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Please make sure you look through the whole list as will help to get the right category…
Your contract will either be
1: A “Group contract” for the whole house or
2: An “Individual contract” or
3: A “Summer holiday agreement“. You will all have a copy of your contract after signing.
1: Group contract
A group contract means you are all jointly liable for the house, i.e. for any damages/cleaning and the rent for the full term of the contract.
If a person wants to move out or not take up his/her place you all are jointly responsible for paying the rent until you find a new person to take over. The new person must be acceptable to all parties
2: Individual contract
Under an individual contract it is solely the named individual on the contract who is liable for the rent and the condition of their room and joint responsibility fro the communal areas .
3: Summer Holiday Agreement
This is an agreement for one or two months over summer normally – it can be single of joint.
4: The term of the contract (length of contract)
You are bound to this term, but also have the security and right to the house for this term.
With any changes, the original signed contract remains valid until a new contract or alteration to the existing contract is signed by all parties. Most commonly this occurs when replacement persons are sought.
Your deposit is protected in a deposit protection scheme. Either as a group payment or individual (depending on the contract).
We email you details of the protection.
Your deposit cannot be used as rent.
Our aim is to give you all the information needed to get the full deposit back at the end of your tenancy. Normally it is cleaning that is the most common deduction – we do provide a cleaning check list + before photos and inventory. We will also advise after house inspections. We make no money from any deductions (they just go to get the house back to the original condition) and it is in our interest to have you leave the house in the same condition that you took it.
For joint contracts we only deal with the lead tenant regarding the deposit as this is a condition of the deposit protection schemes.
Contracted Rent for Academic Year
The 1st payment of rent is due on the first day of your contact, this payment needs to be received before we hand over keys for your property.
Please make payment by bank transfer only.
For group contracts – The payment needs to come from one bank account in one monthly lump sum payment (you will need to set up either to come from the lead tenant’s account etc or set up a joint account etc to make the payment from).
Following payments are then due on the 1st of each month.
Some groups do like to pay the terms rent in advance – that is ok.
On or around the 6th of each month we will email a detailed rent statement to each person in each house detailing rent payments made.
For months that students are waiting for student loans we are flexible with timings of rent as long as 1: The rent is caught up fully when the loans come in 2: You let us know in advance.
These are included in the rent for most properties. If they are not we will let you know.
If your bills are included they are most likley:
1: Broadband
2: Water Waste
3: Water Supply
4: Electric (subject to usage allowance)
5: Gas (subject to usage allowance)
They are subject to a usage allowance that was given in your contract.
We will email you the starting meter readings and take meter reading during the year in order to monitor the usage at the property.
We will email advice on how to reduce energy usage.
Any government support specific to domestic energy use will be passed onto tenants.
You may be asked to make top up payments during the year if you are going over the usage allowance.
Student houses are exempt from Council tax as long as all persons are all in full time education during the whole term of the contract.
You are responsible for all usage and all content of the internet used at the property. You are not allowed to undertake illegal activities or to access material of an unlawful nature through the internet and you are responsible for any actions. Copyright violations will be the responsibility of the users.
TV licence is not normally provided, tenants are responsible for obtaining a TV licence if they will be watching live TV. Often tenants use an amazon fire stick to view catch up TV which is not liable to a licence (apart from BBC Iplayer for which you will need a licence).
Council Tax
If your house is occupied by full time students your house will be exempt from council tax.
We will contact the council to give them your student numbers to get the student exemption from council tax.
All full-time students are exempt from council tax. At the start of the contract, we supply the council with your names and student numbers and from these they issue the property with an exemption.
If a student is or becomes in receipt of Housing Benefit or Income Support, or are only part-time or their course finishes or in the event they drop out of full-time university they will cause the property to lose the Council Tax “Student Exemption” status. In such cases the tenant(s) become liable for the cost incurred – even if the landlord is billed by the council the tenant is responsible for payment.
The council, from the students name and student number gets informed by the university if a student drops out of full time education and will raise a council tax charge.
The council will also raise a charge for final year students when their official course end date finishes earlier than their contract. They only get billed for the days that they were no longer students.
