Private Renting
For Landlords
- Benefits for Landlords
- Housing Act 2004 Overview
- Health & Safety Rating System
- Tenancy Deposit Protection
- Plymouth HomeFinder FAQ
- Rent Service Factsheet
For Tenants
Renting In Plymouth
This guide is aimed at assisting people who are looking to rent privately in the Plymouth area.
Before you start looking for accommodation
Before you start looking for accommodation you will need to have a good idea about what you are looking for in your accommodation. You will need to consider where you want to live, as well as what you can afford. The following is aimed at giving you a starting point, covering some of the issues you will need to consider before looking for private rented accommodation.
1. What size property do you need?
You will need to think realistically about what size property you require for your needs. For example if you are a single person looking for accommodation you would usually looking for a one bed roomed flat. If you are going to be claiming housing benefit in your new property you will need to know what size property you will be entitled to. The Rent Service offers the following guidelines, which you may choose to use even if you will not be claiming housing benefit. This will offer a good starting point from which to make your own decisions about what the government thinks is the right size property for you.
The number of rooms allowed for a property is as follows: ONE bedroom for each of the following, counting each person once only.
- A couple who live together
- A person aged 16 or over
- 2 Children of the same sex (any age up until 16)
- 2 Children under 10
- A single child (a ‘child’ is someone under 16)
Claiming Housing Benefit and under 25?
If you are single and under 25, with no partner or children living with you, the rent office will also decide how much is generally paid in the ‘locality’ for a single room with a shared living room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Under Local Housing Allowance rules, this shows as a shared room rate. If you want to understand more about the single room rent you can contact the local housing benefit department, or the rent service.
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Housing Benefit Phone: 01752 304889 Email: revenues@plymouth.gov.uk |
The Rent Service Emperor Way, Exeter Business Park, Exeter, EX1 3QS Phone: 01392 441020 |
2. What size property can you afford?
From the 7th April 2008 there is a new way of calculating Housing Benefit. The new scheme is called Local Housing Allowance. Using the above size criteria you can work out how many bedrooms you and your household need. Please note the the rates are the maximum rent you might get, the final calculation will take into account your income.
You may think you can afford a bigger property than the above size criteria, but you will also need to consider the additional costs involved in renting which are covered below.
If you feel you need a property that is bigger than the size guide given above you may struggle to pay your rent.
Current Local Housing Allowance Rates
April 2008
For broad rental market area Plymouth and surrounding areas, the table shows the rates for April 2008.
| Shared room rate | £60 | £260 |
| 1 bedroom | £92.08 | £399.01 |
| 2 bedroom | £117.69 | £509.99 |
| 3 bedroom | £138.46 | £599.99 |
| 4 bedroom | £189.81 | £822.51 |
| 5 bedroom | £259.62 | £1,125.02 |
Please note:
- If you do not have exclusive use of 2 or more rooms in the property, you will be entitled to the shared room rate.
- If you and/or your partner live in a self-contained one bedroom flat, you will be entitled to the 1 bedroom rate.
- If you are under 25, you may be restricted to the shared room rate.
- The rates shown are maximum amounts you could receive based on your household criteria. There may be reductions made to your award depending on your income and personal circumstances.
3. How much will it cost to move in?
You will usually need to pay:
Rent (in advance)
This is usually 1 months rent paid in advance before you move into the tenancy.
If you are in receipt of Income Based JSA, Income Support or Incapacity Benefit with an Income Support entitlement – and have been for more than 26 weeks, you can apply for a budgeting loan to secure rent in advance. Budgeting loan forms can be picked up from your local benefits agency. If you are not sure what type of benefit you are on you can ask at your local benefits agency.
Benefits Agencies in Plymouth
City Centre Devonport Queens House Plympton
Old Tree Court St Levans Road 97-99 Ridgeway
64 Exeter Street Plymouth Plympton
Plymouth Devon Plymouth
PL4 0AJ PL2 3BD PL7 2AA
01752 618000 01752 616200 01752 615800
Deposit
This is usually the equivalent of 1 months rent. This will usually be kept by the landlord and in the event of damage, rent arrears or if you break the terms of the tenancy agreement, the landlord may keep part or all of your deposit. If you are on a low income, or have no way of raising the deposit through loans, you may be able to apply for a Deposit Guarantee
3. Administration fees & credit search
An agency will normally charge for the time it takes them to set up your tenancy. This often includes the cost of references and credit searches. The price may vary depending on who you find accommodation with. Make sure you ask what the administration fee covers before you give the agreed sum to an agent or landlord.
If you are worried about your credit history you may want to have a look at your own credit report before handing over money for credit referencing. You can do this through credit agencies such as Experian. The contents of your credit report can have a bearing on whether or not you will be acceptable as a tenant by some agencies and landlords.
You can apply for the report online or by phone and post. A single report costs on average £2.
Agencies cannot charge you a ‘joining or registration fee’ and you should not pay any money unless you have made an application to actually rent a chosen property.
4. Ongoing & additional costs that you need to consider
You will need to find out from the landlord or agent what extra costs you will have to pay in addition to your rent. You will need to know and understand what all the costs are before taking on a new tenancy to know whether or not you can afford the property.
- Council tax - You can find out which band of council tax your chosen property falls into through the following site:
And you can find out how much the bill is likely to be through the following site:
- Water rates - This may depend on whether the property is on a meter or not. For more information about water rates you can visit the South West Water website below:
- Gas and electricity - The property will have either a credit or prepayment meter. A credit meter is where you will be billed quarterly for the energy you have consumed.
Prepayment meters are usually cashless and use an electronically-coded token or key, which record how much credit you have available for energy in the home. You can top up these keys at local shops and post offices.
