Book A Viewing

Terms Of Business

TENANTS GUIDE TO LETTINGS AND OUR TERMS OF BUSINESS

 

APPLICATION TO RENT AND REFERENCING

Once you’ve decided to proceed with renting one of our properties, you’ll need to complete a Tenant Application Form. This form allows us to carry out the necessary referencing checks of yourself and/or your guarantor to assess your suitability for the property or room.

 

To ensure an efficient process, we may use a referencing and financial assessment provider such as OpenRent or Advance Tenant Referencing. If the tenancy is being taken out by a company, a referencing fee of £100.00 + VAT will apply. There is no charge for individuals or groups of students.

 

We also require a holding fee of £150.00 per tenant, per room to reserve the property. This payment secures the room(s) and removes the room from our website as “available.” If you are taking a whole property with other tenants, each tenant must pay the £150.00 holding fee per room. Once we have received all holding fees and completed application forms, the property will be marked as “under offer,” and viewings will be suspended while referencing is completed.

 

The holding fee is non-refundable, except where we or the landlord choose not to proceed. If an application is refused by the landlord or agent due to a failing of the tenant(s) to comply with their relevant obligations, the holding fee will be forfeited. If the tenancy goes ahead, the holding fee will be credited towards your first month’s rent.

 

 

REFERENCING

All tenants aged 18 and over must provide satisfactory references. If you are:

  • A working professional: you must earn at least 2.5x the monthly rent
  • A student or someone earning below the required threshold: you must provide a UK-based guarantor, who will also be referenced

 

Our referencing process typically includes:

  • Employment references and/or payslips (or accountant’s reference for self-employed applicants)
  • Previous landlord reference (where applicable)
  • Three months’ bank statements (if required)
  • Full credit check
  • Valid photographic ID (passport, driving licence, or Armed Forces ID)
  • A valid visa if you are not a UK citizen

 

All checks are carried out by our third-party referencing partner. An ‘Acceptable’ rating must be achieved by all tenants (or guarantors if you are a student). We reserve the right to decline any application if:

 

  • One or more tenants fail to complete the application, pay the holding deposit or fails to complete referencing within 7 days of agreeing to proceed
  • One or more tenants or guarantors do not pass referencing or achieve the required score

 

All references must be completed within 14 days of the first reference being processed. If any references are still outstanding after 14 days, the landlord or agent reserves the right to decline the application.

 

If you are unable to provide a UK-based guarantor or if your guarantor fails referencing, you may be able to use a third-party guarantor service such as Housing Hand (visit www.housinghand.co.uk for more information) or Rent Guarantor (visit www.rentguarantor.com for more information)

 

RIGHT TO RENT

Under the Immigration Act 2014 (as amended in 2016), we are legally required to obtain proof of your Right to Rent.

 

This means we will request:

  • Valid photographic ID (passport or driving licence) for all tenants over 18
  • Additional documentation if required, depending on your immigration status

 

It is a condition of the tenancy that all adult occupiers maintain a legal Right to Rent for the full duration of their stay.

 

You agree to:

  • Provide documentation to confirm your Right to Rent when requested
  • Notify us immediately of any changes to immigration status that may affect this
  • Ensure any subletting or licences (whether authorised or not) meet Right to Rent checks
  • Where any adult occupier has a time-limited right to rent the Tenant shall provide to the Landlord proof of their continued Right to Rent as is reasonably required by the Landlord

 

 

DEADLINE TO AGREEMENT

Once referencing has been completed, you will be sent tenancy agreements (and guarantor agreements, if required) via a digital signing platform. You will have 14 days to sign and return these contracts — this is known as the Deadline to Agreement. If you fail to return signed agreements within this period, the landlord reserves the right to re-advertise the property. In such a case, your holding fee will be forfeited to cover the cost of referencing and marketing.

 

 

CONTRACT AMENDMENTS AND EARLY TERMINATION

Once signed, your tenancy agreement becomes a legally binding contract. This contract is legally binding whether the tenancy is future-dated or has already started. Any changes (including changes to move-in dates, named tenants, or guarantors) are at the discretion of the landlord or agent. If agreed, an administration fee of £50.00 will apply, along with any additional costs incurred by the landlord or agent.

 

If a tenant fails to take up occupancy or decides not to proceed after contracts have been signed, all tenants and guarantors will remain jointly and severally liable for the full terms of the tenancy (including rent and damages) unless formally released in writing by the landlord or agent.

