Tenant Guide & Fees

What are the costs of your rental property with AJ Home Solutions?

We want to ensure that you understand the full cost of renting through us throughout the life of your tenancy. Please ensure that you fully understand our Tenant Working Agreement and all costs BEFORE you make an offer on a property. Please contact us if you are unsure of anything.

– Thank you..

These are all the costs you will have associated with your tenancy:
Holding Deposit

One week’s rent. This is to reserve a property – once received we will stop marketing the property. The holding deposit is not a fee and is usually refundable. For convenience when your tenancy starts your Holding Deposit will become part of your first rent payment, to be added to by you with the extra amount needed to meet the required amount.

Security Deposit

Five weeks’ rent (or six weeks for rents over £50,000 p.a.). This covers any damages or defaults on your part during the tenancy. Please note we also have an optional Deposit Alternative Scheme with Reposit. For more details click here

Rent

At the agreed monthly rate, to be cleared into the AJ Home Solutions account by the day of the month specified in your tenancy.

Utilities and Council Tax

You are responsible for all your utilities (gas, electric, water, phone, broadband), plus Council tax, unless a specific agreement is written into your tenancy to include these with your rent.

Late rent payment

You will be charged interest on late rent payments at 3% above the Bank of England Base Rate from Rent Due Date until paid in order to pursue non-payment of rent.

Lost keys and security devices

You are liable for the actual cost of replacing any lost key(s) or other security device(s). If extra costs are incurred there will be a charge of £15 per hour (inc. VAT) for the time taken as a result of the lost key(s) or other security device(s)

Variations to Contract

Where you request a change to the tenancy there will be a charge of £50 (inc. VAT) per agreed variation. This covers the costs associated with taking landlord’s instructions as well as the preparation and execution of new legal documents. This will apply for changes such as adding a pet to an existing tenancy, changing a sharer on a tenancy.

There will also usually be an increase of rent of £20 for each pet to cover the extra risks faced by the landlord of having pets in the property.

Early Termination

Where you request to end your tenancy earlier than the date agreed in the tenancy then you will need to meet 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.

Missed appointments

Where appointments are agreed for staff or contractors to visit the property for specific activities and those activities can’t be completed due to you not fulfilling the agreement then our time and that of contractors is chargeable at £15 per hour including VAT.

Breach and Damages

Where you are in breach of any of the terms of your tenancy then you may incur costs for damages associated with that breach where it can be shown AJ Home Solutions, your landlord or anyone else has suffered a loss as a result of your breach of the tenancy.

Tenancy Agreement & Application Fee – £120.00

This covers the setup of the tenancy agreement and handling the applications linked with the saidtenancy agreement for up to maximum 2 tenants for additional applicant/Guarantor £65.00 will be charged.

Tenant Referencing £90.00 Per Person

As part of the application process we will be carrying out a reference check on each person over 18 who will be added to the tenancy agreement. The referencing process will check your affordability, past references from both a landlord and employer and your credit check. If you believe you have adverse credit history please inform us before we carry out the checks as failing a reference check will result in you losing your holding deposit.

Credit Checks

• Personal Identity Check
• Anti-fraud check with fraud score
• Report on detrimental credit history
• County Court Judgement and Court
• Decree check
• Bankruptcy & Individual Voluntary
• Arrangement Check
• Employers reference or accountants reference if
• self employed
• Previous landlord or managing agent reference
• Future employer’s reference (if appropriate)
• Undisclosed address check as standard
• Tenancy application score
• Bank Validation check
• Anti-terrorist check

Right to Rent

We are required by law to check that tenants and other adults who will be living with them have a legal right to reside in the UK. This check must be carried out for everyone regardless of nationality. Please note therefore that all intended occupiers of a rental property will need to bring their original passport (or other suitable evidence of their right to live in the UK) in person for verification before the commencement of any application. Non-compliance will result in access to the property being denied until the necessary checks have been made. We will also request and checks will be carried out on documentation i.e. Bank statements, wage slips to support an application.

Holding Deposit – £250.00

A holding deposit will be held while we carry out the referencing checks on you. This will allow us to remove the property from future viewings while we work on your application. If the property becomes unavailable due to any reasons presented by the landlord we will refund the full amount however, if you decide you do not wish to proceed, you fail referencing, or are unable to provide a guarantor when required you will lose the holding deposit and this will be presented to the landlord for the time wasted. This sum will be deducted from the final payment you make before obtaining your keys. The balance must be settled in full at least 3 days before receiving the keys.

