Q: how do I book a viewing?

A: to make a booking you can:

• Email us at enquiries@britanniapropertyservices.com or lettings@britanniapropertyservices.com;
• Call our office on 0121 472 2200;
• Visit our Selly Oak office; pop in any time we’re open to discuss your requirements and our dedicated lettings team will be happy to go over options and arrange appointments to find the best property for you

Q: how do I reserve a property?

A: Once you have chosen your property, each tenant must pay:

• A holding fee equal to one weeks rent; this will remove a property from the market for seven days (this is subtracted from your balance monies due on account should you proceed with your tenancy; should you decide not to take the property these funds are non-refundable);
• We do not charge our tenants admin fees;
• A security deposit (equal to a maximum of five weeks rent for tenancies below £50,000 per annum, or six weeks rent for tenancies £50,000 and above per annum);
• One months rent in advance, to ensure that there are cleared funds prior to the commencement of your tenancy.  If you do not clear your tenant reference, and / or are not able to provide a UK-based guarantor (if required) then your landlord may require advanced rental payments

You are also required to complete a tenant application form, provide IDs and references, and sign your tenancy agreement before the commencement of the tenancy (usually within 14 days of placing your holding fee)

Q: Contracts signing appointment?

A: You don’t need to! Your tenancy agreement is signed via DocuSign, so we will send you a link to access and sign your tenancy, allowing you to read it through and sign once satisfied (note you can obtain a specimen tenancy here (URL tenant documents) to familiarize yourself with our tenancy agreement ahead of signing your own tenancy)

Permitted payments:

For properties in England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that in addition to rent, lettings agents can only charge tenants (or anyone acting on the tenant's behalf) the following permitted payments:

• Holding deposit: equal to a maximum of one weeks rent;
• Security deposit: equal to a maximum of five weeks rent for tenancies below £50,000 per annum, or six weeks rent for tenancies £50,000 and above per annum;
• Default fees: reasonable charges for things like lost keys or rent arrears;
• Changes to a tenancy at the tenant’s request e.g. change of sharer: capped at £50 per change;
• Early termination: reasonable charges to cover the landlord’s actual losses;
• Utilities, communications services, TV licence, and council tax: if not included in the rent
• Contractual damages: in the event of the tenant’s default of a tenancy agreement

You can find more information about permitted payments here 

Agency fees:

Our agency fees are simple, straight-forward, and as set our below:

* fees are calculated and accrued on a daily basis, up until the outstanding rent is received

** fee is exclusively for early tenancy termination only; covers all administration and costs involved with replacement tenancy

As we are not VAT applicable, all fees are exempt of VAT

Tenant protection:

In addition to publishing relevant fees, lettings agents are also required to publish details of:

• The redress scheme they are a member of; and
• The name of the approved or designated Client Money Protection scheme they are a member of (if any)

These can be found in the footer of our letterheads and / or website

You can view documents here

Your security deposit is registered and held in custody by mydeposits, who are a government approved custodial scheme:

• Your deposit is held on account of any damage dilapidation or injury to the Property or Fixtures and Fittings caused by the Tenant(s), their family or visitors and on account of any other liability on the part of the Tenant(s) under the provisions of the tenancy agreement;
• Deposits cannot be used to cover rental arrears/or pay rent at any time during the Tenancy;
• Deposits will be registered / returned in accordance with the deposit scheme. For further information please visit https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/custodial-scheme-rules/

• An inventory is a list of everything that your landlord has provided with the property you're renting, including where applicable: furniture, carpets, curtains, appliances and kitchenware;
• It should also state the condition everything is in - particularly anything that was already damaged, marked or worn before you moved in;
• A full inspection of the Property is to be made by the Tenant(s) listing any damages or items missing onto an Inventory which is provided by the Landlord or Britannia);
• The Inventory must be compiled and brought to the attention of a Britannia representative within the first seven days of the Tenancy Agreement commencement date, to avoid any end of Tenancy disputes

• Our properties are exclusively managed directly by Britannia, so we are your first point of contact;
• However, we will advise you if your landlord requests to manage the property directly, as they will then be your first point of call; we will also ensure that you are provided with their contact details.

You should make all payments to the following details:

IF YOUR LANDLORD IS BPG HOLDING, OR BPG INVESTMENTS:

IF YOUR LANDLORD IS ANOTHER NAMED ENTITY:

• Rent is due on the 1st of every month;
• Rent must be paid by standing order/ Bank transfer (unless authorised by Britannia in writing)
• Arrears are subject to a fee of 3% above the BoE base rate, used by HSBC
• If you cannot pay your rent, please arrange an appointment with Britannia to discuss payment
• Students: if your student loan is late, Britannia may authorise you to pay when your loan credits your account. This is subject to provision of proof of when the loan will be paid, and written authorisation of Britannia

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION! In today's busy world, the convenience of digital communication has allowed for more and more scams to take place.  Everyone is after your money, and we want all our tenants to remain vigilant, and safe!