If there is one working person or “non-student” the house then the house will receive a 25% council tax discount. For two working persons then the full council tax will apply. Students on placements as long as they are registered full-time students will still receive the council tax exemption.
There are all sorts of reasons why members of a group may want to vacate, we do try to accommodate any changes.
The important point to note is that the members of the current contract remain jointly liable (for joint contracts) and solely liable (for individual contracts) for the rent up to the end of the contract until a replacement person is found and replaced on the contract.
What to do if a tenant in your group wants to leave.
Let everyone know in the group of your plans.
Firstly decide which room will be re-let.
Decide on what type of person you would like as a replacement (male/female etc).
Decide on how you want to meet any potential persons and how they will be able to meet the remaining tenants and view property etc.
Once a new person is found as a Replacement
All parties will need to sign a “Deed of Assignment” that basically transfers parties on and off a contract. All parties will have to agree to the transfer (the leaving tenant, all the remaining tenants and the landlord and the new person). As all persons have to agree, the person must be a suitable replacement that all parties will be happy with.
It is important that the new person gets to meet the remaining tenants (if not in person then by Facebook etc) to establish they will all get on.
Once a new person is found and the “Deed of Assignment” is signed by all persons, the person leaving is then no longer bound by the original contract. Up to this point, they remain liable for the rent up to the end of the contract.
Where to find a new tenant yourselves?
1: Ask friends
2: Try Facebook – there is a “Portsmouth Student Housing” group and a “Student Housing Portsmouth” group
3: Portsmouth University Housing Department will be able to give advice on where to advertise within the University.
4: Let us know – we may have someone contact us directly looking for a room.
5: Advertise on websites, the best ones for individual rooms are:
www.spareroom.co.uk
www.accommodationforstudents.com
www.studentpad.co.uk
We charge an admin fee of £50 to do the paperwork and sort the deposits out for any transfers, it may include fees for deposit protection/guarantor credit checks etc.
All houses will have current Gas Safety Certificate, Mains Smoke Alarms will be fitted as required, Carbon Monoxide detectors provided, Fire blanket provided. All houses will have a current Electrical Safety certificate.
All houses are registered with Portsmouth City Council and licensed.
All electrical appliances will have been PAT tested as required.
Once you have moved in, check that you can open any windows and doors that may be your escape route in the event of a fire.Check where your fire blankets and smoke alarms are.
Practice a fire drill and work out a strategy for safe evacuation.
Modern smoke and heat sensors are very sensitive and may annoyingly go off whilst cooking or burning toast! However, they are provided to save your life, which they cannot do if disconnected. Do not tamper with them or remove them. They are there for your safety.
We do not allow candles or tea lights in shared houses.
We set these house maintenance groups up so you can report maintenance with photos easily. We then can send the photos on to our maintenance persons who can repair the fault. It is important to only use the group for maintenance (for other queries please email us) and to only use the group inside our work hours (weekdays 8.30am to 5pm) unless an emergency. The issue for us is that we have a lot of students and if we get a lot of messages out of hours we have to turn off notifications – this means we may miss a real emergency when we would like to help you if we can.
Please don’t use this service out of hours.
For any repairs required please use the house Whatsapp group (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm) or email us any time on admin@key10.co.uk and we will have a tradesperson come round as soon as possible during normal working hours.
Please only contact us using WhatsApp during office hours (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm) unless an emergency.
Is it really an Emergency?
The Emergency “Out Of Hours” phone numbers can be found on your House Notice Board or in this house booklet.
Please note that there is a difference between a genuine “Emergency” and “something you would like fixed very quickly”. It is very important that you understand the difference as Emergency call out charges are very high.
If you call the emergency service for a non-emergency, we do reserve the right to charge you for this misuse.
For example, if you have water leaking from a pipe and you can not turn the stopcock off and it’s causing a major leak, that would be an emergency.
If the leak was small enough and you could put a bucket under it, it is not an emergency and please just contact us during office hours and we will get fixed the next day.
