Accessing Private Rented Accommodation
| Private rented accomodation
Helpful information is displayed
below for people aiming to access private rented
accommodation. This information will complement any
information provided by a Housing Advisory Officer at a Housing
Options interview.
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Private rented accommodation
There is a good supply of accommodation being provided by
private sector landlords. Here are a few key points which you have
to remember when you start looking for accommodation in this
sector.
The Tennancy
This will always be an assured shorthold tenancy- sometimes
simply called a shorthold or AST. The tenancy will for a minimum
period of 6 months, or a few landlords offer 12 month
tenancies. In most cases the tenancies are renewable at the end of
the fixed period but in some cases the landlord will make it quite
clear that they want the property back at the end of the fixed
period. The landlord will offer you a tenancy agreement
to sign and once agreed this becomes a binding contract.
The size of the accommodation
This must be suitable to your households needs. You will not
be helped if the accommodation is too small leading to overcrowding
or if it is too large. If you need to claim housing benefit then
there are strict rules about the number of bedrooms which you can
occupy in relation to the number of children you have. If you are
unsure speak to your Housing Advisory Officer who can check these
rules.
Location
The accommodation should preferably be in the borough of
Havant. If you cannot find accommodation locally and decide to move
to Portsmouth or another area you need to be aware that housing
benefit has to be claimed from the local Council and that if you
are placed on the Havant Housing Register you can only be
considered for offers in Havant borough.
The Accommodation
This must be in a condition suitable for letting. If there is
any doubt about the safety of the property you will need
to check with The Environmental Health department at the
Council regarding the condition of the property. Always
ask the landlord to take an inventory at the start of the tenancy.
If this is not possible make your own inventory. A Housing Advisory
Officer can supply you with a standard inventory form which is easy
to use. Having an inventory can help prevent problems at the end of
a tenancy if there are any disputes about the condition of the
property.
Setting up costs
Renting from a private landlord can be very costly
particularly in the first month.
Most landlords will ask usually for one or more of the
following :-
- fees of between of between £50 and £250 to cover credit
checks and administrative costs.
- a deposit of one month or six weeks rent £400 –£750
- rent in advance : of 4 or 8 weeks rent £400 -
£1000
- guarantors : people who will underwrite the rent of you fail to
pay
- references : letters of support from people confirming
your good character
As an example a couple and one young child might be expected
to pay the following to secure a two bedroomed flat :-
- fees
£150
- damage
deposit £625
- one months
rent £625
total
£1400
Rent
You need to make sure that the contractual rent which the
landlord wishes to charge is at a level which you can afford. If
you are paying the rent in full you need to be sure that you are
not being over charged and that rents for a comparable property in
a similar location are not lower.
Housing Benefit
If you are on a low income you might be entitled to help
to cover some of the costs of the rent. If you are likely to need
housing benefit either in part or in full to help you pay the rent
you need to check the amount of housing benefit that would be paid.
All that you need to do is complete a Pre-Tenancy Determination
form ( PTD ) and hand it into the benefits section at the Civic
Offices. Within 3 working days you will receive a written answer
which will help work out how much housing benefit will cover the
rent and whether the accommodation is affordable. Your Housing
Advisory Officer can help you reach a decision. In many cases there
is a small shortfall between the housing benefit and the rent (
known as a top up ) which has to be paid by you to the
landlord. Housing benefit is usually paid to landlords 4 weeks
in arrears.
Preparing to move into private rented accommodation
You will realise from the key points listed above that in
order to be successful in obtaining private rented accommodation
you need to make some preparations before you contact
landlords. You may need to think about starting to obtain
references and guarantors, and setting up a bank account- this
may be useful if you need a standing order to pay the rent or
top up. Probably most important of all start saving
because you will need to pay for start up costs. If you
can start saving 12 months before you contact landlords even
a small amount set side might be enough to convince a landlord that
you are going to be a safe bet as a responsible
tenant.
The Supported Tenancy Scheme
The Supported Tenancy Scheme helps the Council to provide
accommodation by working directly with private
landlords. When the scheme has a vacancy people are put
forward for a tenancy. Usually people need to be in receipt of
housing benefit because with this scheme 8 weeks rent in advance is
paid to the landlord at the start of the tenancy. This
rent is recovered by the council from housing benefit payments in
months 6 and 12 of the tenancy. During the tenancy both
the landlord and the tenant are offered support to make sure that
the tenancy is a success. Please note that eligibility for
help through the scheme is restricted to people who have had a
Housing Options interview and persons who would be accepted as a
council responsibility under the homeless legislation.
Looking after the property
When you become a private tenant you will become responsible
for looking after the property. Of course the landlord will be
responsible for repairs and maintenance but you will be required to
keep the accommodation clean and tidy. This will ensure that the
landlord does not make a claim on the damage deposit when your
tenancy ends. In some cases you will also be responsible for
looking after the garden. If you look after the property and
pay your rent you are much more likely to maintain a good
relationship with the landlord and this will encourage a successful
and long term tenancy.
Ending the tenancy
If you accept an offer from the Havant Housing Register or
find alternative accommodation you must serve notice on your
tenancy and notify your landlord when you want to leave. The
minimum period is usually 28 days notice and this means that you
will be liable for rent payments until the end of the period.
Some landlords will negotiate with you on a leaving date and in
some circumstances will agree to the Council providing a
replacement tenant.It helps if you notify the landlord and
your Housing Advisory Officer as soon as you become aware that you
may be leaving.
How to contact the Housing Service Team
Housing Service
Ground Floor
Civic Offices
Civic Centre Road
Havant
Hants PO9 2AX
Telephone 023 9244 6564 or 023 9244
6637
Opening hours 9.00 – 17.00 Monday – Friday