Renting

Dale & Collins can offer a wide range of properties to prospective tenants across Stoke-on-Trent and into the Staffordshire Moorlands. We pride ourselves in striving to provide a high standard of accommodation and professional, efficient solutions to any repair issues that may occur during your time as our tenant.

We require a comprehensive financial and reference check to be carried out on each person that will be occupying the property, over the age of 18. A Guarantor may also be required in some instances. Upon moving into a property we require the first month's rent in advance and a deposit equal to one month's rent plus £50. (for example, a rent of £400 would mean a deposit of £450). We use the approved government structure of the Deposit Protection Service for each of the deposits received, in line with current legislation.

Seven Steps to renting

So, you're looking to rent a property. This can be an expensive time, and to be in with the best chance of securing fast-moving properties you need to have certain funds ready to go.

Don't forget that the best properties can often let within 24 hours of being advertised on the Internet, so to help you get ahead of the game, here is a quick guide to finding your perfect rental home.

Step One: A quick check on your credit history is a must before you start looking for a property to rent.

All reputable agents will require an application that includes a credit check. If you have County Court Judgements, bankruptcy, bad debt history or even low credit scores from no previous credit, then you could fail an application and lose both the property and your application fee! Check Experian or Equifax websites for your full credit history.

Step Two: Set up an email alert with the main property Internet sites.

This means that as soon as we press the 'go' button on our newly available rental properties, they are emailed to you once the website has checked that they meet your requirements; for example, you will only be emailed three bedroom houses in ST3 if this is the criteria you've selected.

Step Three: Make sure that you have a deposit and the first month's rent saved up.

Deposits are often a little more than the rental level. So to be sure, if you have 6 weeks' worth of rent set aside for the deposit plus the first month's rent, you've got the bulk of your funds in place.

Step Four: Don't forget that the majority of agents will charge an administration/application Fee

This may or may not have VAT added on — but all agents are required to show their fees in a clear manner on the property advert. Fees will vary from company to company, so we advise that you have an extra £200 ready for this initial cost, which should secure you the property.

Step Five: Get in and book your viewing as soon as possible.

We recommend that you're as flexible as possible with viewing arrangements, as there will no doubt be other potential tenants queuing up to see the property and it's often a first-come-first-served process.

Step Six: Get your application in as soon as you decide that it's the property for you.

Most Agents will ask that you come to their offices to fill in application forms, or give you a web-address to go online and complete the necessary forms. This will include information on your employment, previous address history for up to 3 years, personal ID, current proof of address and possibly bank statements. Be organised — have payslips to hand, have your passport or driving licence available and dig out old addresses. The more comprehensive information you provide at this point means that your application will go through all the more smoothly.

Step Seven: If you're moving from a rented property, ensure that you hand in your notice in correctly.

Your agent will contact you to arrange this. Once that's done it's time to start packing.