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Information for Tenants
The lettings process
We understand that every move is different; whether you are moving for the first time, for employment or education. Whatever your reason for moving we promise to work flexibly with you in order to understand your move so that we can tailor your property search & referencing procedure to suit you.
Your responsibilities as a tenant
As a Tenant, much like your Landlord, you have a number of responsibilities both outlined by law and your tenancy agreement, in which you must adhere to. From the all-important getting your keys to repairs and rent, here are just some of the responsibilities that lie with you as the Tenant.
Each tenant named on the tenancy will receive a full set of keys upon moving into the property. CA Properties, The Property Management and Landlord will keep a set of keys for maintenance access, property visits or emergencies. However, if you lose or damage your keys or locks you must pay for their replacement.
Please see our FAQ’s and tenant fees page for more details on keys.
CA Properties will contact the utility companies and council tax departments on your behalf notifying them of the change in tenancy however it remains your responsibility as the Tenant to make you have set up your utility contracts & payment methods on the following where they are required when moving in.
- Council Tax
- Gas
- Water
- Electricity
- Telephone
- TV License
- Contents Insurance
If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to what is included within the property, for example furniture, appliances, utilities you should seek further clarification with CA Properties prior to submitting your application.
At the start of the tenancy you will be required to pay a security deposit, which will be held against any damage that is not considered ‘fair wear and tear’. The deposit is capped to the equivalent of 5 weeks rent (Confirmed in your tenancy agreement). The deposit will be payable on or before the day your tenancy starts, the deposit cannot be used for the payment of rent.
Tenancy Deposit Protection
By law any Assured Short Hold Tenancies require Landlords and Property Managers to ensure your tenancy deposit is held in an approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme. This was introduced by the UK Government to ensure that deposits are protected and any disputes about their return are dealt with quickly, inexpensively and impartially. There are 3 Government approved scheme and CA Properties is a member of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Details of your scheme can be found in your tenancy agreement, deposit certificate and prescribed information. Once your tenancy deposit has been protected in an approved scheme, you will receive a certificate of registration within 30 days.
Your tenancy agreement will tell you when your rent is due. The first payment is due before the commencement date of the tenancy, in the form of cleared funds.
Your rent normally does not include; Council Tax, Electricity, Gas and Water, TV license, Internet or Telephone.
As a Tenant you must ensure rent is paid in full and on the due date. If the tenancy is in 2 or more names, everyone on the tenancy agreement including any guarantor is responsible for making sure the rent is paid on time. It is your responsibility to make sure there are cleared funds in your bank account. Again, unless your tenancy agreement states different, rent payments are made by monthly instalments by standing order on or before the due date.
If you rent a property with other people, such as a partner or friend you will all have joint responsibilities for keeping to the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement. This includes covering rent if one tenant fails to pay their rent, the other sharers remain responsible. All tenants are equally responsible for any damage caused and the termination of the tenancy. Therefore, any one sharer wishing to end a tenancy is considered to be doing so on behalf of all the other occupiers.
CA Properties are responsible for repairs and maintenance issues including leaks, heating, water etc. For CA Properties, the Landlord or Property Management to react quickly, the issue needs to be reported promptly. We cannot respond to maintenance we don’t know about – It is your duty to report all maintenance issues promptly. Maintenance issues that go un-reported will be considered wilful neglect of your property and could be a breach in tenancy.
As a Tenant however you have responsibilities to your Landlord and to your neighbours to maintain the general standard of the property and adhere to the rules set out in your tenancy agreement such as quiet enjoyment for your neighbours. Maintenance including changing light bulbs, disposing of rubbish correctly and keeping the property ventilated lies with you as the tenant, other responsibilities include:-
– Minor repairs and maintenance such as changing fuses and light bulbs.
– Gas, Responding to letters to allow access for engineers to carry out annual gas checks.
– Gardening
– Keeping walls free of Blue Tac, nails, drawing pins and similar products. Never use Blue Tac.
– Ensuring flooring and carpets are free from damage and kept clean.
– Disposing of rubbish responsibly in the correct bins provided.
– Using correct cleaning materials to ensure no damage to surfaces
– Descaling shower heads regularly
– Property security – setting intruder alarms, making sure windows and doors are kept shut & locked when you are out of the home.
– Maintaining washing machines and tumble dryers – making sure rubber bands, paper clips or similar small items do not block the washer pump or waste.
– Ventilation and condensation – regularly opening windows to keep air circulating in your property.
– Defrost fridge and freezer regularly
– Adequately heating your property to avoid condensation, mould or damp.
– Keep drains and waste outlets clean and free of hair, food debris or sanitary products.
– Regularly cleaning drains with bleach and unblocking drains and gulleys to your home.
– Not flushing fat, rice, food debris down with waste outlets.
