A Guide to Renting

Searching for accomodation can be time-consuming and at times frustrating. Searching through thousands of online adverts, ringing around dozens of estate agents and trying to find time to fit in viewings around other commitments can be difficult, especially when you are working to a tight deadline.  To help make things easier we have broken the process down in to five easy steps…

STEP ONE - Register with Us

Register with us through our website, via email, over the phone or in person and we will take a detailed summary of your requirements.  Once we know what you are looking for we will let you know as soon as a suitable property comes on to the market if there are none currently available.

STEP TWO - Viewings

Once we have suggested a property that you like the look of we will book you in for a viewing.  For your convenience we are available up to 7pm on weeknights and 9:30am-5pm on Saturdays.

STEP THREE – Making an Offer

If you would like to make an offer to rent one of the properties that we have shown you, we ask you to lodge a holding deposit and complete a brief application form.  This holding deposit is fully refundable should the landlord not accept your offer for any reason, and where your offer is accepted then it will be put towards your first month’s rent.  Once your offer has been accepted the holding deposit becomes non-refundable and the property is taken off of the market.

STEP FOUR – Referencing

After your offer has been accepted by the landlord we then proceed to take up references. Our referencing is usually carried out by MARAS, an independent referencing agency, and they will request that you complete an application form.  Once this has been submitted they will run a credit check and request references from your current landlord and employer.  If you are self-employed your accountant would be contacted for a reference.  If you are on a temporary/contract basis, you may be required to provide a UK based guarantor who will also undergo the same referencing procedure. Each tenant and guarantor is also required to provide photographic proof of identity and we may request recent bank statements to back up your references.

Once you have submitted your MARAS application we will keep you updated whilst the process is being completed and you can track the status of your application at any time via the MARAS website:

STEP FIVE – Payments and Paperwork

Once all of the referencing has been completed we will ask you to arrange for the final payment to be transferred to us.  This will usually be for the first month’s rent, the security deposit and our administration fees.  On your move-in day or shortly before this date, you will be required to attend our offices to sign the tenancy agreement and other relevant documentation. Once all of the paperwork has been completed we will hand over keys to the property and you can start unpacking your suitcase!

If you have any further questions or would like to register with our lettings department please contact us by phone on 020 8844 1400 or by email at jmg@jmgonline.co.uk