Useful Information
Stepping Stones have over 50 years’ experience in the field of property lettings and can assure our clients that we believe it is better to do one job really well, rather than several jobs adequately. This is why Stepping Stones direct all energy and resources towards giving clients an expert letting and management service. Our attentions are not diverted towards other activities and we are purely dedicated to lettings and management.
All of our properties are finished to a high standard. They will have been professionally cleaned before any tenancy starts and all maintenance works carried out prior to the commencement of the tenancy. We will accompany all viewings so that any questions or queries you may have can be answered. We try to accommodate viewings at all normal times and will try to arrange and accompany outside normal hours if we can.
We ask all prospective tenants to view the property before we take an application or any monies. Any queries the tenant may have with the property can then be cleared up by one of our property managers.
An application will need to be taken from anyone who is planning to live at the property if they are aged over 18 years old. It is quite a detailed application form but we can step you through it. Once the application is sent to our referencing agent it takes between 3 and 5 days for it to be processed, although this can be sped up if necessary.
We ask for a holding deposit to be paid which is then deducted from the total dilapidation deposit. You will be required to sign a holding deposit receipt, which explains how your deposit is held and outlines any reasons in which your deposit may be retained.
Your holding deposit also includes a clause which stipulates that you, the tenant, agree to have your personal details disclosed to One Utility Bill Ltd and the incumbent
Energy Supplier for the purposes of Utility Registration. The Tenant agrees that Stepping Stones Lettings may pass the Tenant’s name, phone number, email
address, to One Utility Bill, for the purposes of;
a. registering the gas and electricity meters at the property in the Tenant’s name with the incumbent Energy Supplier providing gas and electricity to the Tenant and administering the Tenant’s account with the incumbent Energy Supplier if applicable;
b. registering the Tenant with the incumbent water supplier to the property.
c. informing the relevant district Council, for your property, of the new tenancy commencing, if required.
For full details, please refer to the document attached below:
Please note that if you decide not to proceed with the application then the holding deposit is non-refundable.
The total deposit is equivalent to 5 weeks' rent. This is paid at the start of tenancy and is fully refundable at the end of the tenancy when you have been checked out of the property against the schedule of condition and inventory, subject to any damages. Stepping Stones are registered and licenced with The Dispute Service and all deposits are protected and held in accordance with the TDS rules.
Once we have received the application back and they have been successful we can then arrange dates and times for the tenant to move in. We can carry this out either in Stepping Stones offices or at the property whichever is more convenient.
You will need to sign an agreement, a draft of which will be sent prior to this to you so that you can have a read through and if required get it checked by a solicitor. The agreement we use is straightforward and we are happy to talk you through it so that you understand what you are signing.
On the day that you move in you will be given a schedule of condition and inventory which will mark the condition of everything in the property which includes ceilings, floors, windows and doors etc. We ask you to check it over and get it returned to us within 7 days. It is important that it is checked over thoroughly as this is the document which will be used to check you out of the property.
Inspections are normally carried out every four months. We always give at least two weeks’ notice of our visit.
We ask for all rent payments to be made by standing order into our bank. However, if more convenient, either post a cheque or pop into our offices in Horsefair, Banbury. We accept all credit and debit cards but please note that there is a 3% charge for cash or credit cards.
If, whilst at the property there are any repairs or maintenance requirements then the tenant will need to contact Stepping Stones who will deal with it. We have a twenty four hour contact number to give you peace of mind in the event of an emergency.
Normally 3 to 4 months before the end of the tenancy, we will write to you and ask what your future tenancy wishes are. If you decide that you will not be renewing the tenancy, then we ask for at least 2 months’ notice to be given in writing (please note that all notices must begin and end on a rent day). We will then start to market the property again and will ask that you will allow us to carry out viewings for prospective new tenants. If however you would like to stay at the property we will convert the tenancy to a periodic which means that you can give two months’ notice to begin and end on a rent day as can the landlord. Please note that if you are bringing the tenancy to an end then this will need to be put in writing.