FAQs for residential lettings

We are so glad you’ve found your potential new home! The property isn’t secured just yet, after you have submitted an application form we’ll then send you a tenancy guide. The tenancy guide

• outlines the terms of the tenancy
• explains the paperwork to be completed
• shows your payment schedule
• enables you to pay you holding deposit and confirms receipt of payment

Once the holding deposit has been paid, the property is off the market! We allow 15 days for the remaining paperwork to be completed and any further funds paid, if this isn’t done within this time frame, the property may go back on the market and depending on the circumstances, your holding deposit retained.

If you think you’ve found where you belong, ask for us to send you an application form. Once you have submitted your application, we will send you a tenancy guide, from here, you can pay your holding deposit. If multiple applications come in at the same time we will submit them to the landlord for approval.

Possibly; we try to limit disruption to the current tenants as much as possible, so if we have multiple enquiries for the same property we will book you in to the same appointment slot at staggered arrival times. We’ll show people in order of booking.

No problem, these things happen! Please call us on 01273 645797 to let us know – we’ll try to wait for you if we can. If it’s more than 5 or 10 minutes we might have another appointment to get to and therefore will be unable to wait. If this is the case we’ll let you know and re-arrange another time.

It’s simple! Once you have found a property you like, just call the office on 01273 645797 and we will book you in for the earliest available appointment that suits your availability. We’ll then send you a text with all the details confirming your appointment.

The differences in outgoing costs between traditional deposits and zero-deposit schemes are actually very little! For Reposit you pay one week’s rent to Reposit who act to insure your deposit. This is non-refundable. You then pay the first months’ rent within 15 days as security for the landlord leading up to the tenancy. This is the case with all zero-deposit schemes. For a traditional deposit, you would pay a holding deposit. You then pay 5 weeks’ rent within 15 days for the rest of the deposit, minus the holding deposit you’d already paid. The first month’s rent would then be paid 7 days before the beginning of the tenancy. After this, the differences are minimal until the end of the tenancy. With a traditional deposit, we will send you a breakdown of any deductions within a month of your tenancy end date and then once agreed, will return the balance of the funds to you. With Reposit, we will submit any end of tenancy charges onto their platform with 24 days of the end of your tenancy, you will be notified of these by Reposit and once agreed, you will pay this money to Reposit.

• Take meter readings and contact your utility providers. Don’t know your supplier? Call 0870 6081524 for gas, 0845 6015467 for electricity and 0330 303 1263 for water.
• Contact Brighton & Hove City Council You can register online or call the Council on 01273 291291 for further advice.
• Get a TV licence You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, or if you watch or download programmes on BBC iPlayer http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk
• Check your refuse and recycling collection days. Missing a refuse bin or recycling box? You can order one online and find out the collection days for your street by calling 01273 292929 or by visiting www.brighton-hove.gov.uk.
• Get contents insurance  We strongly advise you to invest in your own contents insurance as the landlords insurance does not cover your personal belongings in the event of a fire, burglary or leak. If you have contents insurance included in your rent, confirm your cover here. Not sure? Check your tenancy agreement.

The inventory company we use are normally very accurate, however if you feel there is something not right, it’s important you let us know! If there is something missing on the inventory you have 7 days to make any amendments or comments. The inventory will be emailed to you and it will contain instructions on how to do this.

An inventory is a document compiled the day before your tenancy starts. We use a third party company to ensure there is no bias in the content of this document. It is an itemised and photographic list of contents and conditions. It includes everything from, walls, flooring, fixtures and fittings to furniture and appliances.

We’ll contact you before you tenancy start date to organise checking in to your property. On the day, we’ll double check your payments and paperwork are all complete and explain the inventory process. After this you’ll be given the keys to your new home!

The differences in outgoing costs between traditional deposits and zero-deposit schemes are actually very little! For Reposit you pay one week’s rent to Reposit who act to insure your deposit. This is non-refundable. You then pay the first months’ rent within 15 days as security for the landlord leading up to the tenancy. This is the case with all zero-deposit schemes. For a traditional deposit, you would pay a holding deposit. You then pay 5 weeks’ rent within 15 days for the rest of the deposit, minus the holding deposit you’d already paid. The first month’s rent would then be paid 7 days before the beginning of the tenancy. After this, the differences are minimal until the end of the tenancy. With a traditional deposit, we will send you a breakdown of any deductions within a month of your tenancy end date and then once agreed, will return the balance of the funds to you. With Reposit, we will submit any end of tenancy charges onto their platform with 24 days of the end of your tenancy, you will be notified of these by Reposit and once agreed, you will pay this money to Reposit.

No, we ask you are not present for the checkout. If you are still at the property you will be asked to wait outside while our independent inventory company compiles the report. This is for two reasons; firstly because they want to be able to complete the report independently without distraction and need peace and quiet in order to record it, and secondly to make sure there is no bias affecting the report. The same rules will also apply to your landlord.

The best way is to use your inventory and go around the house room by room making sure the property is returned to the same condition as when you moved in. Don’t worry, we will of course allow for fair wear and tear. Use our guide below to make sure you don’t miss any of the most common deductions people forget.

If you are on a bills-included package you don’t need to do anything! Otherwise, on the last day of your tenancy, contact your gas, electricity and water suppliers to let them know you are moving out and to give them your final meter readings. If you have top-up meters for any utilities, you must ensure these have the same amount of credit as when you moved in. You can find this information on your inventory. If we have to top up payment meters, charges will be incurred. Don’t forget about broadband / telephone providers, your TV license and to re-direct any post. We will not be able to collect any post for you once you have moved out.

All keys should be left together inside the property. Please do not hand-deliver or post keys back to our office, as this will mean they are not listed on the check-out report and you may be charged. If you have a bedroom door key, please leave the bedroom door open, with the key in the lock.

If your front door requires a key to lock when closed, please pop the rest of the keys inside, lock the front door and push the last set through the letterbox.

If you are still in the property on your check-out day and the inventory company are not able to conduct your check-out, you will be due to pay more rent until the property can be formally checked out by the inventory company. Please be thoughtful towards the new tenants, we run a tight schedule to get the house ready for them to move in and if you don’t move out on time, this can have a knock on effect.

Your deposit will be registered with MyDeposits within 30 days of payment, each tenant will be sent their deposit certificate and some prescribed information about the scheme. If you need any further information please contact our Finance team at finance@coapt.co.uk

If your landlord manages your property and you have paid your deposit directly to them, your landlord will register your deposit with one of the three deposit protection schemes and will send you the details within 30 days of payment.

There are a few requirements we need guarantors to meet for us to be able to approve the application. You need to be a full-time mainland UK resident, be over the age of 25, and earn at least three times the tenant’s share of the rent after tax and deductions. All of your information is stored securely, in line with GDPR.

Please contact the Property Management team if you have any questions at all.

If you are in full time employment, your income is 3x your rent, and pass your credit check + references you do not need to provide a guarantor.

Included in your contract is your rent schedule. A standing order is an instruction to your bank to make regular, fixed payments to an organisation or person. We can accept a screenshot as confirmation that this has been set-up if you are using online banking. Alternatively, a scan or clear picture of the confirmation the bank will give you in-branch will work. Just email this to admin@coapt.co.uk

Click here to view our guide to completing your paperwork.

We give all tenants 15 days to complete the paperwork process and pay any outstanding funds. If you are looking to move in sooner than this, we can make this timeframe shorter. Please be aware we will not be able to allow you to move in until this process is complete.