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Applying for a property
If, having viewed a property, you wish to make an application to commence a tenancy please send an email to
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the largest reform of the private rented sector in decades. The main tenancy reforms came into force on 1 May 2026 but other provisions are being introduced in later phases. The Act abolishes Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and replaces assured shorthold tenancies with assured periodic tenancies, meaning tenancies no longer have a fixed end date. Landlords must instead rely on specified legal grounds to end a tenancy. Landlords cannot end a tenancy in the first 12 months but tenants can generally end a periodic tenancy by giving two months’ notice. Other key changes include stronger rules around rent increases whereby rent can only be increased once a year, a right for tenants to request a pet, offers of rent above the listed asking rent cannot be accepted by a landlord and rent cannot be paid more than monthly in advance. The Act also provides for a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman and a Private Rented Sector Database, with these measures being introduced from late 2026.
Tenant Fees Act 2019
Assured Shorthold Tenancies are now commenced and continued in accordance with the rules set out in the Tenants Fees Act 2019 and in addition to the information set out here we would refer you to the publicly available Government guidance on this new regime, in particular the rules with regards the withholding of holding deposits. Please click here.
As well as paying the rent you may also be required to make the following permitted payments:
Before the tenancy starts payable to the agency
- Holding deposit: 1 week's rent which will be put towards your first rental payment, with your agreement.
- Security deposit: equivalent to 5 weeks if annual rent is less than £50,000 or equivalent to 6 weeks if annual rent is more than £50,000.
During the tenancy payable to the agency
- Payment of £50 (£41.67 + VAT) or reasonable costs if higher if you want to change or amend the tenancy agreement.
- Payment of interest - if you fail to pay the rent under the tenancy within fourteen days of the due date you shall pay to the landlord or agency interest on the amount outstanding at the rate of 3% per annum above the base rate of the Bank of England calculated daily.
- Payment of the actual cost of replacement of lost or broken key/security device.
- Early termination - all costs, fees and charges incurred by the landlord for allowing early termination including the agency's existing or re-letting fees.
During the tenancy payable to the provider, if applicable
- Utilities - gas, electricity, water
- Communications - telephone and internet
- Installation of cable/satellite
- Subscription to cable/satellite supplier
- Television licence
- Council Tax
- Any other permitted payments, not included above, under the relevant legislation including contractual damages.
Redress scheme and client money protection
We are members of The Property Ombudsman (TPO), which is our redress scheme, and our membership number of TPO is D6538. We are members of Money Shield, which is our client money protection (CMP) scheme, and our membership number is 57972775.
Change of tenants
It is your obligation to obtain written consent from the landlord for any change in the identity of the tenants. Upon instruction from a landlord Thomas Michael will prepare a Deed of Assignment or Deed of Variation and organise the signing by all parties.
References / Right to Rent checks
We will take up references based on the details that you have supplied to us or our appointed third party referencing agency. These references may be passed to our client so that they can make a decision on granting a tenancy. Before the tenancy can proceed we are now legally required to undertake checks as to your right to be renting property in the UK, these are referred to as the 'Right to Rent' checks and we need to see your original passport (or other document) and take a copy of your passport or other equivalent ID card and supporting documentation with you present. We would appreciate your full cooperation with this as any tenancy cannot commence until these checks have been completed.
Students and new arrivals to the UK
In certain cases, such as applicants who are students or new arrivals in the UK, we may require a UK based guarantor. References would be taken on the guarantor.
Check-in and check-out
Thomas Michael will be instructed by the landlord as to what arrangements are to be made for the inventory and check-in and it is the landlord's decision as to whether an inventory clerk is instructed. The landlord will be responsible for the cost of the inventory and check-in and check-out. We advise you to make yourself available for the check-in and check-out.
Security deposit
For most tenancies, a deposit equivalent to five weeks' rent must be paid before any tenancy is commenced. These funds will be held by this agency or will be transferred to the landlord and we or they will then register the deposit with a deposit protection scheme, the full details of which you will be advised. All deposit deductions must be agreed in writing by both landlord and tenant upon the termination of the tenancy. The tenancy agreement entered into is between the landlord and the tenant and, therefore, the tenant cannot hold Thomas Michael liable for any deductions made from the deposit which may fall into dispute.
Payment of rent
The first instalment of rent must be paid in cleared funds before the tenancy commences. Thereafter, rent is payable by standing order (unless agreed otherwise) to arrive on the due date as stated in the tenancy agreement. This means that the standing order must be set up so that the funds leave your account three days before the rent is due. The full rent must be paid by a single standing order, multiple standing orders is not acceptable.
Utilities
As set out above, you will generally be responsible for the payment of telephone, gas, water, electricity and internet accounts at the property during your tenancy, as well as the council tax. It is your responsibility to notify the relevant companies and the local authority that you are moving into/out of the property. On occasion the landlord pays for water and hot water supply through their service charge and they may or may not decide to pass these payments on to you. This would be agreed with you before you commenced a tenancy. You are also responsible for ensuring that a valid television licence remains in place for the duration of the tenancy.
Smoking and pets
The standard tenancy agreement we use prohibits smoking and pets. If you do wish to smoke within the properties, internally or on the terrace or balcony, or have a pet then it is your responsibility to mention this to us in your application and before you submit a holding deposit in order to seek permission from the landlord.
Testing of smoke alarms
Landlords are now legally required to have a smoke alarm on each floor of a property and to test these at the commencement of a tenancy. We advise all tenants, as a matter of good practice, to test smoke alarms on a monthly basis during a tenancy.
Insurance
It is your responsibility to insure your own belongings throughout the tenancy.
Taxation
If you pay rent directly to your landlord's bank account and your landlord is resident overseas, you will be responsible for applying the provisions of the HM Revenue and Customs Non-Resident Landlords scheme for taxing UK rental income and should ask us for advice on this.
Non-Housing Act tenancies (Company Lets)
For non-Housing Act tenancies, and for this agency it will apply principally to Company Lets, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 does not apply.
We charge a flat fee of £600 (£500 + VAT) which covers the referencing administration, all of the work associated with the drawing up and signing of the tenancy agreement and all other administration and liaising which is typical of tenancies. We charge £180 (£150 + VAT) to arrange the fixed extension to a tenancy.
The holding deposit will be 1 week's rent and the security deposit will be equivalent to 6 weeks' rent.
It is the landlord's decision as to whether an inventory clerk is instructed. The landlord will be responsible for the cost of the inventory and check-in and the tenant will be liable for the cost of the check-out. The fees for an inventory and check-in and check-out vary depending on the amount of rooms and furnishing but usually range from £80 to £150.