No hot water or heating at night is not an emergency as it can wait until the next day (as it would in your parent’s house). For no heating it is ok to contact us on the weekend or evening and we can book in a gas man as soon as possible for you.
If the roof is leaking in a storm at night it would be impossible for someone to fix it at night in the rain so you would have to put a bucket under it, let us know and we have someone round the next day.
If the power goes off at night, check the trip switches (see house booklet), and contact us, we will have someone the next day.
If your shower or bath has a leak, do not use it until we can fix it. If there is a large leak switch the water off at the mains. These are not emergencies as we can fix the next day.
We do respond to requests to repair an item straight away, sometimes something like a boiler can not get fixed the next day as a new part may need to be ordered (for example), or you may have to wait a day or two for a new appliance to be delivered. We will ensure that all repairs are dealt with as soon as practically possible. Due to the number of houses we have and the good relationships with tradespersons we have, we would be able to have items repaired sooner than a normal residential property.
Locked out:
Please respect our team and do not contact us at unsocial hours, if you have lost your key during unsocial hours you have a choice of sleeping on a friends sofa or calling a locksmith (please note… they are not cheap).
Please see the section in the house booklet (Maintenance section) for “locked out”
You are responsible for the rubbish generated by your house.
To find out full details about rubbish and recycling collection, order missing bins, report non-collection please see the Portsmouth Council Website at: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/recycling-and-rubbish
If you need additional rubbish collected:
1: Please see the Portsmouth council site above for details on rubbish collection and what they will pick up free of charge.
2: Take rubbish to the local tip for free.
3: Get a private rubbish collector to pick up the rubbish and pay them directly (please make sure they have a licence to avoid fly tipping.
If you are having issues with recycling or rubbish collection please contact the council directly at https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/recycling-and-rubbish
If you are still having problems email us (at admin@key10.co.uk) or WhatsApp on the House Maintenance Group details of the problem with photos as it will help us resolve the problem.
Unwanted post
As there are a large number of tenants coming and going in the properties, it is not possible to forward the post on.
If you want your post forwarded on, the best service to use is the Royal Mail redirection service (forms at any post office) who will do it automatically for you (at a charge).
You will also get a large amount of mail for old tenants (most of it we would imagine is junk mail). Put it back in the post and write on it “no longer at this address”.
To avoid junk mail whenever you sign up for anything always make sure you ask NOT to be sent junk mail (you will normally have to tick a box etc).
Post addressed to landlord
The landlord should not get any post addressed to us at the house. If it looks like junk mail open to check and bin if it is. If it looks unusual or different (not junk mail) please forward on or open and let us know if important.
Mailing Preference Service
You can register for the “mailing preference service” which will stop unwanted junk mail. You can do it online for yourself or any other old tenants at the property you get junk mail for at – it is free of charge and does help.
Door to Door Mail
You can also stop unaddressed mail coming through your letter box that the postman delivers with the normal mail.
See this link to opt out
Please do not not paint your room. We do only use certain colours as it makes it logistically a lot easier to keep the houses well decorated each year. If you feel your room needs painting do let us know.
If you want to touch up any marks on paintwork that is ok. The paint that we use is from Johnstone’s Decorating Centre on Goldsmith Ave . Ask us the colour if not white or magnolia
If you want to purchase any paint you can use our account under “Karl Naumann Customer Code 030012828” and you will get a discount.
If you want to move furniture around the house, that is fine, just please return it when you vacate.
If you want to dismantle any furniture that is fine, but unfortunately we don’t have anywhere to store it, so it will have to be stored in the house (under bed etc). It will need to be re-assembled when leaving. If it gets damaged (parts missing etc) or is not re-assembled you will have to pay the cost.
Please do not leave internal furniture outside as it will go rotten and will be damaged by the weather and you will have to replace.
Portsmouth is a safe city. The student houses are very safe in their nature, as there are always a lot of people coming and going at different times, so it is hard for people to know when they are empty. They are also terraced houses and are overlooked by neighbours etc. In most of the houses the back gardens are enclosed and there is no access, apart from the front and main street. The houses are all secure and are safe.
It is worth saying hello to your neighbours as then they will then recognise you as living in the house and will be more likely to keep an eye out for your house.
