Letting Process in Sunderland

The Search Begins..

We have a team of specialist Sunderland lettings advisers based at our ARLA member Sunderland City Centre and Fulwell branches. Victoria Simm manages the Lettings Division and makes sure she personally gets involved in every property we let.

Peter Heron has over 60 years of experience in property lettings in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham and Victoria and her team are well placed to provide sound advice on rental potential to give Landlords peace of mind and confidence in our service. Victoria is committed to developing the service through recommendation and trust and working with Managing Director  Ashley O’Carroll to continually strengthen the business as a whole.

With a clear understanding of your requirements, we will compile a selection of all properties that match your criteria. Often viewings can be arranged immediately. At your request, SMS property alerts enables the latest property information to be instantly transmitted directly to your mobile phone whilst simultaneously a full-colour brochure will be sent to you direct by email.

Viewings

Viewing can be conducted by appointment 7 days a week.

Selecting a Property

Whether you have rented before or this is your first time when you rent a home there is a lot to think about.

• Does the property meet my needs?
• Cost – How much is the rent and will you need to pay extra for bills?
• Location – is the property close to local amenities i.e. shops, doctors, schools, transport links etc.
• Size – will the property accommodate your needs? i.e. no. of bedrooms or garden

Once you’ve identified a suitable property and supplied us with details of referees, references will be applied for and your information will be forwarded to the landlord for acceptance.

Tenancy Agreement

Once the landlord confirms that they would like to proceed we will draw up the relevant paperwork forming an agreement to be signed by both parties. If the rent is less than £25,000 per year and you do not live with the Landlord the tenancy automatically becomes an Assured Short hold Tenancy (AST). An AST usually lasts for 6 to 12 months unless you agree a fixed term for the tenancy in advance with the Landlord.

Inventory

An inventory of the contents and condition of the property is usually produced prior to the commencement of the tenancy. This will be supplied to both landlord and tenant. Peter Heron are the only Local Agent which hold the Association of Professional Inventory Providers Membership.

Rent and Deposit

An advance rental payment is required prior to the commencement of the tenancy. A rental deposit is also required from the tenant. This will be reimbursed to you at the end of the tenancy subject to the details of your agreement and the finds of the inventory check out report.

The deposit will be held by Peter Heron Ltd in our own client’s account, the deposit and the tenancy details will be registered with The Dispute Service under a Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and a certificate/unique number will be issued to show registration to the scheme, this will then be provided to both Landlord and Tenant.

Completion

Congratulations - keys are now handed over and you can move into your new home!!!

Some Golden Rules for Landlords and Tenants

• Read important documents such as tenancy agreements and terms of business carefully – never sign anything you don’t understand
• Don’t have unreasonable or unrealistic expectations.
• If in doubt about what to do or your obligations or responsibilities in any particular circumstances that arise – communicate and seek clarification
• Confirm important issues in writing