 

Early termination is not permitted at any point from when a tenancy agreement is signed. However, in exceptional cases and at the landlord’s discretion, we may agree to a tenant being replaced. If the landlord or agent agrees to a tenant being replaced, the responsibility for finding a suitable replacement tenant falls to the tenant and their group (if applicable). In such cases:

  • The replacement tenant must pay a £150.00 holding fee
  • The replacement tenant and/or their guarantor must pass referencing
  • The replacement, their guarantor and the existing tenants (if applicable) must sign a new contract
  • The outgoing tenant must pay a re-lettings fee of £250.00
  • The outgoing tenant will also forfeit the £150.00 holding fee they originally paid to secure their room at the property
  • The tenant leaving the contract must also pay the administration charge of £50.00 before being released from the tenancy agreement

 

Only once this process is complete in full will the outgoing tenant be released from the tenancy (this will be confirmed formally in writing when appropriate).

 

 

DILAPIDATIONS (SECURITY) DEPOSIT

Before your tenancy begins, you’ll be required to pay a security deposit equivalent to one month’s rent, either upon signing or at least one month before the tenancy start date.

 

This deposit:

  • Cannot be used towards any rental payments due
  • Will be used to cover damage to the property at the end of the tenancy (including cleaning, painting, carpets, and furniture), if applicable
  • Will be protected in a government-approved deposit scheme in line with the Housing Act 2004

 

You will receive full details of the deposit scheme and prescribed information within 30 days of receipt of the security deposit.

 

 

RENT PAYMENTS

Rent must be paid in advance by Direct Debit as per your tenancy agreement. You must complete a Direct Debit mandate before the tenancy begins. Late rent payments may incur fees and interest. Failed or cancelled payments will result in a £6.00 charge per failed transaction. If you are facing financial difficulties during the tenancy, please notify us immediately.

 

 

INVENTORY & TENANT OBLIGATIONS

A full inventory will be prepared prior to your move-in, and again at move-out. You must check and confirm this inventory at the start of the tenancy to avoid any disputes. Any discrepancies must be reported within 7 days of moving in. We expect the property to be returned to us at the end of the tenancy in the same condition as evidenced by the move-in inventory (fair wear and tear exempted).

 

 

UTILITIES & COUNCIL TAX

Council tax is not included as per your tenancy agreement. For any tenants classified as full-time students, it is the responsibility of the tenants to provide proof of council tax exemption. This exemption may only apply for the duration of the tenants’ course dates. Where a tenants’ university course date falls before the last date of the tenancy agreement, any council tax due for the period between the university course end date and the tenancy agreement end date is the responsibility of the tenant to pay. Where utilities (gas, electricity, water, waste water, internet and TV licence) are included in the rent, gas and electricity usage is subject to a fair usage policy as outlined in your tenancy agreement.

 

 

TENANTS’ CONTENTS INSURANCE

We strongly advise all tenants to take out suitable contents insurance. We as landlords are not to be held liable in any way for tenants’ possessions that are lost, stolen, damaged, or left and disposed of at the end of the tenancy. We are also not liable for the actions of other tenants and your possessions.

 

PROHIBITED ITEMS AND ACTIONS

The following items and actions are prohibited by all tenants and guests to the property for the full duration of the tenancy agreement:

  • No smoking or vaping anywhere inside the premises of the property
  • No portable heaters of any kind
  • No charging of electric cars, electric scooters or electric bicycles
  • No candles or incense sticks to be burned inside the property

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The property is accepted as seen. Any requests for changes or additions must be made before the tenancy agreement is signed. Pets are not permitted without the landlord’s written consent. All properties are strictly non-smoking and non-vaping. Smoking or vaping is not permitted indoors under any circumstances and this applies to any guests at the property.

 

All communication will be handled electronically, including:

  • Tenancy agreements
  • Prescribed information
  • Inventories
  • Compliance certificates
  • Notices and correspondence

 

 

All documentation will be issued via email or electronic signature. You must ensure you check your email regularly and maintain a valid address throughout your tenancy and should your email or telephone number change, you must notify us immediately.

 

All rent and deposit payments must be made in cleared funds prior to move-in. Payments can be made by Direct Debit, or by debit/credit card via phone.

 

 

DATA PROTECTION & CONSENT

By completing a tenant application form, you:

 

  • Confirm your agreement to these Terms of Business
  • Authorise Bunked Ltd to process and store your data in accordance with GDPR (2018)
  • Consent to your holding fee being allocated towards your first rent payment