Before you start looking for your new home, you need to consider what’s the maximum rent you can afford. Use this rent affordability calculator to help.

Once you know how much you can afford, you can then begin searching for your new home.  You can register with us for instant property alerts and will be informed of any new properties matching your requirements before they go onto Rightmove or Zoopla.

As soon as you have found a property that interests you, make an appointment to view, either contact the office or book the viewing in our diary from the property details.

If you have found a property that you would like to rent, contact a member of our team as soon as possible.  Make sure you are aware of the deposit and any other fees that apply.  All agents must advertise their fees on their website and be able to provide you with a breakdown.  See our fee’s here.

To reserve the property and make sure that no one else views it, you will need to pay your administration fee.

You will then receive two emails:

1. Terms and Conditions of renting with PMS Lettings which you will need to read and then sign online
2. Referencing link – fill out your referencing form online

We will then inform you of the outcome once the relevant checks have been completed.

Once your referencing has come back and the outcome satisfactory, a member of our team will contact you to pay your first months rent.  Upon receipt of this, your tenancy agreement will be emailed to you to read and then sign online.

On the day you are due to move into your new property, a member of our team will arrange a suitable time for you to come to the office to pay your remaining balance of monies, fill out your standing order form and sign for your keys.  You will then meet a member of our team at the property for a check-in service and go through the property with the inventory and schedule of condition report.

Both you and your landlord have responsibilities while you are living in the property.

As a tenant you are expected to:

• Pay your rent on time
• Pay the council tax
• Pay all utility bills and the TV licence unless otherwise agreed
• Keep the property clean
• Keep the garden maintained
• Dispose of all rubbish
• Carry out basic maintenance* such as replacing the light bulbs
• Keep the property secure at all times
• Report any maintenance issues online here (if we manage the property or report direct to your landlord)
• Ventilate the property
• Keep the property heating in the winter
• Not create unnecessary noise for your neighbours

* Read our Maintenance Guide containing details of who is responsible for some of the common maintenance issues that may arise during your tenancy.

You should expect to:

• Live in the property undisturbed
• Be given 24 hours’ notice if access to the property is required
• The landlord has a duty of care to maintain the property to a good state of repair (unless you are responsible for the damage)
• Have all gas, electricity and water supplies in working order
• Have access to all operating instructions for any appliance and equipment

Both you and your landlord must provide the relevant notice to end the tenancy in writing.  The period of notice will be set out in your tenancy agreement.  Once we have received notice, we will advise you in writing the next steps.

At the end of the tenancy we will arrange a suitable time to meet a member of our team at the property to have a check-out and go through the inventory and schedule of condition report you signed when you moved in.  You will need to:

• Have paid all your rent due
• Make sure all your belongings have been removed from the property
• Hand back all the keys you signed for
• Make sure the property is clean (to a professional standard) and that all contents are as found
• Re-direct mail and cancel all media services
• Cancel your standing order (we cannot do this for you)
• Furniture must be left in the same rooms as stated on the inventory
• Replace light bulbs that are blown
• Ensure the garden is left in the same condition as stated on your inventory and schedule of condition report
• Make sure all rubbish bins are empty

At the checkout, the property and its contents will be assessed and compared to the initial inventory and schedule of condition report.  The results will be reported back to both the landlord and you.  The expectation is that the property is left in the same condition in which it was when you moved in – allowing for fair wear and tear.

Within 10 working days of the tenancy ending, any deductions from the tenancy deposit should be agreed.  The formalities of how the deposit is returned will depend on the provider that protects your deposit.  You can refer to the Tenant guide to tenancy deposit protection for more information.