will be removed from further advertising. Please see our document, Holding Deposits Explained, for further details.

We are able to arrange Company Lets at a charge of £495 (inc VAT) for the set up and arrangement of the tenancy agreement.

In line with Government requirements we require documentation to complete Right to Rent checks with our tenants. You will therefore be required to provide ID in the form of passport and/or birth certificate along with proof of address such as a driving licence or bank statement. We will also need to see any applicable VISAs. We will not be able to proceed with the application until we have received these documents.

We use an external referencing company who will request further documentation with regard to income and further documents that you will be able to upload on to their system directly. They will need to contact your current/previous landlord, your employer or, if you are self-employed, you will need to provide at least the most recent annual tax return document. Referencing usually takes 5-7 days providing they have all the information they require and you will be advised when all checks have been completed. Please note that, as per the Holding Deposit Explained document, if you provide false or misleading information and your references fail your holding deposit will not be returned.

As a part of your tenancy agreement, we advise you to have Tenant Liability Insurance. We suggest that the policy be in place at the start of the tenancy and maintained during the term. For further information regarding this, please either seek independent insurance advice or ask one of our Michael Graham representatives to assist you with this.

A security deposit equivalent to five weeks rent is required prior to the tenancy start date (i.e. a monthly rent of £1,000 would require a deposit of £1153). Deposits must be paid in the form of bank transfer and will be protected by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme or the Deposit Protection Service. The deposit will be returned upon the end of the tenancy subject to the property being in a satisfactory condition.

We are members of the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).

You will be required to pay one month's rent plus the tenancy deposit (less the holding deposit already paid) by bank transfer, three days prior to the tenancy commencing. We cannot accept ordinary cheques, switch cards or credit cards. After this initial payment you will be required to pay your rent by standing order. The standing order will come out of your account two days before the rental payment date, in order to ensure we receive the money on the rent due date.

Provided your tenancy has been conducted satisfactorily and the landlord is agreeable your tenancy can be renewed for a further fixed term or roll on a month to month statutory periodic basis.

Many landlords have restrictions regarding pets (particularly cats and dogs) and specify that they will not allow them at the property. The property particulars and marketing will clearly show if the landlord will accept pets and will also show the rent of the property to take this in to consideration. If you have pets it is important that you disclose this before you pay a holding deposit as non-disclosure may lead to your application failing and your holding deposit not being returned.

Many landlords have restrictions regarding people who smoke. For this reason it is important that you let us know if any of the prospective tenants are smokers in order that we may find you a suitable property.

Some landlords will have a preference for couples or families. If you do want to share a property we may request further details from you regarding ages, occupations, relationship with each other, etc - this can help the landlord to decide if they will accept people sharing the property or not.

In the majority of our rental properties the rental payment is just that- i.e. rent. You will be responsible for all utility bills, council tax, telephone, broadband services as well as your TV licence.

Variation of Contract - £50 (inc.VAT) per agreed variation. To cover the costs involved with taking landlords instructions and the preparation and execution of the new legal documents.

Change of Sharer - £50 (inc. VAT) per replacement tenant or any reasonable costs incurred if higher. To cover the costs associated with taking landlords instructions, new tenant referencing and Right to Rent checks, deposit registration as well as the preparation.

Early Termination - Should the tenant wish to leave their contract early they shall be liable for the landlords’ costs in reletting the property as well as all the 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.

Unpaid rent - Interest at 3% above the Bank of England Base Rate from Rent Due Date until paid in order to pursue non-payment of rent. This will not be levied until the rent is more than fourteen days in arrears.

Lost Keys - Tenants are liable for the actual cost of replacing any lost key(s) or other security device(s). If the loss results in locks needing to be changed, the actual costs of a locksmith, new lock and replacement keys for the tenant, landlord and any other persons requiring keys will be charged to the tenant. If extra costs are incurred there will be a charge of £15 per hour (inc. VAT) for the time taken to replace the lost key(s) or security device. This charge may increase if the costs incurred are not within our normal working hours.