It is your duty to report all maintenance issues immediately. You could be charged for wilful neglect should you fail to report an issue such as leaking tap or blocked shower that causes property damage. Failure to report repairs often leads to further damage being done to the property and contents so it is important you let us know as soon as you first become aware of an issue.
You can report repairs online through our website. This will raise your repair on our property management software we will keep you regularly updated on the repair by adding notes to your journal and communicating to you by telephone calls, emails, text messages and letters.
You can also write to us, phone our office, email or visit us in person at our office for a chat.
If you have any repairs or maintenance requirements at your property, you need to report these via our website or by speaking to your Property Manager.
Quiet enjoyment of your property will be respected by CA Properties at all times and you must do the same to your neighbours. Anti social-behaviour and noise nuisance issues will be reported to the local authority who can take action to remove music devices. You are also responsible for anyone living in your household and any guests visiting your property.
Application
A tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract which details the rights and obligations of the tenant and landlord.
All our tenancies are granted on AST’s (Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements) which are produced by the National Residential Landlords Association. We will always draft your tenancy in advance and send it out to you for you to have a good read through ahead of signing.
If you have any questions about your draft tenancy agreement you can contact us to discuss its wording.
For single lets, professional and family lettings the tenancy agreement will be for a minimum of 6 months. If you would like a longer tenancy this can be arranged.
If you are new to the area or moving in with someone for the first time we would always recommend a 6 month tenancy to give you the flexibility should things not work out.
For student properties the tenancy agreement will usually be for 52 weeks or 12 months usually starting on 1st July.
CA Properties do not charge any application, administration, referencing, guarantor, renewal, check-in or check-out fees.
To reserve a property, all we require is a Holding Deposit of one week’s rent.
Once you have told us you would like to apply, CA Properties will raise a holding deposit due on the property and we will cancel any viewings while we carry out your application & referencing procedure.
Holding deposits are limited to a maximum of 1 week’s rent and subject to statutory legislation on the repayment should the tenancy not go ahead:
- The landlord has 15 days to make a decision once a holding deposit is taken.
- If the tenancy does not go ahead then the money must be repaid in full with 7 days of the deadline being reached.
- Repayment does not need to be in full if the tenant backs out of the tenancy agreement themselves, fails right to rent checks, has provided false or misleading information, or where the landlord tries their best to get the information needed but the tenant fails to provide it within the 15 days.
- If the tenancy does go ahead, the holding deposit must be returned within 7 days of agreement, unless it is converted into part payment of the actual deposit or used towards the initial rent payment.
Deposits also known as bonds are required on all rental properties. Under the provisions of the United Kingdom Housing Act 2004 every landlord or letting agent that takes a deposit for an assured shorthold tenancy agreement in England and Wales must join a Government approved tenancy deposit scheme.
All deposits paid to CA Properties are transferred to a separate client account. Your deposit is then secured with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and you will receive a certificate, leaflet hand out and signed prescribed information so that you can be confident that your deposit is held safe & secure.
Deposits are capped at a maximum of five week’s rent and are required on all properties. The deposit is held to cover damage, breakages, and any other liabilities under the terms of your tenancy agreement. Please note that under no circumstances can the deposit be used by the tenant to cover rent.
Depending on your timescales and the properties availability we can arrange for you to move in within a couple of days.
First though you will need to submit a fully completed application form and provide supporting documents. We will then conduct our references by contacting your current and previous landlord, employer and a credit check. We aim to complete applications and referencing as soon as possible but delays often happen when waiting for references to be returned.
CA Properties understand that a CCJ doesn’t make someone a bad tenant.
We ask that a CCJ is declared on a tenancy application as an undisclosed CCJ will result in a declined application. We ask also that you provide supporting documents with details about the CCJ and any repayment plans in place.
Mostly we want to talk to your current and previous landlord to see if you have been a good tenant, paid the rent on time and looked after your property.
If you have not got a previous landlord then you will need a suitable guarantor and we will conduct further bank references.
During the bank reference we will establish your affordability. We will look at what your income is versus your spending. If you are constantly in overdraft and spending more than what is coming in then this will raise questions and you may have to provide a guarantor.
Every application is different and there is no hard and fast rule. You may need a Guarantor if you:
- Full or part time student
- You are not in full time employment, or earning less than 2.5 x the monthly Rental amount agreed
- You have no history of renting previously or cannot provide a previous & current Landlord reference
- You have a poor credit rating
- You have been in a new job less than 6 months
The Guarantor will be a third party, such as a parent or close relative, who agrees to pay your rent if you fail to pay it, and must earn in excess of £25,000, or at least 36 x the monthly rental agreed. The Guarantor ideally will be a homeowner and will credit checked as part of the application process, so it’s important to ask them in advance. Your Landlord can take legal action to recover any unpaid rent directly from your Guarantor if you don’t pay your rent.
