Tenant Charges

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Ultimate Homes & Finance have a charging structure which has been devised and is detailed on this page for tenants to review. This page highlights certain charges that can be chargable to any tenant of Ultimate Homes & Finance.

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Ultimate Lettings - Important Tenant Information

Ultimate Homes & Finance are a great letting agent. We offer tenants many benefits with their tenancy and we strive to look after your needs and requirements at all times. We operate within our own policies and procedures and at times we may have to seek authorisation from landlords to commence property maintenance or repairs to certain properties. As we have to complete this there maybe occasions where certain repairs are not completed as soon as we would like, this is simply because we have to seek the relevant permissions from the landlord prior to commencing any works. If you do report certain issues to us then you can be certain that we will act upon this and get the process moving in resolving your reported problems.

Tenant Charges

As Ultimate Homes & Finance have a responsibility to you (our tenants) we also have a responsibility to our landlord(s). Therefore as a valued letting agent we must look after the interests of all parties concerned that are involved in an assured shorthold tenancy. As from 12th July 2008 we have changed the process regarding all rental accounts that are held with us. Ultimate Homes & Finance have now implemented a charging structure for charges which can be passed onto our tenants. All new tenants that have a tenancy granted from Ultimate Homes & Finance will be advised of these charges prior to their tenancy commencing. If you are already a tenant with Ultimate Homes & Finance then you will be advised of the new scale of charges in writing. The new charging structure will always be displayed and updated on this page, so everyone is kept informed and updated. It is vital that you are made aware of this process prior to commencing a tenancy.

Scale of Charges

Please find detailed below the scale of charges which is applicable to all tenants who have a tenancy with Ultimate Homes & Finance:

Please be advised that some charges may waived if a prior arrangement to pay your rent is arranged and agreed with our office.

Description	Charge
Late payment of rent without prior arrangement	£15.00
Late payment of rent leading to a letter being issued if we are unable to make contact with you by telephone or e-mail	£20.00
Late payment of rent leading to a home visit if we are unable to make contact with you by any of the above means and you have not responded to our previous letter issued	£30.00
Subsequent home visits if the above was classed as a failed home visit and you have not responded to our hand delivered letter	£10.00
Rent Arrears - over 1 month rent overdue	£30.00
Rent Arrears - over 2 months overdue	£60.00
Rent Arrears - over 3 months	Refer to debt recovery unit
Damages to property	cost payable upon quotation
Repairs to the property (Tenants liability)	cost payable upon quotation
28 day notice order letter if not reported prior by the tenant(s)	£10.00

Interest on any overdue balance

Ultimate Homes & Finance reserve the right to charge interest on any overdue balance(s). The interest is currently calculated at a rate of 4% over the current Bank of England base rate. Interest will be charged on any overdue balance(s) or arrear(s) until fully repaid and brought up to date.

Repairs

Ultimate Homes & Finance will complete any repairs which fall under the landlord(s) responsbility. Any repairs or damages which need to be completed which are the responsibility of the tenant(s) will need to be paid for by the tenant(s). This includes any damages to a property whether internally or externally. If damages are found whilst the tenancy is still in its agreed term then the tenant(s) will receive a 28 day notice order to have the problem rectified. If the problem has not been rectified within the 28 day notice order then Ultimate Homes & Finance will complete the repairs / damages and charge the tenant(s) accordingly.

Property requirements - before, during and after a tenancy

When a tenancy is granted it is the tenant(s) responsibility to look after and maintain the property. If the property is let to a tenant(s) in good condition then it must be returned the same. If a new build property is let to a tenant(s) and the tenant(s) wishes to vacate the property by providing the required 1 months notice period then the property must be handed over to Ultimate Homes & Finance in the condition that it was let in. Any walls must be repainted if they are marked in any way. Any flooring must be cleaned if it is visible that any areas are dirty, stained or scratched (applies to wood flooring). If any properties have front, back or side gardens then these must be cut and made presentable prior to vacating the property. You must clear the contents of any items that you have in properties which have garages. Finally the property must be handed over in clean condition inclusive of inside any cupboards, units. The bathrooms and en-suites must also be cleaned and handed over back in the condition that they were let in. When you move into a property a full schedule of condition will be completed with you which must be signed off. If any of the above works are not completed then Ultimate Homes & Finance reserve the right to instruct independent contractors to carry out any works deemed necessary.

Utility companies and council tax provider

Ultimate Homes & Finance inform the relevant utility companies and council tax providers when any new tenant(s) move in or out of a property. In addition to this it is also the tenant(s) responsibility to contact these suppliers and register their account with them. You must complete this as soon as you move into the property. During your tenancy Ultimate Homes & Finance will request to view a copy of all your uitlity bills and council tax bill to ensure that this has been done. Also, on vacating the property we may ask to see your final utility bills and ask for proof that any council tax due has been paid up to date. We therefore recomend that you have this information available for when you are due to vacate the property. We may hold onto any refundable monies due to you until this has been completed.

Tenant Bonds

Ultimate Homes & Finance hold bonds for all properties. The bond is calculated as the same as the properties monthly rental plus £200.00. Therefore if a properties rental value is £595.00 per calendar month then the bond for this property will be £795.00. All bonds are registered in the tenancy deposit scheme with a company named My Deposits. When your tenancy commences your bond will be registered within this scheme. You must be advised that any bond held can not be refunded as soon as you vacate the property as the bond will need to be discharged from the tenancy deposit scheme. We aim to refund bonds within 10 working days of a tenant(s) vacating the property, providing that there are no deductions to be made.

Debt Recovery

Ultimate Homes & Finance fully appreciate and understand that from time to time tenant(s) may experience financial difficulties during the term of their tenancy. Ultimate Homes & Finance will always try to help, should this situation arise. If you think that you may experience difficulty in paying your rent during your tenancy then you must contact our lettings team straight away on (01642) 796661. If we are informed of this then we can work with you and make a satisfactory arrangement to pay your account. If you do not make contact with Ultimate Homes & Finance then we will be unable to assist you with resolving your problems. If the level are monies owed becomes excessive then your case will referred to our debt recovery department. As a company we try to avoid situations in referring our customers debt to a debt recovery company as this can result in further charges being added to your account. This option will only be used if Ultimate Homes & Finance deem it necessary.