There are a large number of energy suppliers - you may want to compare prices to see who will offer the best deal. Below is a link to a price comparison site you may want to use.
It is important to be absolutely clear what utilities or services are included in your rent. Housing Benefit payments do not apply to utilities. If the landlord includes utilities in the rent, Housing Benefit will calculate the proportion, and deduct that from any housing benefit you may be entitled to.
- Insurance - the landlord will have buildings insurance but this will not cover your personal possessions. You will need to consider getting ‘contents’ insurance for your own belongings in the property.
- Rent increases - it is best to ask the agent or landlord how often they consider the rent. Most landlords or agents usually increase the rent once every 12 months, and this is a percentage rise in line with inflation, but this can vary. A landlord cannot increase your rent during the terms of a fixed tenancy period.
Income/Expenditure
We would advise you using a simple income/expenditure form to work out how much money you have coming in and going out, to be able to see how much spare income you would have to spend on accommodation. You may find this a useful budgeting tool in general.
5. Will you be able to get any help towards your rent from Housing Benefit?
If you are on a low income you may be entitled to some help towards your rent.
To work out your Housing Benefit, the council will look at:
- The money you and your partner have coming in, including earnings, some benefits and tax credits and things like occupational pensions
- Your savings and your partner's savings
- Your circumstances, such as your age, the ages and size of your family, whether you or any of your family are disabled, and whether anyone who lives with you could help with the rent.
Plymouth City Council have an online calculator which you can use to estimate how much help you MAY get towards your rent:
Looking for Accommodation
We have contacted a number of Plymouth based letting agents whose information can be viewed online or downloaded, to try and make it a bit easier for you. You may also want to try looking in:
- Local papers such as the Evening Herald - property pages on a Tuesday
- Local shop windows and notice boards
- Telephone directory for other letting agents
1. Agents - What to expect
An Agent works on behalf of a landlord in order to let a property. An agent will find out basic personal details before you look at properties, to check you meet their criteria. Some letting agents may contact you with available properties, but in Plymouth accommodation is let quickly, so it is best to contact the agents on a regular basis for information about properties available to rent.
An agents’ involvement in a tenancy can vary depending on what type of agreement they have with the owner of the property. They may provide ‘full management’ which means they offer the full lettings service to the landlord, from finding a suitable tenant, to setting up the tenancy and collecting rent.
If the agent has a ‘partial management’ arrangement agreement; the landlord may do his own maintenance, but you still pay your rent to the agency.
Sometimes an agency will find tenants only; this means they will advertise the property and follow through until a suitable tenant has been found for a landlord but then their involvement will end. Future dealings would be direct with the landlord.
If you find a property through an agent you can ask them who will be responsible for what in your tenancy, like who you contact for repairs and who you will be paying your rent to.
2. What information will I need to provide?
You will need to register with agencies before you view properties, which normally involves giving basic contact details and information about your income and current housing situation.
It is a good idea to ask employers or personal referees if they will give you a reference before you start contacting agents. Make sure it is easy to reach any referees and that you have the full postal addresses and telephone numbers for referees, employers, or past landlords & agents.
It is best to ask someone who can give examples of ways in which you are responsible or trustworthy. If you are involved in clubs or other activities, the organiser may be able to act as a referee.
3. What is a guarantor and do I need one?
If you are on a low income, self employed, claiming housing benefit or have a history of debt or County Court Judgements (CCJ’s), the landlord may want reassurance that you will pay the rent. The landlord or agent may ask for you to find someone who can act as a guarantor. This person will agree to pay the rent if you do not. A guarantor usually needs a reasonable income and sometimes an agent will ask for this person to be a homeowner.
4. How long before I can move in?
Once the agent or landlord has agreed that the property is suitable, they will take your references. If they have agreed to accept a Deposit Guarantee you need to contact The Path Bond team immediately.
It normally takes 3-5 days for an agent to complete the necessary checks (references & credit referencing).
You should be able to move into your property in around 2 weeks, provided you have given all the correct information, your references have been accepted by the agent, and you have paid all fees and rent/deposits as required.
5. What do I need to know about tenancy agreements?
Your tenancy agreement should list the terms and conditions you and your landlord need to abide by you're living there.
Check whether your agreement includes information such as:
- The correct name for the tenants
- The address of the property you are renting
- The name and address of the landlord or agent
- How much is the rent and how often is it due
- How long the tenancy is for
- How much notice you have to give before ending your tenancy
- Whether the property is furnished or not and if there is an inventory attached
6. Inventories - why are they important?
You should receive a written inventory when you move into the property, and the agent or landlord should explain how long you have, before you must point out any differences and return the inventory to them.
It is very important to check all items on the inventory, as this is what the landlord will check against when you leave the property.
If an item is listed on the inventory but you cannot find it, or it is damaged in some way, it is best to make a note on the inventory as soon as possible. If any part of the property is unclean, you should also make a note of this. If it is very dirty, you should contact the agent or landlord straight way, do not wait until you return the inventory.
When you have checked the inventory thoroughly, return a copy to the agent or landlord, making sure you keep a copy for yourself, including any comments you have made.
What happens at the end of the tenancy?
The landlord or agent will carry out a final inspection to check that all inventory items are present, and that the property is clean.
When you are leaving a property, it is best to check with the agent or landlord to agree exactly what needs to be completed before you receive your deposit refund (minus any damages).
7. Who can I ask for help, if I have rent arrears, harassment, overdue maintenance, my circumstances change or the landlord issues notice?
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Plymouth City Council’s Housing Advice Service Phone: 01752 305950 |
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Citizens Advice Bureau Phone: 0870 126 4011 |
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Shelter Phone: 0844 893 5599 |
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Plymouth City Council’s Private rented Team - for maintenance and repair issues Tel: 01752 307079 |