Tenants - Oaktree Lettings and Management

"Oaktree Lettings believe that tenants standards should not differ from a landlords, we aim to offer good quality properties that have been assessed and comply with all current regulations.

The first step to finding your new home is to check the criteria for the property, so we can be sure that in principle, the property meets what you are looking for and that the property is suitable for you.

Once we have checked this, then its viewing time. Following your appointment, if you want to move forward then you’ll submit your application (each adult to live in the property, must complete a form) and we’ll let the landlord know a little bit about you and check we can move onto referencing.

In order to complete your application, we will need the following information from you:

Most recent three consecutive months bank statements for your current account, this must be the account where your wages are paid into
A utility bill, such as gas, electric or mobile phone, dated within the last three months showing your current address (if your bank statements show this, you do not need to supply an additional bill)
If you are self-employed, please see the requirements below
We will need a copy of your passport and for non-UK passport holders, we will need your share code. If you do not hold a passport, please contact us for advice on what documents you will need to provide.
Complete the referencing links for Let Alliance which will be sent to you

For self employed applicants we need: The most recent two years HMRC SA302’s with this application as we cannot process the application without it. We cannot accept bank statements as proof of income.

We then move onto the referencing and once we have satisfactory references, we can arrange move in dates with you.

On move in day, you will sign paperwork and take the keys to your new home. If we are managing your tenancy, you will also be sent the inventory & schedule of condition. It is very important that you check this and sign it off within the first 48 hours of collecting your keys. We will not accept changes past that point.

Following move in day, you can be assured that your deposit is protected in accordance with the Deposit Protection Scheme.

Permitted Payments

Permitted payments and tenant protection information

As well as paying the rent, you may also be required to make the following permitted payments.

Permitted payments For properties in England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that in addition to rent, lettings agents can only charge tenants (or anyone acting on the tenant's behalf) the following permitted payments:

Holding deposits (a maximum of 1 week's rent);
Deposits (a maximum deposit of 5 weeks' rent for annual rent below £50,000, or 6 weeks' rent for annual rental of £50,000 and above);
Payments to change a tenancy agreement eg. change of sharer (capped at £50 or, if higher, any reasonable costs);
Payments associated with early termination of a tenancy (capped at the landlord's loss or the agent's reasonably incurred costs);
Where required, utilities (electricity, gas or other fuel, water, sewerage), communication services "telephone, internet, cable/satellite television), TV licence;
Council tax (payable to the billing authority);
Interest payments for the late payment of rent (up to 3% above Bank of England's annual percentage rate);
Reasonable costs for replacement of lost keys or other security devices;
Contractual damages in the event of the tenant's default of a tenancy agreement; and
Any other permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and regulations applicable at the relevant time.

For properties in Wales, the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 means that in addition to rent, lettings agents can only charge tenants the following permitted payments:

Holding deposits (a maximum of 1 week's rent);
Security deposits;
Where required, utilities (electricity, gas or other fuel, water, sewerage), communication services "telephone, internet, cable/satellite television), TV licence;
Council tax (payable to the billing authority);
Payments for the late payment of rent (where required under the tenancy agreement);
A breach of a term of the contract (where required under the tenancy agreement); and
Any other permitted payments under the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act and regulations applicable at the relevant time.

Tenant protection. In addition to publishing relevant fees, lettings agents are also required to publish details of:

the redress scheme they are a member of; and
the name of the approved or designated Client Money Protection scheme they are a member of (if any).

Additional information

If you need to contact us for any matter you should direct all calls and queries to the office line on 0116 2870334, or email us at [email protected]

For properties that are managed by us, repairs and maintenance issues should be emailed to us, so you have a record of reporting this. Information on the repair, make & model information if it is an appliance and photos are really helpful and can help speed up the process.

If you have an emergency at the property and the office is closed, you are advised to use common sense in dealing with the matter. We would only acknowledge extreme emergencies as needing attention for example: pipes bursting, to the extent that damage is being caused to the property. In this instance, we would suggest you would call a local contractor to only stop further damage being caused. You would need to submit the invoice for works to us and if we feel the call out was justified, we would ask the landlord to reimburse you. If the call out was deemed to be a non emergency and something that could have waited until the office is open, it is unlikely you would be reimbursed.

We can recommend the following contractor for gas or plumbing in the local area, but would remind tenants that these contractors are not employed by Oaktree Lettings and do not have to attend if requested

Jason Cliffe of JEC plumbing on 0781415292

We would remind tenants that lack of heating, hot water or washing facilities is not deemed to be an emergency and contractors should not be called out for this.

If you smell gas and suspect a gas leak, please call Cadent on 0800 111 999