F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions U.K
When should I come to the UK to look for my property?
Ideally 4-6 weeks ( optimum) and up to 8 weeks prior to wanting to take a house is a good time to come – but if your lead time is less than that we will obviously work with the time that we have. Families looking to rent in time for the start of the school year in late August early September should be looking to move in ideally in July or early August to make the most of the movement of departing families. Don’t leave it too late or the family homes will be snapped up.
Schooling will often dictate the timings for the search, as, if you are going down the state school route you will need a UK address and be LIVING in the home BEFORE you can make the school applications.
For private, international schools an address is not a pre-requisite.
How does the home-search process work?
Homesearch packages vary in their length but we always carry out the research for your tour only a couple of days in advance and base our research on the information provide, your budget and our expert advice. We don’t carry out the research far in advance of the tour as this is a waste of time – the property market moves so quickly. You will be accompanied by a professional home search Consultant who you will have already been introduced to over the email prior to your visit and who will carry out the research for you – they are a wealth of information. Please make sure that we have your requirements 100% clear before you come – it is very difficult to amend an itinerary part way through a tour.
How many houses can I expect to see?
The amount of houses that you will see on your two day tour with us will depend greatly on the geographical area that you are considering as well as your requirements – you may see 5 to 15 properties a day. Smaller geographical areas and stringent requirements will result in fewer properties being suitable for any given relocatee.
***TIP: make some notes as you go along as after two days seeing houses it may be difficult to remember your favourites.
How negotiable are rentals ?
Again, this depends. Generally in the current climate for good quality properties in sought after areas, the answer is not very…A landlord will have had his property valued by an estate agent (or five) and will be keen to achieve as near to the asking price that they have ‘’assured him’’ he can get as possible. That said, if a property is “over-priced” i.e its been on the market a while and has received little interest, the Landlord may consider an offer to get it rented, but we would not rely on being able to negotiate a large amount off a rent. You should come with your budget that you are prepared to spend, rather than think that you will be able to achieve substantial discounts.
Can I ask for things to be done at the property before I move in?:
Within reason… however bear in mind that in line with the explanation above, a landlord may be reluctant to make any major improvements to a house that, in his mind, he feels he could rent “as it is’’. It may be that the Landlord has already advised the agent that he will be undertaking some remedial work, painting of rooms etc, but please don’t assume this to be the case – In Spain, a landlord would typically paint the house as a matter of course prior to a new tenant moving in – in the UK this is not the case. At the offer stage on a deal you can request changes/improvements/painting etc but anything that you ask for in the improvements line – will be reflected in the price that the Landlord will want for the house – the trick is to be reasonable and mindful that if you are asking too much, the Landlord may consider you too demanding and chose to go with another applicant.
What rental terms can I expect to achieve? Can I break the contract ?
In the UK rentals are typically taken out for one year – sometimes it is possible to achieve a break clause in the first year but increasingly Landlords are asking for a one year minimum commitment – this is standard.
We will request options for you to renew the lease for a further one or two years but it is not obligatory for the Landlord to consent to this. That said, if you are a good tenant there is no reason why the Landlord would ask you to leave except if the market has increased in value considerably and he wishes to try to achieve a higher rent. However if you have a lease that gives you two automatic options to renew for a further two years at an inflationary increase, the landlord can not hike up the rental in those two subsequent years – he must adhere to the levels indicated in the contract which are currently usually between 3 and 5 % and in line with inflation .
Can I break the lease in the term of the contract?:
No. Not unless we have been able to negotiate a break clause in the contract.
Break clauses can be business related ( ie only for business reasons can you break the lease) or they can be general (you can break the lease for any reason) but a break clause will never apply before the first six months of tenancy and often not until the 12th month.
If you have a break clause negotiated into your contract, two months notice is typically required to terminate the lease.
We always try and negotiate a break clause for you but in the first year Landlords show a lot of resistance as they want at least a 12 month commitment. It is easier to achieve a break clause in years two and three.
Can the Landlord break the terms of the contract?
If a Landlord break is agreed in the contract then yes he can.
If there is no landlord break in the contract then generally No. Thats to say that there are only certain legal reasons why the Landlord can take the property back in the terms of the contract and never before 6 months have elapsed.
In simple terms he can ask for the property back if:
you are defaulting on the rental
he intends to return to the home having previously lived in it in order to live in it again
he needs to sell it /the mortgage lender is repossessing it
When my offer is agreed is the deal 100% certain?:
No -only when the contract is signed and the monies are transferred is the deal 100% completed.
When you place the offer you will probably be asked to pay a HOLDING DEPOSIT – this is a bond of 1 or 2 weeks rental in order to secure the property from other agents marketing it. It does not guarantee you the property 100% but it is as good as yours as long as all your references pass.
What is referencing?:
Referencing is the obligatory process that all renters over the age of 18 need to go through before a Landlord will agree to rent them the house.
Once the offer is agreed in principle, the next step is the referencing: this is a very strict process in the UK and basically acts to show that you are a suitable tenant both from a financial point of view and a character point of view.
Occasionally agents may undertake the references themselves and they will request you to provide 1) a letter from your employer to state your role in the company , your salary, your start date etc 2) a letter from your previous landlord ( to vouch for the fact that you were a good tenant, paid on time, were respectful to their property etc 3) a bank reference either in the form of 3 months worth of bank statements ( can be from a spanish account ) showing that you have a healthy bank balance are not laundering money etc!! or a letter from your bank manager to state that you have a normal banking history and are able to cover the rental etc.
The second way to reference and by far the most common today is that the agent will contract a Referencing agency ( Let Risk, Letsure, Taylor Trent, Maras to name a few examples) whose sole role in life is to credit check people. They will email you a link to fill in a form with your chosen referees (so here you will need to put in your contact details for your landlord, Hr person, bank manager etc) and they will then take it upon themselves to contact these individuals and request a reference on you from them.