In most cases you will be responsible for the Council Tax at your property. Council Tax is paid direct to your Local Authority. The exemption to this is shared houses, rooms and student accommodation.
You must budget for Council Tax and if you are in any doubt about the council tax liability contact us before submitting your application.
To check how much council tax will cost on your property click here.
If you are a single occupant living in your property you can apply for a 25% single occupancy discount here.
If you are a full time student and you do get a bill, you will need to apply to the government for an exemption.
No, CA Properties provide buildings insurance to cover the fabric of the building in the event of storm damage, a fire or leaking water pipes.
Your possessions are your responsibility and we always advise tenants to consider taking out contents insurance to cover your valuables such as clothing, jewellery, cash, devices, bicycles etc. It is worth having your valuables covered for peace of mind and there are some great deals around you should shop around to find the best deals.
The exception to this is our student accommodation where we provide contents insurance as part of the bills inclusive policy.
If you are responsible for the water rates at your property then we will contact them for you too. Look out for a letter landing on your door mat 5-10 days after your tenancy start date.
Water is provided by Yorkshire water and once you’ve received your letter it will be your responsibility to contact them to set up your payment methods.
In most of our properties your water stop will either be in the basement or under the kitchen sink. You must familiarise yourself with the water stop should there be a leak. If in doubt contact us and we will advise you further.
You should be open and honest about having pets or wanting a pet in the future. We will then be able to tailor your property search and discuss this during your initial enquiry.
You must not keep any animals, reptiles, insects or other such pets on the premises without gaining written permission from the landlord first. The introduction of pets without consent of the landlord is considered a direct breach of a tenant’s obligation.
Pets are sometimes allowed in our properties. Each decision on pets is made on a case by case basis by taking into account the property type, available outside space and type of pet requested.
Once we have received back your references we will write to you with our rental decision. We will draft the tenancy agreements for you to read through.
We will arrange a date and time to meet at our office to sign your tenancy agreements and other necessary paperwork such as your deposit protection.
At this point we will raise due your deposit and initial rent payment. Your holding deposit will be converted into part payment of your opening balance.
Moving in
The ‘check in’ appointment is where we will meet at our office or at the property to sign your tenancy agreements and other associated paperwork such as deposit protection.
This stage should not be rushed as there is a lot of information to take in. You should allow a good hour to work through all the necessary documents that you will need to sign and we will give you as much time as you need to read through and discuss the documents. But don’t worry there will be no hidden surprises as all our tenant fees are published here.
We send out your draft tenancy agreement via email and hardcopy through the post for you to have a good read through ahead of your ‘check in’ appointment.
If you have children in your household it is best to ask for them to be looked after for a couple of hours just so we can work through the documents correctly.
Ideally check in will take place during office opening hours just so we have people on hand should something come up.
We do understand life is busy and that people have different work patterns which is why we can open by appointment to suit you. Drop us a line to discuss further so we can get your check in appointment covered.
Anyone named as ‘joint and severally liable’ on the tenancy agreement will need to be present during the tenancy signing ‘check in’ stage. Keys can only be released when all signatures that are needed are on the tenancy agreement.
No, as we will already have completed all the guarantor paper work ahead of your ‘check in’ appointment.
No, you will need to make a trip to our office or your property location to physically sign your tenancy agreement.
Once your application has been successful we will write to you with full instructions on your opening balance and when to pay. We do not accept cash payments. We do accept card payments in the office. Ideally, payments are made using bank transfer and you should allow 2 working days for monies to reach our account as keys cannot be released until cleared funds have been received.
Ideally your initial balance will be received promptly, that way we can secure your deposit with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and print out your deposit certificate ahead of your ‘check in’ appointment.
Yes absolutely, once you have read through and are satisfied with your draft tenancy agreement and we have answered any questions you may have we can move onto the ‘check in’ appointment.
You can sign your tenancy agreement a couple of days, weeks or months in advance of your tenancy start date.
No – this is up to you, you may need time to put arrangements in place with removals or sort out another property you are moving out of first. Keep us updated just to let us know when you are moving in. You will be liable for utility bills and council tax charges from your tenancy start date.
You should collect your keys during office opening hours on the tenancy start date or we can meet you at the property as long as your initial opening balance has been received in cleared funds.
No sorry, only named tenants on the tenancy agreement can sign out keys.
All individuals named on the tenancy agreement will get 1 full set of keys to the property.
Yes. However most of our keys cannot be duplicated at a standard hardware shop as only CA Properties have the authority to cut certain security keys. If you need duplicate keys cutting drop us a line and see our fee page here.
Hopefully someone in your household is able to give you access to your property.
You will be responsible for the full cost of gaining entry to your property and cutting duplicate keys.
Some of our properties have security key systems and a locksmith may not be able to help out. In this occasion you must contact us immediately.