We strongly advise all our tenants to view our page on how to spot a scam, and to also take note that we will NEVER ask you to pay into a bank account over email, or phone.  The bank details you pay your rent to are clearly stated in the 'our banking details' section of the FAQ.

When receiving a communication of this nature, always ask yourself: is this genuine?

All tenants except those living in shared houses (see below) must advise the respective utilities companies of their residence at an address, and to set up new accounts- this is especially important so that you aren’t paying for any previous debts!

If your rent is excluding bills, you must take your meter readings when you move into the property and register your name with the gas, electricity, and water providing companies. For the best deals search the Internet or visit: https://www.uswitch.com/

Or if your rent is including bills, then you do not need to do anything!

How do I know how much my bills will be?

Many factors are influenced as to the cost for each utility such as:

• Who your energy supplier is;
• The number of residents in the property;
• The amount of use (some tenants can be very careful by turning things off / not on standby; having heating at a reasonable level but also shutting windows / putting on extra layers of clothes, etc.);
• Fitting energy saving bulbs and turn off lights when not required;
• Energy efficiency of the property (will be better if double glazed, insulated where required etc);
• Energy efficiency of the appliances

Who supplies the water, electric or gas?

Water is provided by Severn Trent 

To find out who your supplier is for electric and gas, you can always check the incoming post for bills in the name of ‘The Occupier’

You can also find out online here 

Shared houses:

If you live in a shared house whereby each tenant has their own tenancy agreement and the rent is inclusive of bills (such as gas, electric, water), then you do not need to do anything. Britannia will deal with any utility issues accordingly

Fair usage:

Where bills are included in your tenancy, we appeal to all tenants to be considerate to our planet; switching things off when no longer in need, and treating utilities as if you were paying for them can help to reduce your carbon footprint, playing a vital part in taking care of the world we live in

All tenants except those living in shared houses (see below) are responsible for setting up their own accounts for communications / media services i.e. broadband and TV.

Or if your rent is including bills, then you do not need to do anything!

Who can provide services to my address?

The UK is going through an extensive network upgrade to provide ultrafast broadband to every home.  There are also more and more providers than ever before. You are free to choose whichever provider you like to provide your communications / media services, as these days there is no requirement to take out a landline!

• Houses: will often have the most availability to access the best broadband packages;
• Flats / apartments: may not have access to full optic fibre broadband as rollout to these types of properties is more complicated, as such your options may be more restricted;
• You can check what the best options for your address is here 

Shared houses:

If you live in a shared house whereby each tenant has their own tenancy agreement and the rent is inclusive of bills (such as gas, electric, water), then you do not need to do anything. Britannia will deal with any issues accordingly

All tenants except those living in shared houses (see below) must advise Birmingham City Council that you are residing in the property:

Birmingham City Council

Resources department (revenues and benefits)

PO Box 5

Birmingham

B4 7AB

Email: counciltax@birmingham.gov.uk

Tel: 0121 303 1113

Shared houses:

If you live in a shared house whereby each tenant has their own tenancy agreement and the rent is inclusive of bills (such as gas, electric, water), then you do not need to advise the Council Tax office. Britannia will deal with any council tax issues accordingly

As a student do I have to pay Council Tax?

Most students do not have to pay Council Tax, but some do. Therefore, it is worth taking time to check that you qualify for exemption. Guidance on whether or not you are exempt from Council Tax can be found by contacting:-

• Email: counciltax@birmingham.gov.uk
• Tel: 0121 303 1113

Or alternatively speak to your University (they may provide you with a Council Tax Exemption Certificate which the local council may require)

Tenant's possessions are not covered by the Landlord's insurance policies. The Tenant is strongly advised to obtain adequate insurance for any such belongings as soon as they are left in the Property

We will use best endeavours to address maintenance issues within reasonable timescales. Addressing maintenance issues may be subject to the Landlord's authorisation, obtaining parts and/or any reasonable unforeseeable events (if applicable).

• We encourage tenants to report any maintenance issues within your property (for the best interest of the property and its occupants)
• Maintenance must be reported in writing and / or verbally by either of the following methods
  • Via our maintenance reporting form here ;
  • Via email to maintenance@britanniapropertyservices.com;
  • At our Selly Oak: Office 521 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, B29 6AU

Many of our landlords have opted to take out British Gas Homecare cover on their property.  This means that for any issues relating to your gas boiler, hot water, and / or central heating (radiators), British Gas is your go-to.  When you take a property with us, you will be advised if it comes with homecare cover.

