Save My Deposit

02/05/2020

Let's talk about contract obligations. When getting your tenancy agreement, you will be asked to read through it by your landlord, or more likely, your estate agents.

The purpose of the contract is to protect both the tenant and the Landlord by setting out respective obligations.

Cutting to the point, the most important part of this contract is 10.2. This states that Tennant should inform the landlord or agent immediately if they notice anything that needs repairs.

So why is this important? Let's say some paint is flaking on your wall. At first it may be tiny, a finger nail size flake, you overlook it as it looks so negligible . Fast forward two months, that finger nail size flake is now the size of your hand or even bigger. Because this was not pointed out to your landlord or agent, they will consider this as damage YOU have caused.

Likewise, the agents won't charge you to just touch up the paint in that area, they are most likely contracting someone in to re-paint the whole wall. From experience I can tell you, that a painter is not going to come out for anything less than £100.

The Importance then is not just taking photos of noticable problems when you move in. It's looking at areas which are going to be an issue in a few months time, which will then be YOUR problem and YOUR money.

Have a Great Weekend everyone

13/04/2020

Windows! Many times when you move into a new property, you will see on the inventory report that the windows are freshly painted! This means that if there is any dirt on them at the end of your tenancy, guess who is paying ? You. The most frustrating part of this, is that before you move in, the mould will be scraped away and then painted over. The source of the mould has not been addressed, and you can trust us, paint does not stop mould! A few months later, the mould comes through and when your property is inspected, you get a lovely email saying that mould has been seen and that you will be liable for removing it.

Give us a call or message before you move in, and we can investigate if this is the case, and take the appropriate photos to show this. Our team has a wealth of experience, and know all the tricks to finding these sort of problems.

Happy Monday

13/04/2020

If you are looking for information check some of the links below.

Brookes Students: https://www.brookesunion.org.uk/advice Head here and go the housing section

For Info on the Tenant Fees act visit: https://www.moneysupermarket.com/landlord-insurance/regulations/

Brookes Union Advice is a free, confidential service which is independent from Oxford Brookes University, and open to all Brookes Students. How our service is impacted by Covid-19 Coronavirus: The Advice Team are now working from home. You will still be able to access the same level of support and g...

13/04/2020

Looking to move into a new rental Property? Fed up with arguing with estate agents over liability of damage. Photos provided by estate agents appears blurry and misleading?

Even with the new rules of brought in by The Tenant Fees Act 2019, deposits are still 5 weeks of rent along with a 1 week holding deposit. Students are looking at having to place an average deposit of at least £750. Sometimes more than this.

Whilst the Tenant Fees Act may have reduced the amount of Admin Fees renters have to pay (and rightly so) It has done nothing to ease the number disputes of deposit deductions.

Here at Save My Deposit, we strive to take specialist photos of your property for when you move in. We don't simply take photos. You could do that yourself. What we do is take photos of the high risk areas. These are areas that come under 'wear & tear' section of your tenancy agreement. These areas are where most disputes occur. Anyone who has rented will know how frustrating it is to be charged £125 for a carpet that has pulled away from the floor over the course of the year, but originally had frayed of the floorboard when they moved in. Had sufficient photos been taken, this could be avoided. There are many other areas like this that we can photograph.

We have over 15 years experience of renting in Oxford both as students and as working professionals. Many of us have been charged many times and this could have been avoided with more specialist photos.

We also aim to keep our prices low. In most cases the charge will be £30-£45 depending on house size. For a 4 bedroom house this would be under £10 per person. You will then have an electronic copy that can be sent to your Landlord or Estate Agent highlighting the areas you are concerned about. Remember, if you make them aware at the beginning, they can't charge you at the end.

Message us if you are interested.