The time to be extra careful with your house is when you are all away on holiday e.g. over the Christmas holiday. A good idea if you are going away, and the house will be empty, is to leave a radio/lamp on a timer so it comes on in the evening giving the impression that someone is in.
Do not leave Christmas tree lights on as they are a fire hazard.
If you do have a break in, contact the police who will deal with it but also let us know and give us the crime reference number. If there is any damage to the property let us know, the Maintenance person will be able to fix any damage you need fixing.
Landlords insurance covers the building but not the contents. If you feel the need to insure your possessions then that is up to you.
Landlords insurance covers the building but not your contents.
If you feel the need to insure your possessions then that is up to you. There are many providers on-line.
Your house may have a set of basic pots and pans, plates, knives and forks etc with the house. We do not keep a detailed inventory of these items as too time consuming. In some houses there maybe over accumulated sets of utensils.
If any of these items are not good quality (rusty etc) please just throw in bin or feel free to donate to charity shop.
Please do not leave behind any poor-quality items that will not get used when you go, just put in the bin or give to charity shop.
On moving in introduce yourself – go on, don’t be shy! You’ll be surprised how such a simple act can establish a positive relationship.
Ask your neighbours to let you know if noise levels from your house disturb them. If they approach you, be responsive to their requests.
• Position stereos away from adjacent walls.
• Remember that neighbours may keep different hours to you – make sure you and your guests respect this.
• Be particularly sensitive if you live alongside young children or elderly persons.
• When coming home late, keep voices down!
• Sound travels a great deal in the early hours.
• The slamming of car doors or the front door as you enter the house can sound like an explosion to those asleep in surrounding houses!
Having a party?
Having the occasional party is everyone’s prerogative (although more than one a term could be considered excessive). If you decide to hold one, hold it at the weekend. Even if you call it a ‘get together’ it still makes a lot of noise!
• Give your neighbours plenty of warning and let them know when you expect to finish.
• Keep the music down! DJ decks are not appropriate in terraced housing.
• Keep outside doors firmly shut and open sufficient small windows for ventilation.
• If the party starts outside in the summer, move inside at an appropriate time.
• Keep regular checks on noise levels, especially the bass.
• Don’t have lots of parties at the same house.
• Ask your guests to leave quietly.
• Clear up debris.
• If you receive a complaint from neighbours take responsibility and act on the complaint.
If we get a complaint for noise regarding the property. We have no choice but to act due to our responsibilities regarding anti-social behavour and will contact guarantors, the university and the council if needed.
If YOU are being disturbed by your neighbours
• Contact Portsmouth University Student & Neighbour Liaison Service, they are part of the Housing Department and are set up to provide a link between students and their neighbours in order to help with various problems that sometimes arise, they will be able to advise you take action if necessary.
• Have a polite word with your neighbours and let them know what is causing the problem.
• Ring Portsmouth City Council the Environmental Health dept. The council are very good and helpful, but you have to hassle them and keep calling them out to listen to the noise (they do have strong powers to fine or take away music equipment and will do it). They will come at any time of night and they will speak to the neighbour if you ask them (this will normally stop the problem).
• If the house is rented out and you know the name of the agency write to them telling them about it.
• Let us know, we may be able to find out the owner of the property for you to write to.
Moving into a shared house is a great experience for many reasons: it’s a good way to make friends, there’s always someone to sit and watch daytime telly with and it’s a very sociable experience, as you work together to run a house.
However, it’s not always smooth sailing. Tensions can run high and it’s often cleaning that causes problems. Living together demands a certain level of respect and also trust. At some point you or your housemates will want to invite guests round to a clean house.
Everyone has to be responsible and cleaning shouldn’t be left to one or two people. Cleaning is one of the biggest sources of conflict in your average private share house.
It needs to be done, don’t moan… put some music on and treat it like a workout.
Cleaning Schedule or Rosta
It is important that the group agrees a roster and stick to it. General ‘rules of engagement’ or a public lynching may follow. Find out who is responsible for writing the schedule, what happens if it is not followed and is there any ‘official cleaner’ to ensure that occasionally the cleaning is done thoroughly. Make sure everybody knows what is required to clean each room properly, to stop the laziest of housemates doing a half-hearted job.
