Viewings

We are able to conduct viewings (subject to availability and permission for access) between 9 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am and 1 pm on Saturdays to ensure a range of times to meet the varying work patterns of our prospective tenants. Although we can sometimes arrange viewings the same day at quieter times by request, many properties will require at least 24 hours’ notice of viewings to the existing tenant.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have generally or about the property on the viewing and we will be happy to help.

Applying for a property

In order to proceed with a tenancy through Robert Aston & Company, you will need to complete an application form and bring it in to our office along with your proof of ID so that we can carry out a face to face Right to rent check.

You will be required to provide an acceptable tenant reference to the satisfaction of the Landlord. A satisfactory tenant reference is one completed by a specialist third party tenant referencing provider. 

The granting of a tenancy is dependent on an applicant being able to provide the following:

1. An acceptable reference to the satisfaction of the Landlord. Any decision to proceed with a tenancy or not remains the final decision of the Landlord at all times. Robert Aston & Company will inform the Landlord of an applicant’s referencing outcome and the Landlord will make their decision accordingly.
2. Proof of identity is required from all tenants in accordance with the Immigration Act 2014 in order to establish your right to rent. Please note the act requires proof of identity documentation to be witnessed face to face by us, a copy taken and the likeness and authenticity of the documentation to be verified. We will therefore require proof of identity to be provided to us face-to-face in the office. Emailed or posted copies will not be acceptable as verification of likeness is not possible. This applies to all adults over the age of 18 years who will be residing at the property.  If you are not a British Citizen, EEA citizen or a Swiss National then you will need to also show us a visa/residency permit. If you cannot satisfy the above ID requirements then please contact us on 0121 449 4411 to discuss.

We appreciate that moving can be a busy and stressful time and want to assist you in whatever way we can to make this process as smooth as possible. The key components to the credit reference will be a credit check (any County Court Judgments and Bankruptcies found will cause an application to fail), an employer’s reference (or accountant’s report if you are self-employed), and a current landlord’s reference, if applicable. We strongly advise applicants to forewarn their boss (or HR department) and landlord (if applicable) of the fact they will be contacted for a reference, and that their speedy response will be appreciated, otherwise this could delay the completion of your application and therefore your tenancy start date.

Please ensure that you read the eligibility criteria that accompany our initial application form to ascertain how your application compares with the required affordability, and if you are likely to need the support of a guarantor who also needs to be referenced.  

All of our properties are taken as seen, therefore any application will only be accepted from a prospective tenant who has viewed the property.

Completion of your application

We will contact you as soon as the applications for all tenants residing at the property have been completed. We will then arrange a tenancy start date (we need at least 3 working days from this stage to allow preparation of the necessary paperwork) and confirm the amount due in relation to the deposit and first month’s rent. Please see our tenants fees page for a list of all our fees.

Moving In

At last, all that effort has paid off, so the excitement of your new home can begin. Here at Robert Aston & Company, we understand that, whilst not having ownership, tenants still want to enjoy their rented properties as much as they can.

The deposit, one month’s rent and the first month’s rent in advance (which can sometimes be higher than one month’s rent depending upon the apportionment date) must be paid in cleared funds on or before the tenancy start date. You will be given time to read through the tenancy agreement on or before the tenancy start date and we can assist with any queries. Before we provide you with the keys, we will give you a pack with various pieces of prescribed and good practice information including a copy of your tenancy agreement, How to Rent Guide, Energy Performance Certificate, Gas Safety Certificate (if applicable), Legionella Risk Assessment and Guidance Information, Inventory/ Schedule of Condition (if required by the landlord), Official Condensation Advice and Tenancy Deposit Scheme Guide.

Let Only Properties

The service that we provide to some of our landlords does not involve management. In these cases, after you move in, you will need to arrange payment of rent and repairs via your landlord directly.

Managed Properties

The majority of our stock is managed by us so we are likely to be welcoming you as another one of our tenants! For your convenience, we will provide you with the necessary paperwork to set up a monthly standing order with your bank to pay the rent (normally on the 1st of each month, but some exceptions do apply). Any repairs or issues will need to be reported to us and we will aim to have these carried out as quickly as is reasonably possible, subject to your assistance with access. Please note that different landlords may choose for us to use different contractors on their behalf so response times may vary.

How to Rent Guide

Please click on the link below to see this most useful and informative guide produced by the Government for prospective tenants: How to rent Guide