Letting Terms and Conditions

Tenant Fees
This is a fixed-cost fee that can cover a variety of works depending on the individual circumstances of each tenancy, including but not limited to conducting viewings, negotiating the tenancy, verifying references, undertaking Right to Rent checks and drawing up contracts. It is charged on a per individual basis – not per tenancy. The charge will not exceed £350 inc VAT per individual and will only be applied to the first four individuals entering into the tenancy where there are more than four individuals staying in the property. The charge will not exceed this sum unless you request or cause one of the specific additional services or fees set out elsewhere in this document. Should you wish to terminate your tenancy before the end of the term and the landlord agrees that you can terminate early, you will be responsible for the repayment of the pro-rata commission paid in advance by the landlord for the unexpired portion of the tenancy, unless you are exercising a break clause which is contained in your tenancy agreement. A charge of £50 inc VAT will be applied for any contract variation, novation, amendment or change of occupant at the tenant’s request within an existing tenancy. It is your obligation to obtain written consent from the landlord for any change in the identity of the tenants. Upon receipt of this consent Halls & May will draw up a Deed of Assignment for signature by all parties. If any charges remain outstanding at the end of the tenancy, Halls & May will deduct the amount due from the deposit.

Payment of rent
Payment for the entire duration of the stay must be made in cleared funds at the time of signing the tenancy agreement. For any contract extensions, cleared funds must be paid in advance of the due date. In the event that rent is overdue by more than 14 days, default interest will be charged at a rate of 3% above the Bank of England base rate for each day until the arrears are cleared. Payment must be made in cleared funds.

References
We will verify the references you provide to us, which may involve us engaging an independent referencing agency on behalf of our landlord to conduct the necessary checks on you and, if relevant, your guarantor. This process may leave a soft mark on your credit file. Please note that you are not obligated to use Halls & May for this service. If you choose not to, you will need to provide your own references, but we may still need to verify these on behalf of our landlord. Any references and your forwarding address may be shared with our client for the purpose of evaluating your suitability for a tenancy and/or pursuing legal action to recover any outstanding debts or losses at the end of the tenancy.

Right to Rent
The acceptance of an agreeable offer is contingent upon providing in-person documentary evidence of your Right to Rent. All occupants aged 18 or older must provide valid Right to Rent documents before residing in the property as a condition of the Agreement. You will be unable to occupy the property until you have established your Right to Rent. Details concerning your Right to Rent will be shared with the landlord and, if necessary, the Home Office. If an occupant(s) has a time-limited Right to Rent, they may need to undergo follow-up checks to demonstrate that their visa or residency status in the UK has been renewed or extended. Similarly, if an occupant turns 18 while residing in the property, follow-up Right to Rent checks may be necessary to confirm the validity of their visa or residency status in the UK.

Check In/Out
Halls & May will be appointed by the landlord to handle inventory and check-in arrangements. The landlord will bear the expense of any inventory check-in and check-out. As the tenant, you are responsible for compensating the landlord for any losses arising from a failure to keep a prearranged appointment with the inventory clerk at the property. We recommend that you make yourself available for both the check-in and check-out appointments.

Subletting
By submitting this form, you acknowledge your intent to enter into a private residential non-Assured Shorthold tenancy in your name and agree that you will not (i) sublet the property; (ii) advertise the property on any print or other media, including but not limited to online marketing websites, social media platforms, or messaging apps; (iii) accommodate paying guests or lodgers; or (iv) assign the tenancy without obtaining written consent from the landlord. Halls & May must be informed of any proposed changes in tenancy arrangements, and we advise that you seek the landlord's approval before pursuing any alterations to the existing tenancy agreement.

Management of the property
At the commencement of your tenancy, we will inform you of the party responsible for overseeing property management, which may not always be Halls & May. In cases where we are not managing the property, we cannot authorize repairs or guarantee the speed at which maintenance work will be completed. If we are managing the property, we may be required to seek the landlord's consent before carrying out any necessary repairs. When we hold keys and manage the property, we can typically arrange for access to Halls & Mays' contractors with your consent. However, if we do not have keys or the contractor is unwilling to collect them, it is your responsibility to provide access. In the event of lost keys or other security devices, you will be liable for a default fee limited to the actual cost of replacement.

Insurance
We recommend that you obtain a contents insurance policy that is appropriate for your needs during the tenancy to protect your personal belongings. Please be aware that any insurance coverage arranged by the landlord will not extend to your possessions.

Tax policy or Taxation
In the event that you pay rent directly to your landlord's overseas bank account, it is your responsibility to comply with the HM Revenue and Customs Non-Resident Landlords scheme for taxing UK rental income. Please do not hesitate to seek advice from us regarding this matter. It is important to note that these provisions do not apply if you are paying your rent to Halls & May.

Anti-Money laundering
Halls & May is subject to Anti-Money Laundering laws. Therefore, we are required to collect and retain evidence of your identity and proof of address. We cannot proceed with any work on your behalf until we have received this information. An electronic identity check may be conducted, which could leave a soft footprint on your credit report. Additionally, we may request confirmation of the source or destination of funds if necessary. Prior to the tenancy commencement, you must provide us with a valid Passport, UK Driving Licence, or EEA National ID card for photo ID and proof of address.

Data Protection and Privacy Policy
Halls & May complies with all applicable data protection and privacy laws in all our dealings with your personal data. Please refer to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy on our website for full details of how we acquire and use your personal data and how you can opt out of certain activities. Please be aware that in the provision of our services, we may instruct other organisations to process personal data on our behalf and/or share personal data with law enforcement agencies, which may also involve the transfer of data outside the European Economic Area.

VAT
Halls & May applies VAT at the current rate of 20% to all charges imposed.

Early termination
If you vacate the property before the end of the term, you will still be responsible for paying the rent until the term ends, unless otherwise agreed. The landlord is not obliged to allow a tenant to terminate a tenancy early, but if an agreement is reached to surrender the tenancy, the landlord may re-let during the fixed term. In this case, you will also be responsible for paying an amount equal to any pro-rata commission fees incurred by the landlord for the unexpired portion of the tenancy, as well as the reasonable costs incurred by the landlord's agent in respect of the termination of the tenancy. This fee is calculated at a percentage of the rent for the fixed term of the tenancy, plus VAT. If Halls & May is the Letting Agent, the percentage will be specified in the tenancy agreement. If the new tenancy is for a lower rent, you will also be responsible for paying the difference between the original rent and the new lower rental figure up to the end of the original term. This clause does not apply if you are operating a break clause within your Tenancy Agreement.

Complaints procedure
If you have any problems with Halls & May’s service and are unable to resolve these with your Negotiator or the Branch/Department Manager, you can write to the Director for the area/department in question. Your letter will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt and an investigation undertaken. A formal written response will be sent to you within fifteen working days. If you remain dissatisfied, you should write to Halls & May’s Legal & Compliance Department whereupon your complaint will be investigated by a Compliance Officer markhalls@fineandcountry.com . A written statement expressing Halls & May’s final view will be sent to you and will detail any offer Halls & May is willing to make. The same time limits will apply. This letter will also confirm, where you remain dissatisfied, your entitlement to refer the matter to The Property Ombudsman (TPO) within twelve months, for a review. Please note TPO will only review complaints made by consumers.

Client money
Halls & May is a proud member of safeagent, which guarantees that we have the required safeguards for funds held in our client account. If you require more information, please feel free to get in touch with us or visit www.safeagents.co.uk/about/.

Amendments
Halls & May retains the right to modify the fee schedule and terms of business, and will do so with appropriate written notice.