Different people will have different levels of hygiene and there needs to be someone ‘in charge’ or it can all fall apart.
Agree to always clean up straight after meals otherwise you may end up elbow deep in a mountain of someone else’s dirty dishes.
Pick a day each month for a house meeting, that everyone attends. This way any irritations and gripes can be brought out into the open.
We can always suggest cleaners if you want to pay for one to come on a regular basis to clean communal areas etc.
If you intend to have people to stay, always inform everybody and get agreement, so that there are no nasty surprises when wandering from the bathroom half naked.
While it is fine to have someone over for the odd night or weekend it is not acceptable to have someone “move in” or living at the house on a semi permanent basis.
There are strict regulations against overcrowding on the licence and no-one should be living in the house that does not have a contract. The landlord could potentially lose their licence.
Communicate
If there is one particular problem that is stopping you from getting along, perhaps an argument that was not properly resolved, get it out in the open. Discuss anything like this politely, frankly, and as soon as possible. Never let it fester.
Relax
Staying relaxed when in the company of someone that drives you barmy is essential. If you find your anger boiling over, go and calm down. Take a bath, or listen to some soothing music. Relax, and remind yourself that they are not out to annoy you, unfortunately for them they were just born that irritating.
As long as you know where each other stand, with a good old fashioned dose of honesty, a touch of luck, and some hard work, you’ll be able to get on with that irritating housemate just fine.
You will receive a written inventory together with a Dropbox link to photos for your house.
The house will be clean when you move in.
Do be aware that once your housemates have moved in the house may become “lived in” and not clean as when the inventory taken.You will have some time to go over inventory put any comments on it and sign and return it to us.
A few tips to getting full deposit back:
During checkout, we will be inspecting the property for any damage, its overall condition, and its cleanliness.
We will cross-reference this against the inventory and check in photos to see whether the condition of the
property has changed. If there are any changes to the condition of the property, or any dilapidations, then we
will note these against the inventory.
In doing this, we will take into account what’s known as ‘fair wear and tear’; especially if you’ve been a tenant
for a long time. As such, we will expect items to change over time based on their age and usage.
This is different to damage such as chips, rips, stains or burns etc.
When we have completed the checkout, we will complete a checkout report, comparing the property with the
inventory. If your property is clean, and in the same state as when you first occupied it, then there should be no
deductions from your deposit.
If there are any deductions from deposit, we will take photos and let you know what we are deducting and our
reason for deducting this amount. You can either accept our conclusions, reject it and appeal, or come to a
mutual agreement.
If you do dispute the return of your deposit, then your tenancy deposit protection scheme will offer a free
dispute resolution service. You’ll then be asked to offer evidence, and the decision they make about your
deposit is final
The house must be clean as required. We will email you a check sheet highlighting the items that should be cleaned.
If the house is not left as required then we will have to deduct the cost of cleaning.
We take photos of any cleaning required and any damages.
• If you have inadvertently broken something or have burnt or damaged any of the fixtures, fittings or
furnishings etc, please notify us now in order that we can obtain quotations and/or assess the costs
which will minimise any delay in returning the remainder of your deposit, once the tenancy has
ended.
• Prior to check-out (leaving time to spare) – please look through the Cleaning Check List in detail.
• All personal items, including any unwanted items and rubbish should be removed from house and garden.
• With rubbish, it will be wise to start clearing your rubbish in advance. Be aware of when your normal
“Portsmouth Council rubbish collection” day and your “check out day” coincide.
Do plan your rubbish disposal in advance as the bin men will only take a certain amount each week.
• Please note that the dustmen are likely not to remove excessive numbers of black bags and certainly
not general debris from the front of your house and as such you will need to take any excess rubbish
to the town dump if a clearance charge is to be avoided.
• We will check your green recycling bin for non-recycling. There will be a charge for any non-recycling
rubbish left in the recycling bin as it will not get emptied by the council service. Please ensure that
only recycling is in the bin and the bin is in the front forecourt accessible for the rubbish collection.
