Terms of business

Your instruction and our authority

We act on your written instruction. You confirm that you are entitled to let the property and that the information you give us is accurate. Unless the instruction says otherwise, we do not have authority to sign a tenancy agreement on your behalf, to agree a price or rent you have not approved, or to make decisions about your money beyond the day-to-day management set out in the instruction.

What we do

For a letting instruction we will usually:

• Advertise the property accurately and deal with enquiries and viewings.
• Take references and advise you on the application.
• Prepare the tenancy agreement and take the holding deposit.
• Take the tenancy deposit, protect it in a government-approved scheme and issue the prescribed information.
• Arrange the inventory or schedule of condition, and the check-in.

For a management instruction we will also:

• Collect rent and chase arrears, and account to you.
• Carry out periodic inspections and report to you.
• Arrange repairs and maintenance, and keep records of safety checks.
• Handle renewals, notices and the check-out, including the deposit deduction process.

Fees and payments

Charges to landlords are agreed in writing before work starts. Charges to tenants are limited to payments permitted by law. Our summary of permitted payments, the deposit caps and prohibited charges is on the fees and permitted payments page.

Money, deposits and client money protection

Rent and deposits belonging to a landlord are held separately from our own money. Where we hold client money, we belong to a client money protection scheme and the certificate is available on request. Tenancy deposits are held in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme and the prescribed information is issued within the deadline set by law. This app records the date each deposit was lodged, the date prescribed information was given, and the date a deposit is due to be returned, and it sends reminders so those duties are met on time.

Compliance duties

We arrange and record the checks the property needs, which normally include annual gas safety inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer, the electrical installation condition report, the energy performance certificate, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm provisions, water risk assessment where required, and licensing where the property is in scope. Certificates and expiry dates are held in this app, and reminders are sent in good time before each date falls due. You remain responsible for making sure the duties that fall on a landlord are met.

Access, keys and entry codes

We keep a record of access arrangements, including keysafe codes where a property uses one, and share them only with contractors who need them for an authorised visit. Access codes should be changed when a tenancy ends or a code may have been disclosed more widely than intended. Tenants’ rights to quiet enjoyment are respected; entry is arranged with proper notice except in an emergency.

Your responsibilities

• Tell us promptly about damage, arrears, a change of tenant details, or a safety concern.
• Keep insurance in place and make sure the property is safe and fit to occupy.
• Give us the information and documents we ask for so duties can be met on time.
• Let us know if you sell the property, take it off the market, or want the instruction ended.

Liability

We carry out our work with reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for information supplied to us that we had no reasonable way of checking, or for events outside our control. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud.

Complaints, data protection and ending the instruction

Complaints are handled under our complaints procedure. Personal information is handled as described in our privacy policy. Either party may end the instruction in writing; the instruction and any fees that have fallen due continue to apply up to the date it ends, and completed work and money held on account are dealt with as set out in the instruction.

General

These terms, together with your written instruction and the tenancy agreement, are the whole agreement between us about the work. If any part is found to be unenforceable, the rest continues to apply. We may update these terms and will publish the current version on this page. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.