Tenants
We are an independent, family-run letting agent and have already established ourselves as one of
the most forward-thinking agencies in Kirkcaldy.
We offer various services from the simple introduction of tenants to entire property management,
and we work extremely hard to ensure we provide the best possible service whatever option you
choose.
Tenant Frequently Asked Questions
We will provide you with our office telephone number and email to log any maintenance at the weekend and when we return on our next working day we will action your request.
No, we do not. If you have an emergency at the weekend that is life or property threatening, you may contact a local tradesperson, and we will claim any call out fees back from your landlord.
If you are considering getting a pet, please contact the office where we can discuss the next steps. In some cases, the property may not be suitable for pets.
This depends entirely on your landlord. In most cases, you will need written permission to make any decorative changes to the property, such as hanging pictures or even painting the walls. Some landlords may agree to you making changes, as long as the property is returned to its original condition at the end of the tenancy.
We have a management set in our office, you can collect these and cut a new set yourself.
When a detector is beeping, this indicates a battery needing replaced. This is the tenant’s responsibility. If the detector is faulty we can arrange for someone to come and investigate the issue.
Of course, please contact us to provide their details. We cannot make any changes to your lease without your landlord’s approval and subject to referencing, but we can add them as a permitted occupier at the property.
If you have any issues with anti-social behaviour, please log this with Fife Council and the police is necessary. Try to keep a diary of any events to help investigate.
Yes, we can, however there is an admin fee for this. We will always provide you with copy when you collect your keys and a digital copy.
This will depend on the type of rental agreement that you have negotiated. If your lease started after 1 December 2017, then you will have agreed to a Private Residential Tenancy, which has no fixed term or end date. This means that you are only required to provide your landlord with 28 days’ notice of your intention to leave, which can be given at any time.
If your lease began prior to 1 December 2017, you will be in a fixed-term lease and should refer back to your agreement for the details of your notice period.
You will be asked to set up a monthly standing order with your bank or we accept cash into our office.
Yes, you are responsible for insuring your own possessions, the cover should also include cover for the landlord’s contents, buildings, furniture, fixtures and fittings.
Yes, it’s a good idea to, especially if something goes wrong when you are away. If you’re planning on going away for longer than 14 days, you should tell your agent or landlord. If you don’t and anything happens whilst you’re away, it may invalidate their insurance policy.
The frequency of property inspections during your tenancy is at your landlords’ discretion, this will typically be every six months. They will be arranged with you in advance and allow us the opportunity to make sure the property is being well cared-for, and check if any repairs or maintenance is required.
Utility bills, such as gas, electricity water and telephone, TV licence and Council Tax.
New legislation came into place on 1 April 2024 which affects how often, and by how much, landlords can raise your rental rate during a tenancy. The general rule is that landlords can raise the rent by 6%, unless a 6% rate would still place the rental rate below the perceived open market value. In this case, a tapering system would be applied which allows some properties to have rents increased by as much as 12%. If you believe that your proposed rental rate is unfair or doesn’t abide by these rules, you can escalate this to the Rent Office to investigate.
Many are common sense but here are a few… Pay the rent on time. Keep the property in excellent order throughout the tenancy. Turn the water off at the mains if you plan on going away during cold weather. Take good care of the property and maintain all internal and external decoration and appliances (including the garden as per the tenancy agreement and furniture if the property comes furnished). Change any faulty light bulbs. Communicate effectively with your letting agent (or landlord) and report any repairs that are needed. Regularly test and replace batteries in smoke alarms. Clean the windows. Keep the garden neat and tidy. Make sure the property is well ventilated and heated adequately during winter months to prevent condensation mould. Follow the instructions for heating systems.
Applicant Frequently Asked Questions
The full deposit is what will secure the property for you, so we need this in full before arranging any move in dates.
In theory it can be a few days (as long is everything is in place and there are no delays or complications), this is of course dependant on our workload as well as the speed of the referencing. If a tenant provides us with every piece of paperwork needed and any queries are dealt with straight away urgent tenancies can be fast. You will need to speak to us about this straight after viewing a property.
This is to account for any additional damage or cleaning at the end of a tenancy.
A typical reference includes details of your employment and income, previous address, and sometimes a character reference from a previous landlord or letting agent. The references can take a couple of days to check
A guarantor is someone who agrees to be responsible for your tenancy if your reference cannot be approved – as long as your landlord agrees. Usually a parent or guardian, but can be anyone as long as they are UK based. A guarantor agrees to take responsibility for paying the rent if you cannot. You will usually only need a guarantor if you have no references, if you have no regular income, or if your reference hasn’t been fully approved by the usual process.
Yes, we do, however you will need a guarantor for your application.
In Scotland, it’s the law that all deposits must be lodged with an approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of your tenancy beginning. This protects your deposit and means you can access advice from the scheme if there are any disputes surrounding your deposit when you come to the end of your tenancy. The deposit will be returned to you at the end of your tenancy, minus any deductions for cleaning or repairs, which you will be notified of in advance.
We understand that things change, so if you change your mind before you sign your lease, we will refund your full deposit.
This will depend on the type of rental agreement that you have negotiated. If your lease started after 1 December 2017, then you will have agreed to a Private Residential Tenancy, which has no fixed term or end date.
If your lease began prior to 1 December 2017, you will be in a fixed-term lease and should refer to your agreement.
No. As your insurance would not be valid until the day that you sign your lease, your property would not be covered so we cannot allow you to store your items in the property before you sign your lease agreement.
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We work to your requirements, priorities and schedule; you can contact us by email, phone, or meet us in person.