When searching for your next rental property please contact Abode to discuss your needs and we recommend being added to our database to be alerted via email as soon as properties become available.

We would also recommend setting up an alert on a national portal to be notified as soon as a property becomes available. In general, the rental market around Royston, Linton and the surrounding villages is very strong, as such properties are often only advertised for short periods, so it is important to be as active as possible to secure your next property.

When viewing the properties keep in mind Landlords may have multiple applicants, to set yourself apart we would recommend presenting yourself in as strong a light as possible, share jobs information, education, even personal interests will all help your estate agents present you in as best light as possible to prospective landlords.

It is however not a one-way street, if there are slight issues you notice at a property feel free to raise them, often a landlord's response will be indicative of whether they will be a good Landlord.

Once you have found your place and had your offer to rent accepted the next step will be to undergo referencing. Most managing agencies will require one weeks’ equivalent of the rent as a holding deposit whilst referencing is undertaken. This holding deposit is subtracted from your first month’s rent once you pass referencing.

Referencing will generally check the following:

  • Your credit score and any County Court Judgements.
  • Your employment, you will be asked to provide contact details of your companies HR department and your last three pay slips.
  • Your affordability, at Abode you will need to earn 2.5 times the rent before tax to be demeaned affordable, this is inline with government guidelines.
  • Your previous landlord references, they will check that you paid your rent on time, whether there were any issues, and whether they would have you as a tenant again.
  • Right to rent checks, basically if you’re not a UK national they will check your right to rent a property on an appropriate Visa.
  • Identity verification.

Referencing normally only takes a few days to complete once the referencing firm has all your information, however delays in providing the details, or in getting responses may stretch the process out.

If you fail referencing on any of the above points Abode will accept either a guarantor to sign on the contract or 6 months’ rent up front. If this is an issue, please speak with us beforehand and we will explain your options further.

Once the referencing is complete you will be sent the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement to read and sign. This is a legally binding contract, so it is important you read it thoroughly, once it is signed you will be liable for adhering to the contract for the stipulated length of the tenancy.

When you sign the AST, you will be asked to pay the security deposit this is a maximum of 5 weeks rent, Abode are a member of Client Money Protect and utilise MyDeposits to insure your deposit. Check whoever you are renting from uses a government approved deposit security scheme to protect your deposit.

You will then be required to pay the balance of your first month’s rent, this will be minus your holding deposit, and will need to be received in cleared funds before you can have your keys on the move in day.

If Abode are fully managing your property, you will be given a full photographic inventory upon move in, and the property would most likely have been cleaned by a professional cleaning firm, it is worth noting that you will be required in the contract to hand back the property to the same standard, having it professionally cleaned also. We like to do this as it is more pleasant for the new tenants.

You will have 5 days once you move in to add any additional comments to the inventory, whilst our lettings team are amazing, they are only human and occasionally miss the odd bit of dirt or damage. After the 5-day period the inventory is taken to be accepted and will be the reference point at the end of your tenancy for the return of your security deposit.

During your tenancy you are entitled to peaceful occupancy of your property, so you will be given a minimum of 24 hours’ notice before anyone attends, the obvious exception is in the case of emergency.

Two months after your move in Abode will do an initial inspection, this inspection is to check you’re looking after the landlord's property, but also to address any issues you have. Things like condensation and mould can often be avoided and we will provide guides on how to do so. Assuming there are no issues 3 to 4 monthly inspections will take place afterwards.

Any normal maintenance issues at the property can be raised with Abode during office hours. Our phones are available for emergencies 24/7 on the emergency contact number that will be provided.

At the end of your tenancy, you will be required to give one months’ notice from the tenancy start date, the earliest this can be done will be a month before the AST original period end date. Two months before the end of the initial period of the AST you will be asked whether you wish to sign a new contract, move onto a rolling periodic contract, or end your tenancy. This will also all have to be agreed with the landlord.

A rolling periodic tenancy would require a months’ notice from the tenancy start date from you in writing when wishing to terminate, the Landlord would be required to give you two months’ notice in writing from the tenancy start date. The AST will automatically roll to this contract if a new contract isn’t signed, and you remain in the property.

The lettings team at Abode hope this guide has been of use, but if you have any questions or want anything clarified please give us a call on 01763 259888.

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I initially was thinking about renting out my house and was recommended abode by a friend, Spencer the agent came and talked me through all that...

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Extremely satisfied with Abode's service. They're consistently transparent, providing upfront information and maintaining a sharp awareness of market...

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We've been renting with Abode in Royston Hertfordshire for four years and we are really happy with the dedication and amazing service they provide....

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We've had the pleasure of dealing with the staff at Abode during our previous tenancy and couldn't find a bad word to say against them if we tried....

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Spencer and his team at Abode T&C recently sold our property and we also bought our new home from Abode. With our sale, Abode took the time to...

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