Renting through us

The tenancy that  you sign will be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, which means that you can stay in the property for the period of the contract (provided you meet all the obligations of the tenancy). If the landlord wishes to end the tenancy you will be given two months’ notice to quit the premises.

Please be advised that during the Covid - 19 Pandemic, the Notice period has been extended to three months notice.

We have an obligation to conduct regular inspections of all tenanted accommodation. This is to ensure the property is not in need of repair, that you are looking after the property and discuss any problems you may be experiencing. You will be given at least 24 hours notification when an inspection is due to be conducted. 

We will inspect all properties at least once every 6 months.

Please know, that property inspections are for your benefit as much as your Landlord's, so your cooperation is encouraged - after all, it's not very often and the Inspector may pick up issues for your Landlord to address that you had not even been aware of.

We found that many tenants worry about repairs, often believing, that landlords don’t care or that they will increase the rent if they have to spend money on a repair. We are landlords ourselves and know this is not true for most landlords. Therefore, we have  invested heavily in a 24/7 reporting system with full back end support.  All of our tenants can get the latest advice and easily report a repair or maintenance issue in over 32 languages at any time.

Key features

24 hours / 365 days per year

Choose from over 42 Languages

Out of Hours Emergency Response

“How to Guides” where you can fix the problem yourself

Quicker Repairs and Maintenance

Response to Request Within 5 Minutes

In the event of any maintenance being required, simply, complete the online Repair Report at the earliest possible time in order to minimise any problem that could subsequently arise. Your Landord will be notified straight away of the issue, and their instruction sought to rectify the problem as soon as possible. Simple precautionary procedures should then be taken by you/the tenant, to prevent any additional problem arising e.g. turn off water at the stopcock if necessary, isolate electric or gas supplies at the mains where required.

Report an issue

You cannot have any pets unless you have written permission from your Landlord/Norman Galloway Lettings. 

You must consult us prior to obtaining a pet and submit a written request to have a pet stating age/type/breed.

Find our more in the following blog:

Can A Landlord Refuse Pets in The Uk?

YES! You should consider taking out contents insurance to cover accidental damage to the Landlord’s contents, buildings, fixtures and fittings. The landlord is responsible for insuring the building.

You are also advised to consider contents insurance for your own possessions.

The Deposit normally equates to 5 weeks rent and will be held throughout the tenancy in a government approved deposit scheme and will be returned at the end of the tenancy subject to the property being left in a good condition without any claim for potential damages beyond fair wear and tear.

As a tenant you are responsible for ensuring that the rent is paid in full and on time. We advise our tenants to consider setting up a standing order for the rent each month, which will mean payments are paid directly from your bank to our designated account.  

You will need to cancel the standing order at the end of your tenancy when all your rents have been paid up to date.

Utility bills, including Council Tax, is your responsibility unless stated otherwise in the tenancy agreement. You can change your energy supplier if you wish, however you are not permitted to change the type of meter, for example from a pre-payment meter to a credit meter and visa versa. 

You will be required to ensure that all utility accounts are closed when your tenancy ends and that your utility bills are all finalised and paid in full.

Students will need to provide proof that they are students in order to claim the Council Tax exemption.

Once the Landlord has agreed to accept your application (subject to references and contract) we will ask for a holding deposit equating to one week’s rent. Upon successfully passing the referencing stage of the application, the holding deposit paid will count towards the total balance of rent and deposit owed before the tenancy start date. You risk losing your deposit in the event that; you provide inaccurate or misleading information on your application, fail a right to rent check, do not take all reasonable steps to enter into a tenancy agreement or unilaterally withdraw your application. 

It’s not a problem if you are claiming Housing Benefit/Universal Credit,  so please don’t worry. The main advice we can give you, is to complete the application form honestly and include as many details as possible about all of the income that you get.

We will look at the Local Authority Housing Rates that you will be entitled to, so it is important to tell us all about who will be living in the property. This will help us to assist you with your application. 

Click the following link to read our blog and find out more:

Can I Private Rent on Benefits?

Please don’t be worried when we ask you for proof of your ‘Right to Rent’ as the law requires us to do this. Every tenant that rents a property has to do this in England. Even if you are a British Citizen.  Where you are not an EU Citizen you will be required to provide a vaild visa. Your Landlord has to have proof of the 'Right To Rent checks' for all adults living in the property. 