We will already have discussed with you what utility bills you are responsible for. If you have any questions just get in touch with us.
If you have a bills inclusive package you can skip this question.
If you are responsible for one or more of your household bills then CA Properties will contact the utility provider on your behalf to give them the incoming meter reads and details of change in tenancy. We will do this for gas, electric, water and council tax where applicable. Look out for a letter from the utility companies landing on your door mat 5-10 working days after your tenancy start date. You will then have to contact them to set up your payment methods such as direct debits.
Yes, at your ‘check in’ appointment we will have your top up keys or cards. We will also talk through with you how to top up. These keys will not be in your name and we will need to contact the utility provider to get new keys issued to your address. We will always make sure there is at least £5 on a prepayment meter and a zero debt balance at the outset of your tenancy.
You may wish to apply for a SMART meter which means you can top up online using an app, by telephone or at a traditional shop paypoint.
If you are responsible for the gas, electric or broadband then you can compare the market and switch to your chosen provider. This will save you £££’s in the long run.
Check out www.moneysavingexpert.com for great information on everything to do with utilities and saving money!
Whichever suppliers you choose, make sure you send regular meter readings when they prompt you so that your bills reflect what you’re actually using. Otherwise they’ll estimate your bills and you could find yourself paying more than you need to!
All energy companies now have to offer everyone a SMART meter. The chances are that a SMART meter install will be a condition of your energy tariff. This will help you live more energy efficiently and could save you £££’s.
Please get in touch to inform us of your SMART meter install so that we can offer you advice as we may need to provide access to basements etc.
No, you will need to compare the market or contact your current provider to switch your internet over to your new address. Once your tenancy is signed you can be getting on with this straight away.
The exception to this is our student property where we provide broadband as part of the bills inclusive policy.
You may need to need to take delivery of your new router or arrange for an engineer to install cables before you are up and running. You will also need to arrange to be present for the engineer to access your property. Please inform us in writing of any telecoms installs happening at your property as we can offer advice. You should shop around to find the best broadband deals.
CA Properties offer un-furnished, part-furnished & fully-furnished homes.
Please write to us first describing what items you are moving in. We will not unreasonably withhold permission to bring furniture items into your home. However, in the case of soft furnishings like armchairs, sofas or mattresses they must comply with fire regulations and have a fire certificate attached to them so do check before you load up!
Also, you must take them with you when you move out or we’ll have to charge you for disposing of it. Please refer to your inventory and photographs of the property at the outset of the tenancy.
Please note that you can use your own furniture providing you do not store our furniture in the basement where it will get damaged. Should you move furniture out of a room into another room, you will need to make sure you put it back at the end of your tenancy. The exception to the rule is wardrobes; do not move them out of rooms – they’re too big and heavy and difficult to move around!
If you let an unfurnished property you can skip this question.
We understand items do not last forever, that is why we invest in quality furnishings. Please check your inventory and report any missing or broken items and we’ll find, fix or replace them.
No, sorry. No pink, yellow or brown walls in our houses thank you. CA Properties pride ourselves on preparing our properties to a professional standard. When you move in, your bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom will all be in a good decorative order and there will be no Blu-Tack marks anywhere in your house. Employing decorators and purchasing decorating materials is very expensive and we will charge you for the full cost of making good any dodgy decorative works that you have done at the end of your tenancy.
If a previous tenant has ignored our rule on Blu-Tack marks and you find marks on your walls when you move in, do not wait to report them! Log a maintenance job straight away with photographs or we won’t know it wasn’t you and you could end up losing some of your deposit.
We want you to make your house a home. You can put up a reasonable amount of pictures in your home. Please do not go crazy and plaster your walls with posters or put up loads of pictures as this will damage the walls.
Do not use nails, Sellotape, Blu Tac (or any other colour of ‘tack’) or sticky pads because they damage the wall and you’ll be charged for the cost of redecorating above ‘general fair wear and tear’.
Please use picture hooks which can be bought at your local hardware store. Or drop us a line and we’ll drop some off for you.
No, but we’ll put one up for you if you send us an email. Please note there may be a small charge for our time in installing the item and for making good the walls when you leave should you decide you want to take the item with you.
No for standard rental homes we do not provide microwaves, vacuum cleaners, toasters or kettles. Tenants are responsible for purchasing their own small electrical items.
The exception to this is our student property and shared housing where we provide a microwave and vacuum cleaner as part of the property. Students – it is a good idea to decide between you who is going to bring the small appliances for you to share such as kettle and toaster.
If your house has an intruder alarm we will have written your code on a compliment slip and placed it in your ‘tenant pack’. Refer to your ‘tenant pack’ first before contacting us. If you cannot find it then send us an email.