Again, please plan in advance. It is not possible to leave piles of recycling by the side of the recycling
bin at check-out.
• Ensure all house / bedroom keys, including spare keys are present – leave bedroom keys in bedroom
locks (with attached front door keys).
• Make sure that all light bulbs are working.
• Ask for all your post to be re-directed. You can arrange this at the post office
• Please remember to stop your rental bank payments
• Discuss amongst yourselves how/when the house is going to be cleaned etc and how best to ensure
that it is returned to us in the best possible condition. The final clean of kitchens and communal areas
cannot of course be conducted until the day of departure of the last of your housemates. If you are
likely to be one of the last to leave you should ensure that those who leave before you conduct their
fair share of the cleaning before they go – we frequently find that those who leave first tend not to
contribute too much towards the cleaning and in this way the last tenants to vacate the property
decide (perhaps not unreasonably) that they can’t be bothered (or don’t have time) to clean etc the
whole house themselves. We then have to charge for cleaning at the end of tenancy.
We can also recommend cleaners if you don’t want to clean yourself.
Please note that these procedures are provided with the aim of assisting you to recover as much of your
deposit monies as possible.
We don’t want to be organising/overseeing cleaners and tradesmen and consequently will do whatever we
can to help you in the check-out process and thereby save time and aggravation for ourselves.
We do have a responsibility to the landlord in handing back their house in the same condition as it was rented
out and unfortunately have to re-charge any costs we incur (that are not normal wear and tear).
We check the house condition of the house when the last person vacates and the house is empty.
We would advise that the whole house cleaning/preparation of the house for check out is not left to the one person who is left at the end.
Also it can take longer than you think so please plan ahead
If you have a Individual Tenancy agreement you have responsibility for your own rent, your own room condition and joint responsibility over the condition of the communal areas in the house.
If you have a Joint Tenancy agreement you have responsibility for joint rent and joint responsibility over the condition of the whole house.
Unfortunately we can’t get involved in disputes as to which individual has caused certain damage or who has not cleaned a certain item etc.
All rent must be paid up to the end of your tenancy. Your deposit is held in a separate tenancy deposit scheme and unfortunately cannot be used as rent.
It is possible to vacate before the last day of the contract and get your deposit back early.
Rent must still be paid to the end of the contract. The whole house must be empty for us to do the Check Out.
The process for Check Out is:
1: Arrange a date and time that the last person is planning on moving out. When that has been decided, book in with us a time and day when the house will be ready for the “Check Out”. Please give us at least 3 days notice as it is a busy time for us.
2: The house and garden(s) should be empty of all personal belongings/clear of rubbish/recycling, tidy and
ready for inspection prior to the agreed check out time.
3: We then check the condition of the house against inventory (please make sure the house is left in the same
condition as per the start of your tenancy, we take final meter readings and collect all keys.
Please leave bedroom keys in bedroom locks (with attached front door keys).
You have been given a copy of your inventory when you moved into the property and photos of the condition
when moving in.
During checkout, we will be inspecting the property for any damage, its overall condition, and its cleanliness.
We will cross-reference this against the inventory and check in photos to see whether the condition of the
property has changed. If there are any changes to the condition of the property, or any dilapidations, then we
will note these against the inventory.
In doing this, we will take into account what’s known as ‘fair wear and tear’; especially if you’ve been a tenant
for a long time. As such, we will expect items to change over time based on their age and usage. This is
different to damage such as chips, rips, stains or burns etc.
When we have completed the checkout, we will complete a checkout report, comparing the property with the
inventory. If your property is clean, and in the same state as when you first occupied it, then there should be no
deductions from your deposit.
If there are any deductions from deposit, we will take photos and let you know what we are deducting and our
reason for deducting this amount. You can either accept our conclusions, reject it and appeal, or come to a
mutual agreement.
If you do dispute the return of your deposit, then your tenancy deposit protection scheme will offer a free
dispute resolution service. You’ll then be asked to offer evidence, and the decision they make about your
deposit is final.
