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Tenants Services - Renting a Property

With many years of experience renting houses and flats, we’ll help you find a place that meets all your requirements.

Here’s our quick guide to the main steps:

  1. Decide what you want to rent – where, what, how much.
  2. Find the right property.
  3. Ask the agent for a list of all their fees and their refund policy.
  4. Ask the agent to agree a let with the landlord remembering to ask questions on anything that is important to you.
  5. Read the tenancy agreement carefully before signing – ask questions on anything you are not sure of.
  6. Before you can move in you will be expected to pay the balance of any money due – the first month’s rent and deposit.
  7. At your check-in you should be provided an Inventory and Schedule of Condition. Read this document very carefully and make sure you agree with its contents before signing.
  8. Check whether you now need to deal direct with your landlord or continue to go through the agency should you have any problems.
  9. Enjoy your new home.

Gallant Richardson are licenced members of ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents), meaning we offer clear transparent services and charges. Once you’ve found your perfect home we’ll guide you through the necessary reference checks and explain the tenancy agreement

Click here to register with us or alternatively call us on 01206 548222.

Gallant Richardson Letting Agents in Colchester

Choosing a Professional Agent

Although there are many options open to you, making the right choice doesn’t have to be difficult, it’s important that you choose a professional who’ll advise you correctly.

Using a licensed lettings agent, one who takes their duty of care seriously, can be crucial. Gallant Richardson is a ‘fully licensed’ agency in Colchester, employing professionally qualified staff, ensuring you get the best possible advice and protection.

Helping to find you the right home is an important part of our job. Our professionally qualified negotiators are on hand to help guide you in the right direction, and to help answer any questions you may have.

Gallant Richardson’s agency mission is to promote fairness between our landlords and tenants, and to encourage our landlords to maintain their rental properties to a good standard.

Fully Licensed

We are a fully regulated and licensed agent, accredited by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). This provides you with important consumer protection, and protects any monies or deposits that you pay over to us. Our aim is to provide you with the confidence that the job is being done correctly for you.

Gallant Richardson is a licensed member of the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS), the independent scheme that ensures members provide a defined standard of customer service.

We are members of the ‘SAFE AGENT’ Kitemark scheme that was set up by the government to direct people to agents offering a high level of consumer protection.

Gallant Richardson is a full member of the The Property Ombudsmen (TPO) scheme, and follows the TPO Code of Practice for Letting Agents. The Code provides free, fair and independent services to tenants and landlords for dealing with disputes.

Keeping you Posted

There are several ways in which we can keep you updated with new properties that become available. The quickest way is via e-mail, which will alert you immediately a property matching your requirements becomes available. We can also send you details by traditional mail, or send you an SMS text alert.

Our Fees

All prospective tenants should be provided with the complete break-down of any default fees that may be encountered during the course of a tenancy before they make the important decision of who to rent through. Below is a break-down of possible charges you may incur during a ‘managed’ tenancy through Gallant Richardson.

Late Rent

Where the Tenant is in arrears with rent for a period exceeding 14 days the Landlord, or Agent on the Landlords behalf, reserves the right to charge the Tenant (calculated on a daily basis) 3% over the Bank of England base rate on late rent.

Early Surrender of Tenancy

An early surrender of a tenancy at a tenants request is only possible with the landlords prior consent and would involve the tenant paying compensation to the landlord.

Lost Keys or Parking Permit

If the tenant loses or breaks a key, key fob or parking permit the landlord will charge them for the cost of replacing it.

Variation of Tenancy

Should the tenant ask for a variation to the terms of their tenancy agreement and the landlord agrees then there will be a charge of £50 inc vat to the agent for the work involved.

Change of Tenant

Should a tenant wish to leave or a new tenant wish to be added to a tenancy this will strictly be at the landlords discretion and there will be a charge of £50 inc vat to the agent for the work involved.

Please be aware a landlord/agent could be entitled to charge other costs, for example, legal and court fees, should a tenant fail under their obligation during their tenancy. These will be claimed from a tenants deposit.

INDEPENDENT REDRESS: with The Property Ombudsman (TPO) www.tpos.co.uk

CLIENT MONEY PROTECTION (CMP): with Propertymark www.propertymark.co.uk