Yes, CA Properties are responsible for providing a TV aerial to your living room and maintaining the digital freeview aerial on the roof of your house throughout your tenancy. There will be a coaxial point in your living room and there may be one in your bedroom. You will need a digital freeview ready TV to be able access any TV channels. If you bought your TV after 2010, it will already have Freeview built into it. All you need to do is purchase a TV license and then connect to the aerial to watch live TV.
You may subscribe to any of the digital TV networks (SKY, Virgin, BT). You may find the best deals are bundled with your broadband. You must not instruct private individuals to install international TV dishes for you to capture international TV. This is illegal, will damage the brickwork and could damage internal wiring or plumbing in the property for which you will be responsible. Only qualified professional telecoms engineers who are employed by the subscription provider (SKY, Virgin, BT) are insured to carry out works.
There will likely already be the TV infrastructure for SKY or Virgin or both at your property. If you do instruct a new install please first email us to notify us.
Please note that the telecoms engineers MUST not cut out the existing TV coaxial cable. They must drill a new hole. If the coaxial TV cable is damaged or missing at the end of the tenancy you may be charged for the full cost of making good the repair.
No, you’ll have to bring your own although most people stream using their laptops. Please note you’ll need to take your TV with you at the end of the tenancy. Do not leave it in the house or we will have to charge you for the disposal.
The exception to this is our student property where we provide a SMART TV in the living room as part of the rental agreement.
If you bring a TV into the property, stream live TV on a laptop or mobile then you’ll be responsible for buying your own TV licence. Find out more about TV Licenses here.
The exception to this is our student property where we provide a TV License as part of the rental agreement.
During tenancy
We will always give you at 24 hours notice in writing of anyone visiting your property (unless there is an emergency).
CA Properties or someone working on our behalf such as a gas engineer has the right to view the property to assess its condition and carry out any necessary repairs or maintenance at reasonable times of the day. The law states that a landlord or agent must give 24 hours in writing prior to any visits.
Gas safety certificates are required annually by law. A gas engineer will visit your property annually to assess and service your gas appliances such as boiler and hob to make sure they are in a safe working condition. It is important that you allow access to trades people at arranged times and dates to make sure your property is safe.
The tenant may allow CA Properties or someone working on our behalf access to the property sooner however CA Properties will only do this after gaining expressed permission from the tenant verbally. The landlord, agent or someone working on our behalf may enter the property immediately if it is an emergency such as a water leak, fire, alarm sounding, gas leak etc.
We will have printed off your bin day calendar at the outset of your tenancy and placed it in your ‘tenant pack’.
Alternatively input your postcode here to find out when your bins are emptied and there is a great app you can download too.
Check out Leeds City Councils website informing you what goes in which colour of bin.
Make sure your bin is put out on the correct day and brought back in again once collected.
Also do not contaminate your bin with waste that should not be put in there. If the Council do not collect your bin you will then need to take out the waste that has contaminated it.
If there is one issue that causes more headaches than any other then this is it! Check out this great video on tips on how to combat condensation and mould growth.
Here’s a handy guide by Leeds city council on how to combat mould.
Allow your home to breath. Understanding condensation is a must and is so very important if you want to live in a safe & healthy home.
Condensation and the associated mould and mildew is most often caused by lifestyle factors by the tenant and can easily be resolved if lifestyles are adapted.
You must always ventilate your home by opening windows to allow your home to breath by replacing moisture laden air inside your home with fresh air from outside.
When showering you must always use the extractor fan and have the window open. Leave the fan on and the window open long after showering until your bathroom walls are dry.
We produce moisture even in our sleep which is why it is important to have your window ajar slightly when sleeping.
When cooking use the extractor fan and open your window to allow steam to escape.
Do not block ventilation grilles in your rooms or vents on your windows – they are there to allow fresh air into your property. Homes that are not allowed to breath will trap moisture and this will cause condensation and mould.
Heat your home adequately – a cold home will allow moisture to condense on the walls and windows.
If you get condensation on your windows then wipe it up. Condensation allowed to sit on windows and ledges will attract mould and will damage the soft furnishings. Clean all condensation and signs of black mould with a multi-surface spray with bleach – this will kill the mould and remove it.
If your boiler has stopped working you must check the following before contacting us.
- Check there is power going to the boiler. Is there a green light on the boiler or the digital backlit display – this will tell you if it has power going to it.
- Check your meter. Check that you have credit – you may need to push a button on your meter to turn on emergency credit.
- Check the pressure gauge of the boiler. The pressure needs to be between 1 and 2 barr. Check out this handy video on how to top up your water pressure.
Make sure you do not leave on the pressure valve taps though as this will increase the pressure too much! If you’re not quite sure or have any issues – log a repair.
- Check your heating programmer and thermostat. It may need adjusting to demand more heat.
Still no heating? Log a repair through our website, email your property manager or call us.
