Tenants

Any property taken through Cope & Co. will be bound by the following TERMS & CONDITIONS:

ALL CALLS ARE RECORDED FOR TRAINING AND MONITORING PURPOSES.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

Cope & Co. may collect some or all of the following personal data. This may vary according to your relationship with us:-

Full name, date of birth, address, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, business name, job title, profession, employment status, bank details, national insurance number, nationality and forms of identification (passport, driver’s licence).

Under GDPR 2018, we must always have a lawful and legitimate basis for using personal data. This may be because the data is necessary for the performance of a contract with you. You have consented to the use of your personal data and because it is in legitimate business interests to use it.

Your personal data will be used for following purposes:

For Applicants (prior to the commencement of a Tenancy)

1. Supplying you with details by email, post, telephone or text of properties that may suit your ongoing requirements.
2. Communicating with you to arrange viewings, discuss viewing feedback or to discuss a potential rental application

For Applicants/Tenants (after an Application/Tenancy has commenced)

1. Referencing you and carrying out Right to Rent checks
2. Communicating with you on matters relating to the tenancy. This may include responding to emails, letters, texts or phone calls from you.
3. Supplying you with information by email, post, telephone or text. You may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by contacting us.
4. In line with GDPR 2018 policy and protocol, we are required to advise you that your telephone numbers will be used to communicate with you in relation to the tenancy but also to deal with maintenance and repairs.

Your telephone numbers will be passed on to maintenance contractors who will liaise with you to organise appointments and access for works that are required.

Information provided under the performance of this Agreement may be shared with the landlord and other agents, credit and referencing agencies, local authorities, utility and water companies, Police, tracing agents, our legal representatives, solicitors, mortgage lenders, maintenance contractors, utility switch companies, chartered surveyors and estate agents.

In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data, for example, if we involved in legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, a court order, or the instructions of a government authority.

You will not be sent any unlawful marketing or spam. We will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, and you will always have the opportunity to opt-out.

We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected.

Your attention is drawn to our Privacy Policy; a link can be found at  the foot of this page. The Privacy Policy sets out what information we obtain and how we use it.

Holding Deposit

A Holding Deposit is taken from a potential tenant to reserve the property whilst reference checks and preparation of a tenancy agreement are undertaken. The Holding Deposit is the equivalent of one weeks rent. One weeks rent means the amount of agreed annual rent payable in respect of the proposed new, renewed or continued tenancy, divided by fifty-two.

The property will ceased to be advertised once a holding deposit has been paid. Only one holding deposit will be taken for a specific property at any one time. It is not permitted for agents or landlords to take multiple holding deposits for the same property.

Both parties (landlord and tenant) will usually have two weeks (14 days) to enter into a tenancy agreement once a holding deposit has been received by the landlord or agent. This is before the ‘deadline for agreement’, which is the 15th day after the holding deposit has been received. However, a different ‘deadline for agreement’ date may be agreed in writing (which could be more or less than 14 days).

Repaying the Holding Deposit

The Holding Deposit must be repaid to the tenant if:

• The landlord and tenant enter into a tenancy agreement.
• The landlord decides before the deadline for agreement not to enter into a tenancy agreement.
• The landlord and the tenant fail to enter into a tenancy agreement before the Deadline for Agreement.

If one of the above applies, the Holding Deposit will be refunded within 7 calendar days of the date of that decision or the Deadline for Agreement.

With a tenant’s written consent, the Holding Deposit may be ‘repaid’ by allowing the tenant to deduct the equivalent sum from the first payment of rent or the Tenancy Deposit.

Retaining the Holding Deposit

The Holding Deposit can be retained by the agent if:

• The tenant fails a Right to Rent check regardless of when the deposit was accepted.
• The tenant provides false or misleading information to the landlord or letting agent, which the landlord is reasonably entitled to consider in deciding whether to grant the tenancy because this materially affects their suitability to rent the property.
• The tenant notifies the landlord or letting agent before the deadline for agreement that they have decided not to enter into a tenancy agreement.
• The tenant fails to take all reasonable steps to enter into a tenancy agreement.

