Rental & Property Management | Let Your Property with Charters

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LETTING AGENT IS AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR CHOICE OF PROPERTY

Not only will you be looking for an agent with a variety of properties to suit your budget and needs, seven days a week, but also one who can provide you with valuable support during your tenancy, to make the experience of renting your chosen property everything you could want.

From country homes to city studios… from Hampshire to Surrey… we let them all… no matter how large or small… Charters offers a dedicated lettings service matching discerning tenants with high-quality properties. Our experienced team provides a bespoke service designed to make the experience of finding and renting a home as effortless as possible.

Charters is an ARLA Propertymark licensed agent, so you can be confident that you will be dealing with a professional company complying with current legislation at all times.

We are also a member of The Property Redress Scheme and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, a government-authorised deposit protection scheme, as well as having client money protection through ARLA Propertymark. We also pride ourselves on our highly experienced in-house property management team and out of hours service making us extremely well qualified to manage the lettings process from start to finish. The rental market is so fast paced these days, but please be assured that our talented staff are here to help you, keeping you regularly updated and working tirelessly to find you your perfect property.

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EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS

Property Management Centre

If we fully manage the property that you are renting, you will have peace of mind in knowing that our maintenance team are highly experienced and trained in all areas of property management. You will be allocated a dedicated property manager who will introduce themselves to you when you first move in and they will liaise with you on any maintenance issues that you alert us to during your tenancy.

We additionally offer an out-of-hours service to provide support throughout the night and at weekends.

Using only fully qualified contractors, the maintenance team aim to ensure limited disruption thereby ensuring you have full enjoyment of the property.

The quickest and easiest way to report a maintenance issue is via our online repair reporting system…

This will forward details of your issue directly to your Property Manager and we will keep you updated via the App at all stages.

To speak with our Property Management Team during office hours of 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, please call 02380 631940 if your property is in Southampton or 02382 358577 for all other areas.

In the event of an emergency out of office hours please click on the button above and you will be called within 30 minutes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When renting a property in the UK, it’s likely that you’ll have plenty of questions. As experienced estate agents, we’re here to help. To get you started, we’ve put together a list of our FAQs but don’t hesitate to get in touch with further questions about renting.

How much do I need to earn to rent a property?

It’s common that landlords will want your monthly earnings to be at least 2.5-3 times the monthly rent (or your share of the rent).

What is referencing?

This is usually carried out by a referencing agency and organised by the landlord/estate agent and gives the landlord information about your current circumstances and credit history. It includes:

Address history
Proof of employment
Reference letters from previous landlords and employers
Three months’ worth of bank statements
Tax return (if you’re self-employed)
Letter from accountants (if you’re self-employed)
Details of guarantor if required

What are credit checks?

Credit checks help landlords decide whether or not to let to you. They look over your behaviour financially, without disclosing how much you actually earn. These checks include:

How long you’ve lived at your previous addresses
Public records e.g. if you’re on the electoral register
Your credit/debt ratio
If you’ve missed any payments
If you’ve had any county court judgments (CCJs)

How long does a credit check take to come back?

Usually, 2 to 10 days.

What documents do I need to rent a house/flat?

Character and employment references
Documents to prove you’re employed and to show your income – if you’re self-employed you can usually use bank statements from the past three months
Documents to prove your identity and right to rent e.g. passport, driving license, utility bill, visa (if coming from abroad)
Credit references

Who pays for tenant referencing?

The landlord.

What fees should I expect to pay when renting in England?

New rules have limited what landlords can ask tenants to pay for. You can expect to pay for the following:

Agreed monthly rent
Utility bills
Contract renewal/modification fees (< £50)
Security deposit (< five weeks’ rent)
Refundable holding deposit (< one week’s rent)
Default fees e.g. a new key if you lose the first

What fees should I not expect to pay?

In the past, tenants were asked to pay a number of fees which have since been banned. You should not pay for:

Referencing fees
Check in fees
Check out fees
Admin fees
Inventory fees
Cleaning fees

What can a landlord deduct from the security deposit?

You will pay a security deposit at the beginning of your tenancy and, when you leave, the landlord can claim all or part of this for various reasons including:

Unpaid rent
Unpaid utility bills
Cleaning costs
Damages
Removal of items you leave without written agreement
Theft of items
Unauthorised changes to the property
Poor maintenance of the property and/or garden

What is fair wear and tear?

It is natural that a property will show signs of use and the landlord should not withhold your security deposit (or part of it) for fair wear and tear if you’ve provided reasonable care and maintenance. This includes things such as:

Faded curtains
Furniture indentations on carpets
Scuffed wooden floors
Loose hinges/door handles
Cracks in walls due to natural movement
Worn paint near light switches

What are the landlord’s responsibilities?

By law, you landlord must:

Give you a copy of the ‘How to Rent’ checklist at the beginning of the tenancy
Provide an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
Keep the property safe and free from health hazards
Ensure gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained
Keep your deposit in a government approved scheme i.e. not their own bank account
Check you have the right to rent (England)

What are the tenant’s responsibilities?

As the tenant you must:

Pay your rent on time
Look after the property by reporting any issues/repairs needed to the landlord
Keep the property ventilated
Carry out minor maintenance e.g. change light bulbs and check smoke alarms
Dispose of rubbish correctly
Allow access for inspections and repairs (the landlord must give you at least 24 hours’ notice and carry out inspections/repairs at a reasonable hour)
Ask for permission to make changes to the property, take in a lodger
Follow agreed rules e.g. no smoking, no pets
End your tenancy properly

How much can a landlord charge for cleaning?

The landlord cannot charge a fee for cleaning. However, when the tenancy ends they can withhold all/some of the security deposit in order to return the property to the condition it was in when the tenancy began.

Where can I ask more questions?

Hopefully these FAQs have answered many of your questions about renting. You can find more information in our handy Step by Step Guide to Renting a Property. If you have any more questions or need help, we will be happy to help.

TENANTS

FIND THE RIGHT PROPERTY

Renting

with Charters

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LETTING AGENT IS AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR CHOICE OF PROPERTY

EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS

Property Management Centre

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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