Right To Rent Approved Accepted Documents

List A (Group 1): Acceptable single documents

• A passport (current or expired) showing that the holder is a British citizen or a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies having the ‘right of abode’ in the United Kingdom.
• A passport or national identity card (current or expired) showing that the holder is a national of an EEA state or Switzerland.
• A registration certificate (current or expired) issued by the Home Office to a national of an EEA state or Switzerland.
• A document certifying permanent residence (current or expired) issued by the Home Office to a national of an EEA state or Switzerland.
• A permanent residence card (current or expired) issued by the Home Office to the family member of a national of an EEA state or Switzerland.
• A document issued by the Home Office to a family member of a national of an EEA state or Switzerland (current or expired) which indicates that the holder is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom.
• A biometric immigration document (current or expired) issued by the Home Office to the holder indicates that the person named in it is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom.
• A passport or other travel document (current or expired) endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom, has the right of abode in the United Kingdom, or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom.
• An immigration status document (current or expired) containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the person named in it is allowed to stay in the United Kingdom indefinitely or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom.
• A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen.

List A (Group 2): Acceptable documents (any 2)

• A birth certificate issued in the United Kingdom.
• An adoption certificate issued in the United Kingdom.
• A birth certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or Ireland.
• An adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or Ireland.
• A letter which:
• (a) is issued by a government department or local authority no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented;
• (b) is signed by a named official stating their name and professional address;
• (c) confirms the holder’s name; and
• (d) confirms that the holder has accessed services from that department or authority or is otherwise known to that department or authority.
• A letter which:
• (a) is issued no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented;
• (b) is signed by a British passport holder who is or has been a professional person or who is otherwise of good standing in their community;
• (c) confirms the holder’s name;
• (d) states how long the signatory has known the holder, such period being of at least three months’ duration, and in what capacity; and
• (e) states the signatory’s name, address, profession, place of work, and passport number.
• A letter issued by a person who employs the holder no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented, which indicates the holder’s name and confirming their status as an employee and employee reference number or National Insurance number and states the employer’s name and business address.
• A letter issued by a police force in the United Kingdom no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented, confirming that the holder has been the victim of a crime in which a document listed in List A Group 1 belonging to the holder has been stolen and stating the crime reference number.
• An identity card or document issued by one of Her Majesty’s forces or the Secretary of State confirming that the holder is or has been a serving member in any of Her Majesty’s forces.
• A letter issued by Her Majesty’s Prison Service, the Scottish Prison Service or the Northern Ireland Prison Service confirming that the holder has been released from the custody of that service, no longer than six months before the date on which that letter is presented, and confirming their name and date of birth.
• A letter issued no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented, by an officer of the National Offender Management Service in England and Wales, an officer of a local authority in Scotland who is a responsible officer for the purposes of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 or an officer of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, confirming the holder’s name and date of birth and confirming that the holder is the subject of an order requiring supervision by that officer.
• A current licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under Part 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (to include the photocard licence in respect of licences issued on or after 1st July 1998) or Part 2 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (to include the photocard licence).
• A certificate issued no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented, by the Disclosure and Barring Service under Part V of the Police Act 1997, the Scottish Ministers under Part V of the Police Act 1997 or the Secretary of State under Part V of the Police Act 1997, in relation to the holder.
• A document, or a screenshot of an electronic document, issued no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented, by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Northern Ireland Department for Social Development or a local authority, confirming that the holder is in receipt of a benefit listed in section 115(1) or (2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• A letter which:
• (a) is issued no longer than three months before the date on which it is presented;
• (b) is issued by a public authority, voluntary organisation, or charity in the course of a scheme operated to assist individuals to secure accommodation in the private rented sector in order to prevent or resolve homelessness;
• (c) confirms the holder’s name; and
• (d) states the address of a prospective tenancy which the authority, organisation, or charity is assisting the holder to obtain.

A letter which:

(a) is issued by a further or higher education institution in the United Kingdom;

(b) confirms that the holder has been accepted on a current course of studies at that institution; and

(c) states the name of the institution and the name and duration of the course.

