Guide To Renting
The Leeds rental market can be extremely competitive and fast-moving, but we can give tenants that register a great advantage!
By registering your requirements we can help you be the first through the door of newly listed homes.
Benefits of registering
Step 1
Find the right property
With new listings each week, we'll help you find the right property.
We can also keep you constantly up-to-date via email and text alerts, even before properties get listed on Rightmove and Zoopla.
Step 2
Consider a Managed property
An increasing number of tenants insist on renting fully Managed properties for complete peace of mind.
Renting a Managed property has the benefit of a dedicated Property Manager to handle your day-to-day issues, a 24-hour helpline with emergency contact details should a problem arise and the assurance that your property is fully compliant with all safety regulations (including Gas Safety, Electrical Safety and Furniture and Furnishings acts).
Step 3
Viewings
Book your viewing online or in the office.
We will chauffeur you to your viewings ensuring you arrive in a relaxed frame of mind and accompany you throughout so that we are on hand to answer any questions immediately and advise where necessary. We even offer a free pick up service!
Step 4
Making an offer
Once you find your perfect property you can make an offer with your agent.
Let us know if there are any special conditions of the offer and we'll communicate this to the landlord.
Step 5
Offer agreed
If your offer is accepted we will organise the following, regardless of whether your property is Managed:
- Collect references
- Arrange Tenancy Agreement
- Collect your moving in payment
- Collect your proof of ID
- Conduct Right to Rent checks
Step 6
Completion
Upon completion, you will be given your set of keys, and if your property is managed we will provide you with your dedicated Property Manager's contact details.
Congratulations, you can now move into your new home
Right To Rent
What does Right to Rent mean for me?
Right to Rent was introduced under the Immigration Act 2014 and it is really important for both tenants and landlords to understand the implications of this act.
It places restrictions on illegal immigrants accessing rented accommodation in England by making all adult occupants prove they are in the UK legally before being granted a tenancy. This is done through a process called a Right to Rent check.
What is a Right to Rent check?
This is when a prospective adult occupant of a rental property shows their identity documents in person to a landlord or letting agent. This is a similar checking process to presenting your passport (and visa) to a border control officer at an immigration check point.
The landlord/letting agent must take a copy of the documents seen, and record the check being completed. If a tenant has a time limited right to rent (e.g. a visa or Biometric Residency Permit with an expiry date) then the check must be done within 28 days of the tenancy start date and the visa must be valid for the proposed tenancy start date.
What are the landlord's/agent's responsibilities?
The landlord/agent must:
- Check all adult tenants who will live in the property as their only or main home
- Ask tenants for the original documents that show they have the right to be in the UK
- Check the original documents with the tenant physically present and ensure they are valid
- Make copies of the original documents and record when the check was completed
- Conduct follow up checks at the appropriate time (e.g. repeat the check when a tenant's visa expires)
- If follow up checks reveal that an occupant in a rental property no longer has a valid 'Right to Rent' then the landlord/lettings agent must report that person to the Home Office.
What documents are acceptable?
Acceptable documents that a tenant can use to demonstrate their identity and Right to Rent are dependent on their nationality.
Options for EEA/Swiss citizens are:
- Valid Passport
- valid EEA*/Swiss national ID card
- combination of valid UK driving licence & original UK birth certificate (British citizens only)
* Countries in the EEA are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden & the UK
Options for all other nationalities are a combination of passport and a valid visa or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
If I don't have my documents what are the consequences?
Occupation of a rental property is conditional on all adult occupants demonstrating a valid Right to Rent prior to the tenancy start date. This can be done at any branch of Foxtons. If any adult occupant fails to present themselves and their original documents proving a valid Right to Rent then all occupants may be denied access to the rental property until this requirement is satisfied.