4: With any issue that we need to make a deduction we will take detailed pictures of to record any deductions
from deposit.
5: We will refund the deposit (with a statement showing any deductions). The deposit is then refunded within
a week (in most cases).
6: If there is anything in the house that needs repairing, or something that you feel the house would benefit
from or be useful for next year please can you let us know.
7: There is no need for someone to be present at the checkout, if there are no tenants present we will check the house as normal, if there any issues we will take photos and will email them to you.
The following is intended as a guide to the sort of things we will be looking for when we conduct our end of
tenancy inspection.
It is by no means an exhaustive list – some things are simply a matter of common sense!
As an overview, the house was professionally cleaned before it was handed over to your group. It should be
left in this condition at check out. If the house is not left satisfactorily clean we will have no choice (as we need
to have the house in clean condition for new tenants) but to ask cleaners to clean the properly, the charge for
this will be re-charged to your deposit. We really want to avoid this situation and so we have put together this
guide to help you avoid any charges.
As a note: Any maintenance issues please let us know straight away as it helps if we can get these fixed
immediately.
Bedrooms:
All areas Cleaned and dusted.
When inspecting bedrooms we will be checking bed-frames, mattresses, desks/chairs, wardrobes and chests,
door-locks, door-closers, door–frames, and windows. Cleanliness of window and door frames as well as skirting boards and basins – Everything should be clean.
Each room should have a lampshade and functioning light-bulb. Any blue-tack needs to be carefully removed from
walls.
Strip all beds, laundry & fold any mattress protectors provided. All mattresses will be checked on both sides for
damage & soiling. Please wash the Mattress protector.
If you have a broken chair/desk/bed etc please let us know in advance as it does help us either fix them or order a new one ready for the new tenants.
Kitchens:
All areas Cleaned and dusted and de-greased.
Kitchen cupboards need to be cleared of all foodstuffs and cleaned inside as well as out. Any Crockery/cutlery,
pots & pans with the house etc need to be cleaned and returned to the cupboards.
Ovens/hobs tend not to get cleaned properly all year – here are some links giving advice on oven cleaning.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/lifestyle/declutter-your-home/how-to-clean-an-oven-quickly
http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-the-Oven
Or pay directly for a professional cleaner to attend to the grease and grime of the ovens. There are plenty of local companies.
Here is one of the best local oven cleaners – https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/OvencleanPortsmouth
however, please book in advance as they will be extremely busy around this period.
Dishwashers will need to be free of food waste.
Fridges and freezers need to be emptied of all food/drink, defrosted and cleaned.
Microwaves need to be cleaned inside as well as out.
Clean washing machine including door & seal, detergent drawer and drawer cavity.
Floor needs to be washed clear of stains and stickiness.
Shower/Bathrooms:
All areas Cleaned and dusted.
Make sure all surfaces are clean, paying special attention to tile grouting which should be scrubbed with
bleach where it has become discoloured.
Showers need to be cleaned such as to return them to their original colour! You will need to get the lime scale
off that builds up on the shower tiles and door.
Shower screens should be cleaned with glass cleaner and shower curtains which have become soiled or
mouldy must be replaced.
Clean out all plug holes to ensure they are not blocked with hair etc.
Bathroom ceilings need to be wiped clean of any mould that may have built up due to condensation. Mould of
any sort must be removed with antifungal & antibacterial cleaners.
See Cleaning Tips for Bathrooms at:
https://www.cleanipedia.com/gb/bathroom-cleaning
Clean dust from extractor fans.
Stairwell:
Banister spindles and skirting boards will need to be wiped free of all dirt and dust. All areas Cleaned and dusted.
Hallway floor needs to be clean of any stains and stickiness. Front and back doors and doorframes need to be
wiped clean.
Lounges:
Window frames and skirting boards will need to be clean free of dust. All room Cleaned and dusted.
Carpets: If carpets are heavily soiled then they may need to be steam cleaned – this is particularly so with
regard to lounges.
Gardens should be clear of all rubbish and flower beds and pavers weeded.
Rubbish:
Anything that is not taken by the dustmen will have to be removed by a private contractor at your expense.