False or misleading information is information provided by the tenant that is not factually correct and seriously affected the landlord’s decision to let the property.

For example, letting agents must be able to evidence that the tenant’s income declaration was significantly too high, or the tenant provided information which is clearly inaccurate about their income or employment, or the tenant failed to disclose (when directly asked) any relevant information which later comes to the agent’s attention, such as County Court Judgements.

Recovery of amount paid

Where consent was not given to deduct the equivalent sum from the first payment of rent or the Tenancy Deposit, tenants can recover an unreturned Holding Deposit or Prohibited Payment through the First-tier Tribunal.

Application

Prior to a Holding Deposit being taken, potential tenants will be asked for pre-application information. This will include a current credit report (which are obtainable free of charge) provided by the tenant. It is imperative that the information provided at this time is correct, as decisions particularly in relationship to affordability, will be made.

Upon receipt of the appropriate Holding Deposit, application forms will be sent out electronically for on line submission.

Referencing

All persons over the age of 18, who will be resident at the property, must be referenced. All completed application forms and supporting documentation must be supplied within 3 working days of the application fee being submitted.

Sight of your last three months bank statements may be required or a bank status enquiry can be carried out at your request. In some cases, we may ask for an Accountant’s reference.

If you have rented accommodation before we will require a reference from your previous Landlord.
If you have had a mortgage, we may require sight of your latest mortgage statement.

Two original forms of ID will be required for every applicant (one must be photographic). e.g. Driving Licence, Passport, Utility Bill.

Applications generally take 48 hours to process. We will contact you once this process is complete to confirm your moving date.

Tenancy Agreement

EACH applicant AND your guarantor (if applicable) will be required to sign the Tenancy Agreement PRIOR to the tenancy commencing.

Further to satisfactory references being obtained the tenancy will proceed subject to authorisation from the property owner. The tenancy deposit is the equivalent of exactly 5 weeks of the agreed rent.

The tenancy deposit is calculated as Monthly Rent x 12 (Months in a year) ÷ 52 (Weeks in a year) x 5 (Weeks Rent).

For example, a monthly rent of £550.00 would be 550.00 x 12 ÷ 52 x 5 = £634.61 deposit.

The first months rent and tenancy deposit must be paid by cleared funds, on or before the moving in date.

You will be asked to sign a standing order mandate to collect future months rental payments.

The rent you pay is exclusive and hence does not include gas, electricity, water rates, council tax or telephone charges unless otherwise stated. It is your responsibility to transfer the utilities.

All of our properties are available on a minimum fixed term, six-month assured shorthold tenancy only, unless otherwise stated. 

Tenant Fees 

The tenant must pay the following fees (only if applicable):

Early Tenancy Termination Fee: Reasonable cost
Tenancy Agreement Amendment (instigated by tenant only): Capped at £50.00
Replacement of lost security device: Reasonable cost 

Accidental Damage Insurance

It is advisable that you hold insurance that the landlord or agent considers adequate to protect your possessions and accidental damage caused by you to any/all of the furniture and fixtures and fittings at the property as detailed on the inventory. A copy of your insurance certificate must be supplied prior to moving into the property. Cope & Co. are partners with Let Alliance, who will provide to you, as part of our requirements, a no obligation, tenants contents insurance quotation. Let Alliance will contact you directly.

Moving In

A Cope & Co. representative may be present at the Move In to read the meters, to assist with the operation of all relevant equipment and appliances and to agree the Property Inventory.

The inventory is prepared to protect the tenant from unfair and unwarranted deductions from the deposit at the end of the tenancy.

Moving Out

Notices must be sent in writing as specified in the Tenancy Agreement.
The tenancy deposit will be refunded soon after vacation of the accommodation, providing the property is left in a clean and undamaged condition and all monies due under the terms of the tenancy have been paid in full.

Cope & Co. reserve the right to re-market a property should the above requirements not be met.

STRICTLY NO CHILDREN, PETS OR SMOKERS WELCOME UNLESS SPECIFIED.