Helping Tenants

You can go onto our property search page and find the property you like. Click on the Book a Viewing button and just select a date and time. You’ll receive a confirmation email and a text on the day to remind you.If we’ve not managed to set up a viewing slot with the current tenants it won’t offer you any viewing days/times so instead you can enter your details and register for updates.

After the viewing, the viewing agent will send you a link with an application form. Make sure to fill the form as quickly as possible (before 5pm on the day of the viewing if you can). We aim to send all offers to the landlord the next working morning for their review and decision.

In your application we will need details on: who will be living in the property, your employment and your address history. If you are in a competitive situation for a flat then it can also help to offer slightly more for the monthly rent. This can help make your application stand out, all other things being equal. Using additional comments to tell us about yourselves in the application may also increase your chances by giving a personal touch.

If your application is successful, we will ask you to pay the security deposit. Once paid, we will begin referencing you. Be prepared, you will be asked to provide three years’ worth of address history and employment details. We would look for applicants to be permanently employed and meet the affordability criteria (gross monthly income meets at least 2.5 times the monthly rent). If this is not the case then the landlord may still accept the application but you should expect to provide a UK based guarantor or pay a larger deposit and 3-6 months rent in advance. 

No, none whatsoever.

We normally ask for a security deposit equivalent to 1 month’s rent + £250 unless it is agreed with the landlord to hold a larger amount (to be negotiated at the offer stage). If you have a pet, we may require a larger security deposit. The maximum deposit cannot be higher than an equivalent of 2 months rent. 

Yes. We will conduct a credit check and request an employer and previous landlord reference (where one or both of these is not possible, if you were a homeowner or are self-employed, we may request references from other parties). We use Amiqus to conduct our credit checks – this is a soft credit check which will not affect your credit score.

The guarantor must meet the affordability criteria (annual gross salary = 36 times the monthly rental amount). The guarantor must provide their last 3 months bank statements via open banking. If a guarantor is self-employed we can accept a letter from their accountant. A soft credit check will be carried out therefore, the guarantor must not have any credit issues. Guarantors are required to provide the following references: proof of income, copy of photo ID, proof of current address. Please note we only accept UK based guarantors who have resided in the UK for the last 12 months at a minimum.

It is the tenant’s responsibility to set up a standing order to pay the monthly rent. Please set your standing order up to pay us a couple of days before your monthly rent due date in order for the rent to clear in our account before the rental due date. If you set up your standing order on the rent due date, your rent could be late every month and you may receive penalty charges.

No, your monthly rent payment should be paid in full from one bank account. If you’re sharing with flatmates, please nominate one person to pay us each month and please transfer your portion of rent to them a day or two before this date.

• • Contents Insurance – You are responsible for the insurance of your own contents and accidental damage to the landlord’s belongings. It is a requirement of your tenancy agreement that you MUST hold adequate contents insurance for the property. 
  • Telephone/Broadband/Television – You are responsible for payment of a TV license if you use a TV in the property.
  • Utility Suppliers – You are responsible for setting up and informing suppliers the day your lease begins. You will need to pro with meter readings (see inventory for readings and suppliers) and your personal details. 
  • Council Tax – You are responsible for setting up and closing your council tax account, even if you are a student. You may be exempt but you must still notify the council that you reside in the property. Edinburgh council can be contacted at [email protected]. 

• Maintenance – If you notice any maintenance issues when you move in, please report these as well as noting them on the inventory, this way we can be sure they will be actioned.

If you have a maintenance issue at your property simply click the Report a Repair button on our website and follow the instructions and guides. Our tenants find they can resolve many maintenance issues by following the guides available on our website. If you follow these steps and are still unable to resolve things you can raise a maintenance ticket and a property manager will deal with it. Please note, changing batteries in smoke alarms and lightbulbs are a tenant responsibility and do not need to be reported.

• What is an Emergency? – It is our view that an emergency situation is when the incident is dangerous, life-threatening or may result in personal injury or a public liability claim or serious deterioration of the property. If you have an emergency situation, for example, water coming through the ceiling, we will endeavor to help you as quickly as possible. Please raise the issue on Fixflo as soon as possible.
• What do I do if I have an emergency out of office hours? We employ a third party to manage our portfolio outside of our office hours. Please raise an emergency via FixFlo and the team will assist.
• Gas – If you smell gas or suspect a leak, call the Gas Emergency Services immediately on 0800 111 999 (24 hours). Open all windows and doors and if necessary vacate the property. Do not turn on any electrical appliances or switches. 
• Electrical Fault – If you have no power, first check fuses have not blown, that the circuit breakers are in the ‘ON’ position and that there hasn’t been a general power cut in the area.
  • If your neighbours supply is still on – check your trip switch (if you have one). If it has tripped, switch off all your appliances then reset it
  • If your neighbours also have no power – call your local Electricity Network Operator’s 24 Hour Emergency Helpline. Scottish Power Energy Networks – 0800 092 9290 (landline) or 0330 1010 222 (mobile)
• Heating & Hot Water – If you think your boiler isn’t working properly, first check to see if the pilot light is on and, if you have a combi boiler, check that the pressure is set between 1 and 2. The instruction manual will tell you how to relight the pilot light and reset the pressure if you suspect this is the problem. If you don’t have a manual on hand, you can find these online by searching for the boiler make and model number. 
• Leaks – For small leaks which can be caught in a container, please ensure that you put a bucket or similar container below the leak and remember to empty it regularly. Please then contact us during office hours. If you suffer a burst pipe or severe water leaking into the property you must firstly locate the stopcock and turn off the water and mop up all surface water as quickly as possible to prevent damage. Raise an emergency issue on FixFlo and we will then arrange a plumber to attend as soon as possible. If water is coming from an upstairs property, alert the occupants above immediately and ask them to shut off the source of the leak. If they are not in, leave them a note to contact you and call your local Environmental Health Department (0131 529 3030 / 0131 200 2000) and ask for the water ingress team. 

Locked out? – If you have locked yourself out of the property, please call a locksmith for assistance, if it is actioned by our emergency team, the invoice is likely to be much more expensive than a local company and you will be charged.

Condensation is created when a property is not ventilated well enough and becomes evident when there is a difference in temperature between inside and outside. It is a tenant’s responsibility to make sure that condensation and mould does not build up in a property. To help with this, we suggest the following: Ensure trickle vents are open on windows, open windows to ventilate every day (especially after bathing/showering and whilst drying your washing or cooking), wipe down excess water on windows and ensure you are properly heating the property.

If your property has its own garden you are responsible for the upkeep of this as long as the landlord has provided you with the necessary tools to do so. There may be a contract with a stair cleaning company to maintain the communal stair, if so, it is the tenants responsibility to pay for this. If there is no contract in place, it is up to all occupants to ensure the stair is kept clean and tidy. Any work to communal areas can take some time as they need to have approval from all owners for the work to go ahead, please be patient when there is a communal repair needed.