How to Rent Information

• All properties need to be viewed before a holding deposit can be accepted.

• After viewing the property, we will run through the rental criteria required by the landlord (see Will I be accepted as a tenant? below).

• If the requirements are met, you will then be able to put down a holding deposit of 1 week's rent. If agreed, this will go towards your first month's rent on the day you move in. A deadline of agreement (tenancy signing / move-in date) will be agreed at this point.

• Once the holding deposit has been received, Goodlord — an independent referencing company — will send you an application form to begin the referencing check. The turnaround time is normally around 2 days, depending on how quickly we can get in contact with current employers and landlords. You will need to supply several documents, including proof of income, passport, and right-to-rent evidence.

• Once all references have been checked, you will be able to move into the property on an agreed move-in date.

• Before you sign, we will provide you with the prescribed written information about the tenancy

• The property will be visited on the day of, or the day before, move-in to carry out an inventory (see What is an inventory?).

• Before the move-in day, all relevant occupants will first sign the tenancy agreement online via Goodlord. Once the tenancy has been signed, we will then request your 5-week deposit and your first month's rent (less any holding deposit you've already paid, if previously agreed in writing).

• Once the tenancy agreement is signed and the deposit and rent have been received, you will be given the keys to move into your new home.

Please note: under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, tenancies are now periodic (rolling) rather than fixed-term. There is no minimum length, and you can end the tenancy at any time by giving at least 2 months' written notice (or any shorter period stated in your agreement).

We welcome applications from professionals, employed and self-employed applicants, those receiving benefits, and students alike. In all cases, both satisfactory references and a deposit are required, and in some cases a guarantor may also be required. All applicants must pass a credit check carried out by Goodlord. Reasons for failing include, but are not limited to, having a CCJ or a poor credit history.

Income criteria

All working applicants are assessed on the same basis, regardless of how their income is made up: you will need a gross income of at least 2½ times the annual rent. This amount can be split between multiple occupants.

For example: if the rent is £1000 pcm / £12,000 pa, the total income required is £2,500 pcm / £30,000 pa.

If you do not meet this income threshold on your own or jointly with other occupants, you will need a guarantor.

Student applicants

Students will normally be required to provide a guarantor.

Who can be a guarantor?

There are two types of guarantor:

Financial guarantors must:

• Have a good credit history

• Receive their income from a UK-based source

• Earn 3 times the annual rent of the property (this can be split between multiple guarantors)

For example: if the rent is £1000 pcm / £12,000 pa, the total income required is £3,000 pcm / £36,000 pa.

To complete your application, we will require the following documents.

From all applicants:

• Photographic identification (passport or photo driving licence)

• Landlord reference from your most recent address

• Proof of Current Address (utlity bill, bank statement etc.)

If you are employed:

• 3 months' worth of payslips

• A completed application form

• If you are newly employed, we may also ask for a letter on headed paper from your employer confirming your employment and your wage

If you are self-employed:

• The last year self assessment, or an accountant's reference

• A completed application form

• If you do not have one year’s worth of accounts, you will need a guarantor

If you are a student:

• A letter from your college or university confirming you are currently a student

• A guarantor

From all guarantors:

• Photographic identification (passport or photo driving licence)

• A current utility bill

• Relevant proof of income

Financial guarantors must additionally provide:

• 3 months' worth of payslips

• Or Self-employed details as above

A landlord or agent can take a holding deposit from a tenant to reserve a property while reference checks and preparation for the tenancy agreement are undertaken.

The holding deposit is capped at 1 week's rent, calculated by the following formula: (monthly rent × 12) ÷ 52.

The holding deposit will be returned to the tenant within 7 days of any of the following:

• Entering into the tenancy agreement (unless previously agreed in writing that the holding deposit will be applied towards the first month's rent).

• The landlord choosing to withdraw from the proposed agreement.

• The Deadline of Agreement passing without a tenancy having been entered into, provided the tenant has taken all reasonable steps to make this happen.

A holding deposit can only be retained where a tenant:

• Provides false or misleading information that can reasonably be considered when deciding whether to let the property.

• Fails a Right to Rent check.

• Withdraws from the property (except where the landlord or agent has acted unreasonably).

• Fails to take all reasonable steps to enter into the tenancy agreement, where the landlord or agent has taken all reasonable steps to do so.

All referencing is carried out through Goodlord — www.goodlord.com

Goodlord carries out the following checks:

• Adverse credit history, such as bankruptcy, CCJs, and court decrees

• Any previous names and addresses not disclosed by the applicant

• Any undisclosed credit history linked to the applicant's current and most recent homes

• Verification that the banking details provided are for a genuine bank account

• A check with the applicant's employer to confirm pay and that there is no reason employment would end in the near future

• A check against Goodlord's own default database, which may indicate whether a tenant has had difficulty paying rent in the past

• A financial sanctions check against the Government's asset-freezing lists

• A reference request to the tenant's current landlord or managing agent

Kingslet may also contact your previous landlord by telephone to request a reference.

Please note: if you do not correctly inform us of any potential problems with your application, you may be rejected, and your holding deposit may not be returned in line with the rules above.

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, tenants have a statutory right to request a pet, and we cannot unreasonably refuse. Whether a pet is suitable for a particular property still depends on the type of pet and the property in question — please come and discuss this with us at the application stage and we will work through it with you.

An inventory will be taken just before you move into the property.

All monies will need to have been cleared before keys are collected.

You will be given a set of keys — one per tenant — and will be able to move into your new home. These will either be collected from the office or given to you at the property.

Once in the property, we suggest you also take your own inventory.

Prior to your moving in, we will arrange for an inventory: a detailed record of the condition of the property.

This helps prevent any disputes between the landlord and tenants over the condition the property has been left in at the end of the tenancy.

An inventory is made up of a written report and photos of the property. For each room, we take a minimum of 3 photos per corner, with further pictures of the oven, bath, sinks, basins, and so on. We would normally expect to take approximately 120–200 photos per property, depending on its size.

Typically 5 weeks' rent is required (or 6 weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more). This is due to be paid by the day you move in, after the tenancy agreement has been signed.

We do not hold your deposit. It is transferred to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) after you move into the property: www.depositprotection.com

The DPS is the Government-approved custodial tenancy deposit protection scheme. Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP), as set out in the Housing Act 2004, requires that all agents and landlords protect their tenants' deposits under a statutory tenancy deposit scheme within 30 calendar days of receiving the deposit. The DPS safeguards that deposit throughout the tenancy and repays the funds to the appropriate parties at the end of the tenancy.

The tenant pays the landlord or letting agent their deposit. The landlord or agent pays the deposit into The DPS within 14 days of receiving it.

Following receipt of the deposit, The DPS will provide confirmation and details of the protection scheme to both the landlord/agent and the tenant.

At the end of the tenancy, the landlord/agent and the tenant agree the repayment of the deposit and inform the scheme administrators. The deposit, divided as agreed and including any interest accrued, will be paid to each party within 10 days.

If there is a dispute, The DPS administrators return any undisputed amount to the relevant party but hold the disputed portion until the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) service or the courts decide what is fair.