Tenant Information
Our tenants are not a by-product of the letting industry
You will find dealing with moo-let to be a truly refreshing experience!
You have found a letting agent that understands customer service is not something that is reserved for landlords alone.
Our tenants are not just a by-product of the letting industry. They play an important role in the Private Rental Sector (PRS), and although moo-let are instructed by landlords and act on their behalf, it is always in fairness to the customer—which is you, the tenant.
A service that is out of this world
Starting a moo-vement
It’s been 10 years since this moo-vement began, and it does seem like our original goal to change the face of the letting industry is well underway. In that time, we have become a multi-award winning agency that will always deal with you as an individual, looking at your individual circumstances and needs to assist in the best way we can. No “computer says no” agents here!
We fully understand that moving house can be an incredibly stressful time for a lot of people, especially taking into consideration your unique circumstances, along with the possibility that you may have never rented before. The good news is, we are here to help!
moo-let has a ban on block viewings
With the demand for rental properties ever-growing, the pressure can be on for tenants to find a new home for themselves and their families. We do not feel it is fair to add to the pressure by having block viewings at our properties.
Block viewings are uncomfortable for everyone and don’t allow the freedom and time to view a property properly and ask all the questions you may have when it is full of other viewers.
It has always been a policy at moo-let to give you, as a prospective tenant, your own personal viewing. This gives you the time and space to ensure that you make the right decision on taking a property with us to make a new home for you and your family.
Only one applicant per property!
As a prospective tenant, you will be delighted to know that when dealing with moo-let you not only will be treated as an individual (with individual needs and circumstances) but also if you have been successfully matched with a property and are going through the application, then you will be the only one.
We don’t believe in running multiple applications, and you can have peace of mind that if your application is successful, you will be offered the property—no finding out after going through the whole process that someone else has been chosen!
Up-to-date stuff you should know if you are looking to rent
Here is some of the important stuff.
The new Private Residential Tenancy has been created to be easier to use and understand, giving tenants more security of tenure while balancing that with an easier and quicker process for landlords to gain back possession of their properties if required.
- Leases can now be signed digitally.
- Tenancies now have a start date and no end date, so no fixed terms.
- A single Notice to Leave shall be issued to end a tenancy.
- Landlords can give 28 days’ notice if the tenancy is less than 6 months in.
- Landlords need to give 84 days’ notice if the tenancy has gone beyond 6 months.
- Rent increases can be done once in any 12-month period and tenants require a minimum of 3 months’ notice.
- All disputes have now been taken away from the courts with the new Housing & Property Chamber (HPC) First-tier Tribunal (FTT) being set up to handle disputes, all free of charge and with no legal representation required.
There have been some temporary changes to some of the conditions of the PRT due to COVID-19, so please ask for the latest update. Or if it is all still a bit alien, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to provide the relevant information.
There have been several changes over the years regarding the safety certificates and Energy Performance Certificates required for a property to be let. Current legislation states that the following must be in place when a property is being rented:
- Hard-wired, linked smoke and heat detectors
- CO detector(s)
- Electrical Installation and Condition Report
- Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
- Gas Certificate (if applicable)
- Legionella Risk Assessment
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
As a tenant, you should also receive up-to-date copies of all the certificates.
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme came into force on 7 March 2011. Landlords and letting agencies are no longer allowed to hold onto deposits received and must register them with one of the three approved deposit schemes, with SafeDeposits Scotland being the scheme of choice.
Deposits must be lodged within 30 days of the start date of the tenancy, and the maximum deposit that can be asked for is X2 of the rent.
Tenants are now able to directly ask for their own deposit back and therefore are not reliant on the landlord or letting agent processing it. Login details to do so will be sent by e-mail once the deposit is lodged. Here at moo-let, this is done on the first day of your tenancy.
It has been the case in Scotland since 2011 that you cannot charge a tenant a premium, which means you can only charge for rent and returnable deposit.
To give an example, you should not be getting charged an application fee (i.e., an administration fee for drawing up leases).
Any tenant finding themselves in a position where they have been charged a premium should look to have it refunded or take further advice.
Security that your rent will be paid to the landlord
With changes in legislation, there was a much closer look at the protection of clients’ money—for tenants and landlords.
One of the requirements for a licenced letting agent in Scotland is that they have in place both a client account with the bank that deals with the rent along with client money protection insurance (CMP). What this means is that in the event of something happening to the agency, all monies in the client account will be ringfenced as safe.
The system moo-let has in place is one of, if not the best, system there is available to deal with rents. This system is powered by PayProp and is merged with our client account so that all transactions are in real time and cannot be altered. Once a tenant is entered into the system, they receive a unique ID, which they use as the reference when paying in rent, and the system will automatically register the tenant’s rent as paid. Tenants are automatically invoiced two days before their rent due date, and once the payment is reconciled a receipt of payment is also automatically sent out.
If a tenant ever requires it, a full statement can be supplied that shows all rent transactions from the start of their individual tenancy.
There is also added security for tenants who pay for rent months in advance. The system will hold the funds in the client account and pay out the equivalent of a month’s rent each month until the funds are used up. A maximum of six months’ rent is allowed. If a tenant were to give notice and leave before the funds are used up, then the remainder is simply refunded to the bank of their choice.
Maintenance—an animal in itself!
There is no doubt that maintenance is a particularly important part of the letting process, both for landlords and tenants. The last thing you want is to be left with a property that is not being maintained in a timely manner.
Tenants of moo-let will find that maintenance is taken very seriously with our sister company, moo-maintenance, who are very reactive to all issues highlighted. If an issue arises, tenants can log them straightaway, either through our website or from a link saved to the homepage of their smartphone.
It is extremely easy to navigate and allows not only as much detail as tenants can provide but also pictures of the issue to be added. Where possible this will allow the relevant tradesperson allocated to the job to pick up materials en-route to save a second visit.”
The other major benefit of online maintenance logging for tenants is, once the logged issue enters moo-let’s system, it is tracked from start to finish—ensuring no detail gets missed.
Good Luck with Your Search
We hope that you’ll find your perfect property with moo-let, but in the meantime we want to wish you good luck in your search—and we wish you every success!