• List B: Time-limited documents
• A passport or travel document which has not expired endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for a time-limited period.
• A biometric immigration document that has not expired, issued by the Home Office to the holder, which indicates that the person named is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom for a time-limited period.
• A residence card or a derivative residence card, which has not expired, issued by the Home Office to a non-EEA national who is either a family member of an EEA or Swiss national or has a derivative right of residence, which indicates that the holder is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom for a time-limited period.
• A current immigration status document issued by the Home Office to the holder, with a valid endorsement indicating that the holder has been granted limited leave to enter, or remain in, the United Kingdom.
• A document issued by the Home Office to a family member of an EEA or Swiss national, which has not expired, and which indicates that the holder is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom for a time-limited period.
•  
• Documents required for the special procedure for nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, or the United States of America
•  

Option 1

A passport showing that the holder is a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, or the United States of America.

AND

• A document or a copy of such a document (can be electronic) which indicates that the holder has arrived in the United Kingdom from another country, within the period of six months ending with the day before the day on which the agent obtains that passport and document, or a copy of such a document.

Anti social behaviour can be annoying at best and totally life changing at worst. 

At Norman Galloway Lettings we are very clear on our views around this. Put simply, we operate a nil tolerance approach. Our tenants should have the peaceful enjoyment of their home and their community without feeling the ill effects of anti social behaviour by others.  We cannot condone any of our tenants causing anti social behaviour and upsetting those living around them, and nor do we want any of our tenants being the victims of such unacceptable behaviour. 

The law takes a very stern view when addressing anti social behaviour. 

Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 and Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011- 

Jenrick  “courts will carefully prioritise the most egregious cases, including anti-social behaviour, fraud, and domestic abuse, ensuring landlords are able to progress the most serious cases, such as those involving anti-social behaviour and other crimes.”

Wikipedia definition:

Anti-social behaviours are actions that harm or lack consideration for the well-being of others. Many people also label behaviour which is deemed contrary to prevailing norms for social conduct as anti-social behaviour.

Types of anti social behaviour can include but are not limited to:

• Loud music
• Banging doors and shouting
• Cars coming and going at all hours
• Parties on a regular basis or with too many people
• Inconsiderate parking
• Harassment and abuse
• Accumulation of rubbish/ and bins overflowing risk of vermin
• Unsightly and overrun property/garden
• Threats and violence
• Illegal activity

If you are experiencing the effects of anti social behaviour you can find our policy and help here:

Anti Social Behaviour Policy 

This might seem like an obvious question, it is however hugely important to know the answer. 

Depending on where you live, each Local Authority has; different days, different coloured bins and different rules.

As a tenant you are responsible for the disposal of  waste in the appropriate bins and putting them out and bringing them back in, on the correct days. Fines can be issued if not.

Recycling responsibly is hugely important, and your Local Authority can provide stickers to help you with this. If you repeatedly put the wrong waste in your bins you may find that your Local Authority will refuse to empty them or may fine you.

Some areas charge for garden waste bins and others don't, so it is worth checking if you have lawns etc. Some Local Authorities collect glass, others don't and you will need to take it for recycling at your local recycling centre. These can often be found in supermarket car parks etc.

When you take on your tenancy with Norman Galloway, you will be advised when your bin days are. You can also find out from your neighbours and the Local Authority if you so wish. 

This is a tricky one. In theory, the answer is 'No', it is your choice if you provide a guarantor or not. 

That being said, if you are wanting to stand out from the many other applications that an agent will receive, I would definitely try and have a guarantor. A UK homeowner guarantor will strengthen your application further.

Some landlords will not consider any application without. If you cannot get a guarantor, my best advice would be, to present your application as fully as possible to show that you are going to be a viable tenant regardless. This will include; proof of how you can afford the rent, references from previous/current landlord, employer reference, etc. 

A Guide to Renting

Norman Galloway Lettings want to make this easy for you. Being a student is likely to be the first time that you are living away from home. To that aim, we have partnered with Unihomes, an established provider of all inclusive packages to students across the UK. They are able to offer all-inclusive packages to students, below is the rate card for the  21/22 academic year. You just need to have a 52-week contract, and all students on the tenancy included. /