Tenant handbook

You can download a full PDF copy of our tenant handbook here.

This guide includes:

1. Things to consider
2. Find your Bradford property
3. What to check when you find a property
4. Moving in
5. Living in your property

1. Things to consider

You’re planning to rent in Bradford. Ask yourself a few questions first to make your search easier.

Where do you want to live?

What are the essentials any property must have? Think about location, transport links, the convenience of local shops and entertainment if you don’t have a vehicle of your own, or the availability of parking if you do.

Try to stay flexible. A clear idea of what you want makes a search quicker. Too strict a list can make finding the right place harder, more expensive or both.

How much can you afford?

There’s a simple, standard check that landlords and agents make to assess affordability. But it’s just as important to satisfy yourself that you can afford the rent. Make a list of all your monthly outgoings – and be completely honest with yourself. Remember to include things like:

• Car or other transport
• Childcare
• Council tax
• Credit cards
• Entertainment
• Food
• Insurances
• Loans
• Memberships
• Utilities

What remains is (roughly) the amount you can afford to spend on rent.

What paperwork will you need?

Your new landlord or their letting agent will want to see evidence of your identity, your right to reside in the UK (eg a UK passport), your credit history, employment details and references. It’s worth making sure you have all this information readily available. You don’t want to delay the start of your rent because, for example, your passport’s out of date.

We’ll carry out a credit check on behalf of the landlord. If you know you have a bad credit rating, please tell us before we do the search.

Guarantors

If you are a student, or you’ve been in full time employment for less than a year you will need a guarantor (who will guarantee to pay the rent if you don’t).

The guarantor will be required to sign your contract (in person) when you move in.

2. Find your Bradford property

With your priorities set, start your search for a Bradford property. You can do that at the bottom of the screen.

When you find something that grabs your attention, ask us to arrange a viewing.

3. What to check when you find a property

You’ve found the ideal Bradford property. But before you sign on the dotted line, ask a few questions…

How long will the tenancy be?

It could be a fixed tenancy (ie for a set period) or a shorthold tenancy which could last anything between 6 months and 7 years.

Who pays the bills?

Many Bradford rental properties are on prepay meters, so you can stay on top of your finances and your landlord never gets left with an unpaid bill.

Where there is no prepay meter, or for other bills like council tax, make sure you know who will be paying what.

Is your deposit secure?

By law, tenant deposits should be held in a government backed scheme which guarantees you get your money back, minus any deductions for damage or unpaid rent. You can find out more about the deposit scheme that Locate is a part of here.

Are smoke alarms fitted?

They should be, and they should be in working condition. The same applies to carbon monoxide detectors where gas heating is installed.

Is there parking?

Is it communal, or do you have your own allocated space?

Maintenance?

Looking at the existing condition of the property will give you a pretty good idea of how active your landlord (or their agent) will be in maintaining the property. If work clearly needs doing, mention it before you move in and make a note of your agreement.

Outdoors & common areas

Who’s responsible for maintenance of hallways, grounds and gardens? Who can use the space(s) and when? Are they secure?

What furniture is provided?

Rules

Your Bradford property will probably be let subject to certain rules. Often these surround pets, smoking etc. It’s important that you understand what the rules are – and if you’re going to find it difficult to stick to the rules, rent somewhere else.

Breaching the rules of a tenancy can lead to your eviction – so make sure you rent a home that’s suitable for you.

4. Moving in

You should:

• Read your tenancy agreement and ask about anything you don’t understand.
• Carry out a full inventory of the property. Sometimes this will be with the landlord or agent in person. Often, you will be given a number of days to check and return the inventory with any amendments. Do make sure you carry out a thorough check to spot anything that is damaged, scraped, scuffed or marked, and ensure a note and accompanying photo appear on the inventory. It may seem like a chore, but it could prevent problems at the end of the tenancy, and ensure you get your deposit back. Once you are happy with the inventory report you should sign it.
• Take meter readings.
• Give your landlord your contact details.

Your landlord (or their letting agent) should:

• Provide you with your deposit paperwork.
• Provide you with a copy of the gas safety certificate for your property (if it has any gas appliances).
• Give you the property’s Energy Performance Certificate.

5. Living in your property

Renting your Bradford property brings with it certain responsibilities. Here are some of the essentials:

Things you must do:

Pay your rent on time

If you’re struggling to pay your rent, make sure the landlord or their agent knows about the problem as soon as you do. They will usually try to reach some short term agreement. Unpaid rent is the single biggest reason that tenants lose their rental home.

Look after the property

The rental agreement will contain details of the changes you can and can’t make to your Bradford property – for example, whether you can redecorate, fix units to walls etc. If it doesn’t contain such information, always call your landlord or agent before carrying out any work.

The things you should do:

Report issues straight away

Tell your landlord or their agent about any issues (leaky gutters, sticky locks, broken shower screens etc) as soon as possible. You don’t want to let small issues develop into larger problems that could affect your deposit.

Test your smoke alarms

Insure your belongings

The landlord is responsible for insuring the building and the contents they have provided. Anything you bring in needs insuring on your own contents policy. If you need help finding an insurer, just ask us.

Things you can’t do:

Sub-let your property

You can’t lease your Bradford property to someone else. This includes taking in a lodger.

Anything prohibited in your tenancy agreement

Don’t breach any of the terms of your tenancy agreement – it could be grounds for eviction.