Tenant Resources

Are you a new tenant in one of our properties, or looking to rent a property?

We have some useful information below to help you get started with our lettings. We don’t see why renting should be complicated. When you find a place through us we’ll make things as easy as we can, starting with a quick guide to the process.

Decide

The more you know about what you want, the easier your search will be. Before you even start looking, make a list of what’s important to you. Consider whether you want a house or flat and which areas appeal to you.

Of course, you’ll sometimes have to trade off one good thing against another. It’s a good idea to divide your wish list into “essential” and “nice to have”, to make these decisions easier.

Area

Probably the most important question. Do you want to live near your work? Is there a good school in the area & how long is the school run? In a village, somewhere rural or somewhere in a town centre? Take some time at a weekend to drive around and get a feel for the areas you’re considering. We have houses and flats across Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire so it can be helpful to make a list of postcodes or even streets that you’d consider to narrow down your search.

Transport Links

For some people, this is even more important than the area itself. How long will you commute for? Which station can you park at? Do you want to walk to work, or will anywhere that’s near a train station do?

Size and Type

A few things to consider:

House or flat?
How many bedrooms? Do you need a spare room?
What outside space do you want?
Garage?

Budget

Ah! The big question. Set yourself a price range, often if you can move quickly the landlord is more likely to negotiate on price. Be prepared to make adjustments if there are other benefits: a more expensive house or flat might be in an area with lower council tax, for instance.

Search

Once you know what you’re after, it’s time to start looking. Bear in mind that most landlords are looking for tenants who can move in within 4-8 weeks. If you won’t be ready to move by then, it might be worth waiting. Call or register your details with us and we can keep you updated. Bear in mind that if we don’t have your details you won’t be the first to hear about new properties.Our database is updated daily, so you’ll always see the latest properties.

View

Once you’ve found a property that you like the look of, we can make a viewing appointment so you can get a real feel for the place.

Although it’s best to look around a home in daylight, we’re happy to do late viewings during the week so you can take a look after work. We’re open on Saturdays too and can view on Sundays by special arrangement.

Rent

When we have found you a property and it falls under the definition of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy and your offer has been accepted we will proceed as follows:

We will require a Holding Deposit equal to one weeks rent of to hold the property whilst referencing checks are undertaken and a Tenancy Agreement is produced for a maximum of 15 calendar days. This holding deposit will be put towards the first rent payment at the start of the tenancy. Please note this Holding Deposit is non-refundable should any of the following conditions apply:
- The Tenant fails a Right to Rent check.
- The Tenant provides false or misleading information to the Landlord or Agent, which affects their suitability to rent the property.
- The Tenant notifies the Landlord or Agent before the deadline for agreement they have decided not to enter into a tenancy agreement.
- The Tenant fails to take all reasonable steps to enter into a tenancy agreement
Once the referencing is successfully completed we will prepare the Tenancy Agreement for you to read through and sign. Once tenancy agreements are signed and executed the tenancy becomes legally binding.
A check-in of the inventory will be arranged for the first day of your tenancy and an appointment made for you to meet with the inventory clerk and collect keys. Should you be unable to be present at the check-in we can make arrangements for you to collect the keys from our office. The inventory will be forwarded to you and you will be given fair time to check through the document and make any amendments you feel necessary. The Landlord is liable for the inventory compilation and check-in charges as well as the checkout.
You will be required to pay one month’s rent in advance of the tenancy start and also the security deposit which is equal to five weeks rent for tenancies worth up to £50,000 per annum and six weeks rent for tenancies worth over £50,000 per annum. The security deposit must be paid at the time you sign the tenancy agreement and the first months rent must be received and cleared into our account before the tenancy can start.
The rent should then be paid by standing order each month and received in cleared funds by the rent due date.
Tenants must have contents insurance for the term of the tenancy. A copy of the certificate must be provided.
Grantley are part of the ARLA Client Money Protection Scheme.
Grantley is a member of The Property Ombudsman independent redress scheme.

For all non AST tenancies a schedule of our fees can be found: https://www.thegrantleygroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Grantley-Tenants-Fees-Jun-19-converted.pdf

Move

Congratulations, you can now move in and enjoy your new home!

Property Types

At Grantley we provide letting solutions for a number of different property types. Each type has its own rules and conditions, you can read about them here but feel free to contact us for more specific information about your tenancy.

Let Only

Each estate has their own individual practices prior and during tenancies. Please ask your Grantley representative if you are unclear about any aspect of your tenancy.
We, at Grantley, are aware that renting a property may be a new experience for many people and we are here to help you.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss any aspect of renting a property.

Managed Properties

If we have been instructed to provide a management service, in addition to the above, we will be your first point of contact for any queries, maintenance issues and repairs. Should there be any repairs required, damage caused or maintenance issues we need to be informed immediately to limit any possible further problems.
Grantley will arrange for accounts to be set up in your name for the utilities and inform the Council of the start date of your tenancy.
At the end of your tenancy we will liaise with the Landlord to return your deposit immediately, subject to conclusions of the check out report. If there is further cleaning required or if any dilapidations are noted on the check out report we will ensure that the Landlord’s claim is dealt with as quickly as possible.

Estate Properties

Each estate has their own individual practices prior and during tenancies. Please ask your Grantley representative if you are unclear about any aspect of your tenancy.
We, at Grantley, are aware that renting a property may be a new experience for many people and we are here to help you.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss any aspect of renting a property.