Is your radiator…
- a) Mostly warm with cold spots along the top? It needs bleeding to release air trapped in the system. Please log a repair.
- b) Cold, but others in the house are warm? Make sure the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) the knob with the numbers on it is turned up and that the knob on the other side is turned to the ‘on’ position, if it has one.
- c) Cold, and so are all the others in the house? Check the thermostat timings and temperature, and check that the boiler is switched on. You’ll find the location and instructions for your thermostat with the rest of your house info.
Still can’t solve the problem? Log a repair through our website.
Open all windows and doors to your house. Do not turn any electrical appliances on or off! Don’t smoke or use anything that could generate a spark. Vacate the property immediately along with the rest of your household and use a mobile phone to call the National Gas Emergency Service line on 0800 111 999. You will need to tell them the following information:
- Your name and contact telephone number
- Your address and postcode
- How many people are in the property
- Where the smell is coming from
- Where the gas meter is located.
Follow the instructions they give you. They may ask you to turn off the gas supply at your house by locating your meter, which will usually be in your basement or it could be outside the front or back door. If you are unsure how to turn it off, ask for their guidance on the phone or, alternatively, do not attempt to turn off the gas yourself and wait for the emergency engineer to arrive.
Contact us or raise a job here
Contact us to report your pest issue – we can then offer you advice on pest removal. CA Properties sub-contract all pest removal to a private company called Discreet Pest Services.
Keep your home and gardens clean and tidy as rats & mice will be attracted into houses by overflowing bins and food scraps left out and fleas can be brought into the house by pets. If this is the case, any charges for pest removal will be passed on to you.
Bumble bees
Pest controllers generally do not apply bee treatments unless there’s a serious threat to human life. 25% of all bee types are endangered. Bees don’t cause any problems to your property, and nor are you in danger of being stung if they are left alone and unprovoked. After the summer season, most bees will go away and not return to the nesting site the following year. By the time a colony has become obvious its activity will be about to decline naturally. Generally, colonies formed in spring usually decline naturally by late July, if not sooner. Therefore If at all possible always leave bee nests alone to thrive as their presence is actually beneficial for gardeners and their crop.
Wasps
If you suspect a wasps nest please log a report and we will contact Discreet Pest Services.
During your tenancy you will be responsible for dealing with common little creepy-crawlies such as woodlice yourself by using woodlouse powder which you can pick up from the supermarket or DIY shop.
For problems with your central heating, hot water, plumbing, drains and appliances, including the cooker, fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, and bathroom fans, contact us to report your repair or raise a job here.
PLEASE NOTE: If your shower is blocked and overflowing, the first thing you must do is check your shower trap. It’s a job you need to do regularly because the drain gets full of hair. This is not a job for a plumber… unless you want to pay a call-out charge personally, of course!
You should regularly clean the plug holes of your bath, shower, basin, toilet, kitchen sink wastes, traps and external gullies by hand and by using thick bleach or drain cleaner. Allow the bleach to sit in the trap for a couple of hours.
At the outset of the tenancy all your waste outlets (bath, basin & kitchen sink) will have a hair strainer fitted. These are cheap handy little items that stop hair and food debris from going down the plug holes and causing blockages. Make sure you use the strainer at all times – if you require more contact us to report it and we will send some out in the post.
You must not allow food debris such as rice, vegetables, oil and fat go down your kitchen sink. This will block the waste pipes which could cost £££’s to repair. The full cost of un-blocking drain pipes found to have food items, fat will be passed onto you.
No, no & no! Never ever flush anything other than the 3 P’s down your toilet. Poo, Pee & Paper.
Even if the wipes are advertised as flushable DO NOT flush them down the toilet as it will cause a huge blockage further down the line.
Yorkshire water is running a campaign to inform people about this huge problem!
All other items must be disposed of in a bin. The full cost of un-blocking the toilet will be passed onto you if the toilet is found to be blocked by objects which should have gone in a bin.
Break-ins thankfully are very rare in our houses as all our properties have good security. However, the number one way you will be a victim of a break in is if you leave your windows open and forget to lock your door when you go out. Stay alert and always keep your doors locked. If your house has an intruder alarm – use it when you go out.
If you have a break-in call the police immediately. They will give you a number for an emergency firm to board up broken windows/door if it is out of hours.
Please advise us if you have a break-in to discuss what repairs if any are needed.
Although every one of our properties are insured it is only buildings insurance and does not cover the contents and your valuables. You should take out contents insurance to cover you if a break in happens or for accidental damage.
If you live in a standard house your property will have interlinked fire alarms. This means that if one goes off all detectors in the property are sounded.
To help prevent false alarms keep kitchen doors closed when cooking to avoid steam or smoke setting off the living room detector. Your kitchen alarm is a heat detector and will not go off with smoke from burnt toast.
