Tenant Guide

A) The rent

b) A refundable tenancy deposit (reserved for any damages or defaults on the part of the tenant) capped at no more than five weeks’ rent where the annual rent
is less than £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where the total annual rent is £50,000 or above*

c) A refundable holding deposit (to reserve a property) capped at no more than one week’s rent*

d) Payments to change the tenancy when requested by the tenant, capped at £50, or reasonable costs incurred if higher*

e) Payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant*

f) Payments in respect of utilities, communication services, TV licence and council tax; and*

g) A default fee for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device, where required under a tenancy agreement*

The Charges applying to Company/Non-Housing Act/Lodging Tenancies – charges marked “#” may also apply, in certain circumstances,
to Assured Shorthold Tenancies. A full list of fees, can be found here.

All fees and charges are subject to the addition of VAT, at the prevailing rate.

For more information, get in contact with your nearest Kings Lettings office: Maidenhead, Reading, Staines, Windsor 

You will be asked to complete an Application form (which includes a page entitled ‘Important Information for Applicant Tenants’). Please read the form thoroughly and carefully (you will be asked to sign that you understand its content). On the form you are asked for personal details, including: your current address and length of residency; (if you are currently renting) your Landlord’s (or Agent’s) name and address; employment details; your date of birth; and your National Insurance number. You will also need to provide photographic identification and proof of current residence (such as a utility bill) and formal confirmation, if you are a foreign National, that you have the correct status to allow you to reside in the UK. Attached to the Application form is a Bank Status Enquiry form which you complete and Kings will then send to your Bank. Your Bank should then respond to Kings and confirm whether it feels that you are financially able to support the proposed rental. We will also carry out a credit check.  If you have any previous criminal convictions, or a poor financial record, you must disclose such information to us before completing an Application form.  If one or more of your references is unsatisfactory you may be asked to provide a UK-based guarantor (who would be jointly responsible with you for the tenancy, and its costs, and will also need to provide references and sign the Tenancy Agreement jointly with you). You should have read the Government’s ”How To Rent” leaflet [See GOV.UK online], before applying.

When you return the Application form you will be asked to pay a preliminary payment of £350, towards the costs detailed above. This is purely an advance payment to show your bona fide intent, but does not guarantee the property is solely available/reserved for you, until negotiations and documentation are completed. On Tenancy commencement, this amount will be deducted from the total amount payable. However, if you decide to withdraw from the application once the £350 has been paid, it is non-refundable. If the Landlord should decide not to proceed, the £350 can either be credited toward an alternative property through Kings, or returned to you (unless the Landlord’s decision had been made as a result of unsatisfactory references being received for you – in which case the £350 remains non-refundable in any event).

Referencing and administration normally take about one week to ten days; however, in some circumstances, this time can be reduced. Most Landlords are happy with an Application which proceeds to commencement within one month, If you do not intend to move within one to two months it may be that you are looking for something too early, Landlords will not normally ‘hold’ their properties for applicants longer than 15 to 21 days.

This will depend on who ‘manages’ your tenancy.  When you move in, you will be given a “Welcome Letter”, which tells you whom to contact in the case of any arising maintenance matters.  Generally this will be either Kings or your Landlord directly.  If the Tenancy is “fully managed” by Kings, we have a 24 hour helpline for you to contact for advice and/or emergency situations.

You will meet with an independent Inventory Clerk, and/or your Landlord, on the last day of Tenancy, to check through the Inventory, read the meters, and release the keys.  Before that meeting, Kings will provide you with guidance notes to help you through the procedure.

From the outset of Tenancy, your Deposit is safely held in a, Government approved, bonded account and Registered with ‘The Dispute Service’.  When you move in, you will be given a Deposit Registration Certificate and details of what happens at the end of your Tenancy in this regard. Other than an Order by ‘The Dispute Service’, no one can deduct anything from your Deposit without formal notification and/or your agreement.