General:
Ensure that all furniture is in the correct room as indicated on the inventory.
Move all furniture & vacuum floors & skirting boards where the furniture had been.
Replace with similar items any missing, broken or damaged goods.
Clean all windows
Clean all painted / wooden surfaces such as window sills, banisters etc.
Clean any marks off walls and light switches.
Vacuum and remove any stains from carpets. (If you have had a pet in the property have the carpets
professionally cleaned by a recognised carpet-cleaning company – you must be able to provide proof of this
work so ensure you obtain a fully itemised receipt).
Mop all vinyl / tiled floors.
Clean all mirrors, vacuum upholstered furniture, empty vacuum cleaner, fit new vacuum bag.
Remove everything from storage cupboards and drawers.
Replace all broken or non-working light bulbs.
Ensure that all smoke alarms, where present, have a working battery.
Clear any outside drains which have become blocked / partially blocked with food stuffs leaves, cigarette butts
etc.
Please take away all furniture and items you have brought into the house.
For some houses (depending on works etc) we can accommodate persons wanting to stay on over summer period. Please email for details.
Please do not smoke in our properties.
Our houses have strict no smoking policies. Should there be any evidence of smoking in the property, We will have to change for the full costs of rectifying the damage to cover fumigation costs, redecoration and cleaning and burn marks.
It is also important for safety and health of other tenants.
Please do not stick items on the wall with blue/white tack or similar.
We do not allow blue/white tack/sellotape/sticker hooks/nails/glue to put up posters etc.
The problem is that when the posters come down these products leave marks behind on the wall which are very difficult (or impossible) to remove and then the wall requires redecorating.
Should there be evidence of this then the cost of redecorating the wall or room will be charged.
Just to highlight the costs to us (at the time of writing) for tradespersons and cleaners.
These costs are high at the moment and if they are re-charged to you (say for deposit deduction) it is good for you to be aware of the costs in order to avoid them.
We make no money at all for any recharged cleaning or maintenance.
Cleaners charge around £16 an hour for end of tenancy cleans (includes materials). They do charge less for regular weekly cleans.
Rubbish disposal costs us around £10 for each bin bag.
Painters will charge around £40 for a wall (includes paint).
Carpet cleaners will charge around £35/£40 for one carpet or one stain.
House fires can kill.
We have had previously both major and minor fires in houses (It does happen!) . In each incident everyone was safe, but property has been damaged (some badly).
In order to prevent the risk of fire in your house and make sure you know what to do in advance, please read and act on the following:
• TREAT ALL ALARMS AS AN INDICATION OF FIRE IN THE BUILDING.
• Do not silence or reset the alarm unless you are absolutely certain it was activated from a sensor in your own accommodation, and that there is no fire.
• Leave your accommodation promptly along with any guests.
• Close the door to your accommodation, but do not lock it.
• Assemble outside the building and account for other residents if possible.
• Unless confirmed by others it has been done, dial 999 for the Fire & Rescue Service
Note – It is a criminal offence to tamper with or otherwise disable any part of the fire alarm system.
ALSO
1. Look at this fire safety video – it is important.
2. Plan your escape route in advance from all location in the property.
3. Leave Hallways and Exit doors to the property clear at all times – these are exit routes and should remain clear.
4. We do not allow candles or night lights as they are a fire risk.
5. We do not allow smoking inside properties as is a fire risk. If smoking in the garden, please dispose of butts in a responsible manner as we have has a fire caused by butts left against a fence panel.
6. Test the smoke alarms regularly by holding the test button down. Any problems or issues with smoke alarms please contact us.
7. Familiarize yourself with the location of the fire blanket in the kitchen provided and learn how to use it in advance https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Fire-Blanket
8. Switch off Electronic equipment at the plug when not being used.
9. Unplug chargers when not in use.
10. Don’t charge electronic devices where they can overheat (like bedding). Don’t leave lap top on the bed
11. Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Avoid deep fat frying. Deep fat fryers are banned from our accommodation.
12: Don’t overload chargers, and be careful with batteries and charging devices.
Regards
Karl
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