Steam can set off smoke alarms. If you have had a hot steamy shower make sure you keep your bathroom door closed to avoid the landing smoke alarm from sounding.
In both occasions if your alarm sounds in fault then open doors and windows and ventilate the property.
Never, ever cover a smoke alarm – they are installed for your safety and are required by law. Tampering with fire precautions could be a criminal offence. You will be charged the full cost to repair any damage caused by tampering of the fire alarm system.
If you live in a block of flats or a shared house then go to your alarm panel in the communal hallway, turn the key to access controls and reset it, then call Colin Hopps of Master Alarms on 07785 533519 and he’ll rectify the fault.
Notify us of all alarm soundings by contacting us.
No. All properties are strictly non-smoking. We strongly advise you not to break this rule – both for the health and safety of you and your household, and for the preservation of your deposit. If the property smells of smoke at the end of your tenancy, tobacco stains on the ceilings and curtains or burnt carpets we will need to charge you for fumigating the property by cleaning and re-decorating and repairing replacing any damage.
You can smoke in your front or back garden or on your front step however please dispose of all cigarette butts in an ashtray or jar as you will be charged if we need to clean up after you.
In most cases you should be able to change the bulb yourself.
If your ceiling is too high or you cannot access the bulb safely then please report your job through our website, email your property manager or call us.
Paying rent
All rents are payable by bank standing order to our company bank account. Normally rents are raised due on the 1st of the month and paid in advance. Our lettings team will discuss with you your payment schedule and we can adapt the payment dates to suit your income.
Standing orders are set up at the outset of the tenancy using the bank details provided within your application form.
You must make sure you reference your payment with the payment reference given to you by your property manager. This will be your initials and abbreviated address so that we know who the payment has come from.
If you need to make a rental payment you have missed there are several ways to do this:
- Make a bank transfer to us with your initials and property address as reference:
Refer to your tenancy agreement and tenant pack for our bank details or contact us for a reminder.
Visit our office to pay by debit card
It is always important to contact us if you have missed a payment so that we can advise you on how to pay.
Sorry no, for accounting and security reasons CA Properties do not receive cash in our office.
You can however visit your bank and pay cash direct into our account. Remember to reference your transfer so we know who it has come from.
If you do get caught out and don’t have enough money in your account, don’t bury your head in the sand as nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Communication is key here.
Make a plan and then contact us and your bank to let us know what’s happening – we’ll be much more sympathetic & understanding if you show us that you’re trying to solve the problem. The cheapest option for you is if you call us BEFORE the standing order is due to be taken out.
Again communication is key. We understand that people’s circumstances change during a tenancy. Contact us to discuss your change in circumstances and charging schedule.
Ideally your rent payment date should not change but if you do need to change it contact us first to get permission in writing. We will then amend your charging schedule on your account.
Moving out
This answer comes in 2 parts.
- Are you in a fixed term tenancy or a contractual periodic tenancy – refer to your tenancy agreement or give us a call if you are unsure. Your fixed term tenancy will be fixed for 6 or 12 months.
If you are in a fixed term tenancy you need you will need to give at least one calendar month notice in writing to inform us that you are terminating your tenancy. The notice period must end on the last day of your fixed term.
- If your tenancy has continued on a contractual periodic tenancy.
After the initial fixed term tenancy expires many of our tenants decide to continue living in their property on a contractual periodic tenancy. The periods of your tenancy agreement depend on the periods for which you pay rent. Refer to your tenancy agreement or give us a call if you are unsure. You must give CA Properties at least 1 calendar months notice in writing to terminate your tenancy on the last day of a rental period.
See excerpt below taken from our tenancy agreements which are produced by the National Residential Landlords Association. If you are already a tenant then refer to your tenancy agreement and read paragraph A2 on page 2 of your tenancy for the terms on notice periods.
If, at the end of this time, we have not received from you at least one calendar month’s notice, in writing, expiring on the last day of the fixed term of the tenancy to terminate the agreement, the tenancy will continue on as a contractual periodic tenancy. The periods of this contractual periodic tenancy shall be the same as those for which rent was last payable under the initial fixed term of the tenancy. This periodic tenancy will carry on until you have served the required notice in writing to terminate the agreement or we serve the required notice or re-possess the property under a ground set out in Clause F.
To end the contractual continuation tenancy the required notice is written notice to the other party. The notice must end on the last day of a rental period and must be of sufficient length. This means that for tenancies that run on as weekly, fortnightly or four weekly, the notice period must be at least 28 days in length. Where the tenancy is for monthly rental periods the notice must be at least one calendar month in length. 3 This agreement is an assured shorthold tenancy (as defined in section 19A of the Housing Act 1988).
Each tenancy agreement contract is different. Refer to page 1 of your tenancy agreement or drop us a line to discuss. In all cases we will email you ahead of your fixed term tenancy expiring to ask you what your living arrangements will be going forward.