Deposit – 6 Weeks Rent

Once you have passed referencing we will collect your deposit which is usually 6 weeks. This will be held by either the landlord or AJ Home Solutions (whichever is stated on the tenancy agreement) and will be done so for the duration of the tenancy agreement. The deposit will be placed under the deposit protection scheme with My Deposit or government approved scheme as required by law. AJ Home Solutions holds no liability for any loss of deposit caused by the insolvency of the financial institution holding the deposit.

Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) Registration Annual fee of £24.00

Inventory, Check-in and Check-out

Preparation of inventory

Once you have passed referencing we will collect your deposit which is usually 6 weeks. This will be held by either the landlord or AJ Home Solutions (whichever is stated on the tenancy agreement) and will be done so for the duration of the tenancy agreement. The deposit will be placed under the deposit protection scheme with My Deposit or government approved scheme as required by law. AJ Home Solutions holds no liability for any loss of deposit caused by the insolvency of the financial institution holding the deposit.

Bedroom/s	1	2	3	4	5	6
Fees	£113	£130	£147	£163	£205	£239

• More than 6 bedrooms by separate negotiation.
• Re-write of inventory £126.00 (following décor changes)
• Inventory up-date fee £78.00
• Additional rooms incl. conservatories £36.00

Check In – Check Out

The majority of all properties in AJ Home Solutions LTD’S rental portfolio will have an independent check- in carried out at the commencement date of the tenancy. Similarly the independent clerk will also arrive to check the Tenant(s) out at the end of the tenancy. This allows us to ensure the property has been received in a respectable condition. Your deposit will be affected if there is any damage to the property as this will be used to cover the costs of repair. The check-in appointment is paid for by the Landlord and the charge for the check-out appointment is paid by the Tenant. The fee charged will depend on the size of the property as detailed below:

Bedroom/s	1	2	3	4	5	6
Fees	£96	£113	£121	£134	£172	£189

Tenancy Renewal – £75.00

If you wish to renew your tenancy agreement please notify us at least 2 months in advance. A fee will be applied to administer and negotiate contract, amending and updating terms and arranging further tenancy. For some tenancies we may require a new credit check to ensure you still have affordability.

Call Out if locked out ( Key Replacement) £114.00

We will do all our best to come out if available or Tenant will be fully responsible to contact locksmith and will be liable for all the cost as tenant/s and provide copy of the new key/s immediately to the office. If keys available there will be £6.00 charge plus cost of keys.

Missing Rent

Non-payment / late payment / rent paid returned or represented by the bank for any reason £14.00 Office staff member has to chase for the rent by visiting the property for each visit £54.00 Any letter or correspondence issued concerning any agreement or contract breaches £23.00

• Future Landlord Reference Fee- Collating information and preparing a reference for a future landlord or letting agent £10.00
• Agreement amendments £96.00
• Extra Copy of tenancy agreement £21
• A fee may also apply for an Early termination or forfeit of lease /agreement.

Lettings Emergency Information

If AJ Home Solutions LTD manage the property on behalf of the Landlord and you are unfortunate enough to have an emergency, you should check the house information file to ascertain if you have the following cover. If acontractor is called out and it is later discovered that the property has emergency insurance cover or a Homecare agreement you may be liable for the contractor’s invoice.

Gas Escape If you smell gas, think you have a gas leak or are worried that fumes containing carbon monoxide are escaping from a gas appliance please call the free Gas Emergency Service line immediately on: 0800 111 999 Please open all doors and window to ventilate the property and refrain from using any electrical items.

Plumbing and Central Heating Emergency

• British Gas Homecare Cover
• Freephone 0800 111 011
• Homeserve Cover – 0800 694 4167
• Homelet Emergency Assistance Insurance

please contact 0845 6048 674 (emergency works only) or general enquiries – (non-emergency) 0845 111 2222 quoting the policy number and the property address. Northolt (Plumbing & Heating) Bathroom Centre on 079 3900 6939 On-Time Plumbing 01895613678 Please be aware that if your emergency is due to the bad weather conditions, as you can appreciate, you may have to wait slightly longer than usual for a plumber/heating engineer to arrive.

Electrical Emergency

If you have an electrical emergency Please call:

Power cut and emergency help line for UK power distributors 0800 783 8866

Sam Day Electrics on 075 0222 8796

Harrisons Electrical Solutions – 077 1016 6957

If the property is covered by any Landlord emergency insurance you should contact them in the first instance. If the property is covered by Homelet Emergency Assistance Insurance please contact 0845 6048 674 – (emergency works only) or general enquiries – (non-emergency) 0845 111 2222 quoting the policy number and the property address.

Drain Emergency

In the event that you have a serious drain blockage please contact D&R Drain Services LTD on 078 1136 4009

Thames Water: Please call on 0800 316 9800