Please call British Gas for an engineer appointment on:

0333 202 9797 (08:00 – 18:00) or

0333 202 9798 (18:00 onwards)

Giving your property address as the reference, and account name (which will be either BRITPROPSERV / BPG HOLDING).  Once you’ve made an appointment, you are then responsible for being in to give British Gas access

You must obtain landlord's written permission if you wish to decorate. If you make changes without written authorisation then the cost to reinstate this may be deducted from your deposit

• You cannot cause any damage to the Landlord's property; i.e. with nails, screws, blue-tak, Sellotape etc;
• You can use MAPPING PINS to put up posters/pictures etc. but please ensure you do not cause any damage whatsoever in doing so;
• Always get our written permission (particularly for erecting fixed shelves!)

• It is usually your responsibility to maintain the garden (unless it states otherwise in your tenancy agreement, or if you live in a shared house, or if you live in a property whereby communal grounds are maintained by the landlord e.g. apartments etc);
• The landlord will not generally provide gardening equipment (you may need to hire tools);
• Alternatively you are advised to speak to Britannia who can recommend a gardener for you

It's a condition of your tenancy to keep your property clean and tidy. The property must be hygienically maintained in a clean and tidy tenant-like manner, and that all items of refuse, including kitchen waste, newspapers and bottles are removed from the property and disposed of on a regular basis either at the personal cost of the Tenants or through use of general services provided by the local council

If your property comes with a communal cleaner:

• All tenants are still responsible overall to clean the property. The communal cleaner is there to help service the shared common areas only (normally once a month), in order to help maintain the condition of the property such as clean/vacuum all communal floors, wipe over bathrooms, kitchen worktops etc.;
• The cleaner is not there to upkeep and fulfil the normal responsibilities of all tenants i.e. to live in a decent manner and to keep the property tidy and hygienic

All refuse is to be safely disposed of each week, and ready for collection on the appropriate collection day. For more information please visit: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/refusecollection

Q: what is condensation?

A: Moisture caused by everyday living and occurs when warm moist air comes into contact with cooler air, or a cold surface, which is at a lower temperature. It is by far the most common form of damp in properties today

Q: where does condensation come from?

A: Moisture in the air can come from a variety of sources in your property. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from normal day to day activities which inevitably can lead to condensation in the property. For example, a five-person household puts about 10 litres of water into the air every day. More examples include:

• Breathing (asleep) 0.3 litres
• Breathing (awake) 0.85 litres
• Cooking 3 litres
• Personal washing 1.0 litres
• Washing and drying clothes 5.5 litres
• Heating

Moisture can also be drawn from the structure of the building into the internal air; from below the floor or through the walls/ceilings.

Q: what are signs of condensation?

A: When moisture vapour from condensation is allowed to build up over a period of time within your property that you begin to see examples of damage caused to walls, fabrics, floors and ceilings from condensation. Along with the unsightly black mould typically associated with condensation, the smell of damp will also be present

Q: what can I do to prevent condensation damage?

A: Keep your property well ventilated by opening windows on a daily basis to allow moist air to escape. You should also check skirtings and enclosed spaces often, and remove any dirt / dust present that can feed black mould. If condensation appears repeatedly- REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY!

Generally as a rule, pets are not allowed to be kept within a property, unless authorised in writing by Britannia

Tenants are reminded:

Not to do or suffer to be done on the Property anything which may be or become a nuisance or annoyance to the Landlord or the Tenants or Occupiers of any adjoining premises and to ensure that no disturbance or inconvenience is caused to neighbours by any form of anti-social behaviour and to keep noise to a minimum, particularly at night. The Tenant(s) agree not to cause/or be a nuisance in any reasonable manner

1. If you lose your keys

   Britannia will replace your keys subject to a fee of £25 for standard keys, and £50 for a Euro ‘masterkey’ lock system key;

2. If you are locked out

   Britannia will give you access to your property subject to a £25 call out fee (£50 for after-office opening hours)

Q: notice to terminate my tenancy

A: The required amount of 'Written Notice' given by the Tenant shall be no less than six weeks, which must be given to BPS six weeks before the Tenancy agreement expires, or the contract will roll over after the ending date on this contract until the required six weeks written notice has been given (unless otherwise the Landlord or BPS has given the Tenant(s) two months written notice or a Section 21 notice to vacate the Property, which can also be sent prior to the ending date on the contract or at any time should the contract roll over). If the required amount of written notice is not received from the Tenant(s), part or all of the security deposit may be forfeit. (Tenant(s) must have written confirmation from BPS, stating that Tenant(s) Termination notice has been received & approved).

You should email enquiries@britanniapropertyservices.com to advise which option you wish to pursue.

Q: how can I terminate my tenancy early?

A: Both options are strictly subject to the landlord's/ Britannia’s written authorisation:

1. You must find a replacement tenant who must be approved by BPS (BPS may be able to assist you) BPS may charge the original Tenant a fee of £250 for all reasonable costs and expenses in securing a replacement Tenant;
2. You may forfeit your deposit and pay a penalty equivalent to one month's rent

If Britannia requires access to your property, we will usually give you 24 hours written and / or verbal notice; and for the tenants to ensure the property is in a clean and presentable condition.

Please refer to our complaints procedure