Until References are passed you can not proceed with the deal so it is important to address the matter with urgency once they send you the link.
My wife will not be contributing to the rental – will she still need to be referenced?:
Yes she will as she is over 18 and residing in a rental property – however she will only be referenced for ID and for a personal referee – she will not be requested to pass any financial criteria.
*** TIP it is worth advising your landlord ( if you are renting ) and your bank manager that they may be contacted by the referencing agency for a reference on you and to ask them kindly to send it as soon as possible when they receive the request.
It is also important to bring over with you a copy of your current utility bill IN BOTH YOUR NAMES as they will need this as part of the right to rent process. You will also need to physically show your passports to the agent prior to signing the agreement.
What can I expect the contract to be like?:
Contracts in the UK are l o n g…. much longer than in Spain or other countries that you might have lived in. The contract that you are likely to sign is called an AST ( Assured Shorthold Tenancy) They are standardised so that they include relevant clauses to protect both Landlord and Tenant and legally must include statutory requirements for Landlords (including their responsibility to maintain infrastructure, appliances, installations ( heating and hot water ) etc. It is our role at MRG to check the contract for you and ensure that your interests are covered. You will also need to review the contract and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Don’t be put off with how long they are – they try and cover every eventuality. 😉
Do my wife and I have to be present to sign the contract?:
No, not usually. Most agents are fine with the contracts being signed remotely and scanned in the first instance, and then the originals exchanged by post and dated and executed before the start date. It is not usual for you to need to be physically present in the office to sign the contract.
However occasionally you are required to sign in person.
A requirement for a rental contract in the UK is that it must be witnessed – this means that there will be a section on the contract for a friend colleague to sign that they have witnessed that you are the people named on the contract who are signing.
What funds must I have ready to transfer and when do I need to transfer them?
The “initial monies” due will be the first months rental , the six weeks security deposit
(unless you have a pet in which case it will be 10 weeks) and referencing fees (normally approx £60 per person for all adults living in the property over the age of 18) and any administration fee payable to the agency for the preparation of the contract.
It is not essential that these funds are paid from a UK account – they can easily be paid from abroad – however make sure that you leave enough time for the monies to arrive to the agents account – experience has taught us that it can take up to a week for funds to clear from abroad.
The monies are due normally upon signing the contract, but definitely at least one day prior to the start date of tenancy.
There is no “gentleman’s agreement” in the UK that will allow you the keys if the money is not in the account – even if you tell the Agent that you have sent it, the funds need to be present in the account – no remittance advice that they are on their way, will be accepted.
What about the rental payments moving forward?:
Almost without exception landlords will only accept rental monies paid by bank account by standing order (monthly or in some instances quarterly). When the contract paperwork is done you will be required to set up a standing order with your bank to pay the rental monies each month.
In many instances the agent will require you to complete a STANDING ORDER MANDATE, this is simply an order to your bank that they need to have sight of that instructs your bank to pay the landlord or agent the rental each month. The standing order mandate will request that the funds leave your account on average 4 days prior to due date so that they can be sure that they arrive on time.
What happens on the start date of tenancy how do I get the keys?
We will arrange a check in for you on the start date of tenancy. This is an essential process whereby we send an Inventory clerk to attend on your behalf and to compile a report of the state and condition of the house – Please note that this inspection is not designed as an exhaustive check of the workings of all the appliances heating hot water etc – it is an aesthetic check of the house – thats to say that any mark, scratch, or imperfection is noted – the appliances are tested for power and all lights are checked. The reason for the check is so that any anomaly detected at check in is noted and you are not charged for any damages at the time of your departure that were already present when you moved in.
The clerk will also take the meter readings for gas, electric water and MyReloGenie will set the accounts up in your name, providing the opening meter reading so that you are billed accurately from the start.
If I give you my bank account can you set up my direct debits for the utilities?
Unfortunately not – as a third party we are permitted to advise the supplier of your arrival and to provide the accurate readings and to set the accounts up in your names – but we can not provide personal bank account details – you will need to contact the suppliers
(normally by entering your details on-line via their websites) and then set up your direct debits yourselves.
How and why do I have to pay council tax?
Council tax is a tax levied on all properties in the UK from the smallest studios to the largest mansions. In simplest terms the larger the house the more council tax you will charged – but each local authority or “borough’’ will have a different council tax charge – so a house of a similar style age and sq meterage in Chelsea for example may have a substantially different council tax charge from that of a house in Islington, Bradford or Milton Keynes.
Council tax is charged yearly in line with the tax year ( April 1st – 31st March ) and once you move in we will set up your council tax for you – again we can not establish the direct debit – but we can advise the council of your arrival and ask for the bill to be forwarded to you for settlement.
You will see when the bill arrives that you can either pay the entire sum for the year – or you can chose to pay in installments.
*** Tip: its a good idea to have at least one of your utility bills in both yours and your wife/husband’s names as this along with the tenancy agreement will act as proof of address for potential personal administration purposes
** Fact: If you reside alone in the property, you will be entitled to a 25% discount off of the council tax yearly amount.
When I arrive at the house will it have broadband already set up?
No. This is not standard at all in the UK. When we find a house the agent / Landlord may advise if the previous tenant had SKY cable etc and we can establish the services that the property can have – but it will be up to you to decide from the many broadband packages on the market from many different suppliers – we can give you some pointers when the time comes.
If something goes wrong in the house who should I contact?
There should always be a UK managing agent at the property who will be responsible for any issues and will be your point of contact during the tenancy. This may well be the landlord directly but in many instances the landlord will instruct a managing agent to do it for him. They should be your first port of call for any issues that you have.