By 6pm on the final day of your tenancy. When you leave the house you should ensure that:
- The heating thermostat is turned down
- If provided, the fridges should be turned off (assuming you’ve already defrosted them and cleaned them out!)
- Wedge the fridge and freezer doors open with a spare cloth.
- Take a note of your final gas and electricity meter readings.
- Make sure that the property is secure, with all windows shut, burglar alarm set and doors locked.
When you vacate the property, you must post your keys through our office shutter in the ‘key return envelope’ we sent you along with your signed ‘key return sheet’ with your name, forwarding address and bank details on it. We cannot return your deposit without this information.
On no account should you return your keys by post or put them through the letterbox of the property at a later date. You’ll be charged the full cost for replacement keys or locks.
No, sorry. All possessions must be cleared out of the property at the end of the tenancy. If you have returned your keys and left possessions in the property you will be charged for the full cost of disposing the items.
No – We will have tenants lined up to move in or trades people lined up to get working on the property.
Plus at the end of the tenancy if you stay an extra day or two this will be considered an extension of your contractual tenancy and you will be charged for the full month.
Once we have received your notice of termination we will write to you with full details about your departure procedure. This will include a ‘key return sheet’ and a checklist of tasks to complete to make sure the property is returned in a satisfactory condition.
If you follow everything on our check out departure list sent out to you in the post, your deposit will be returned to you in full.
You’ll have to clean the house thoroughly from top to bottom, remove all your possessions and any unwanted items.
If you are on a joint tenancy it is everybody’s responsibility to thoroughly clean the property. It is not an excuse to say it is someone else mess as you are all jointly responsible on the tenancy agreement.
To make sure you don’t accidentally overlook anything, download our handy cleaning checklist and print it off.
We understand that you will be busy and have many things to do at the end of a tenancy, however your property will have been professionally cleaned thoroughly at the outset of your tenancy and it is important that you take your time and prepare the property correctly to hand back to us.
To make sure you get your deposit back as quickly as possible you must do the following:
- Vacated, cleaned and removed all items from the property.
- Furniture returned to its original position.
- Return all sets of keys with fully completed and signed ‘key return sheets’.
- Provide evidence of final bills paid relating to gas, electric & water if relevant.
- Paid all rent due up to date.
We will visit your property 1-2 days after you have returned your keys to carry out a post departure inspection and assess the property against the inventory you were given at the outset of your tenancy.
We will notify you of our feedback of the departure inspection by email or letter within 10 days of you vacating the property asking for your comments on any issues.
We understand that properties take a knock during normal family life – This is called ‘general fair wear and tear’. Ideally the property will be in the same condition as at the outset of the tenancy allowing for general fair wear and tear in which case we will be delighted to return your deposit to you in full within 10 days. As a gesture of good will we pride ourselves on returning deposits within 48 hours if the property has been handed back in a good condition.
However, if you leave the house like a dump, don’t do any cleaning, leave waste out in the garden and basement, contaminate your wheelie bins and don’t pick up any of our calls or our emails then it will delay the settlement of your deposit and we won’t be able to send you your money back. It’s down to you!
Your deposit will be returned by bank transfer using the details in your ‘key return sheet’.
Don’t forget to complete your ‘key return sheet’ as we won’t know where to bank transfer your deposit to without it.
If we market your property to let during your notice period it is likely that we will arrange for a prospective tenant to view the property. We will always give you at least 24 hours notice before a viewing, we will never just arrive unannounced at your property and all viewings are always fully accompanied by a member of the CA Properties team.
You will be responsible for Council Tax up until the end of your final tenancy period. CA Properties will contact the Council Tax department on your behalf to inform them of a change in tenancy.
Even if you move out half way through your final tenancy period you will be responsible for any standing charges accrued on your meter up until the last day of your tenancy. Therefore when evidence of final bills paid please take this into account. Your deposit cannot be return until you have provided proof that your utility bills have been paid up to date.
When we write to you with your departure procedure and cleaning checklist we will advise you to think about using Royal Mails mail re—direct. It is your responsibility to make sure all of your contacts are made aware of your new address. This includes Amazon, eBay and any other magazine subscriptions you have as we cannot forward onto you large amounts of post free of charge.
Once the property is occupied by the incoming tenants we will inform them to re-post the mail with ‘return to sender’ written on the front of the mail. This mail should then make its way to your new address.
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Need to report a repair?
At CA Properties we operate dedicated property maintenance software which allows us to log repairs, contact trades people, add notes all whilst keeping you up to date on the progress of your repair.
You can report repairs through our website which will be picked up by your dedicated property manager. You can even upload photos of your problem to help your property manager assess which contractor is needed to fix the issue.
Once you have reported a repair we will be in touch to discuss with you the next steps and to arrange for any maintenance visits needed.
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