Whether you are renting your first property or whether you've been renting for years, there are a few keys things to bear in mind.

• Have a moving date established and a holding deposit available:
  These are both necessary in order to avoid missing out on that ‘special' property. A pre-determined move-in date is necessary to avoid a wasted viewing and almost every agent asks for a ‘holding deposit' in order to remove the property from the market and stop more viewings taking place. This is £250 and is essential so that the property is secured for you and will be taken off your account when you come to move in.

• Make the correct calculations – rent in advance, deposit, administration, and reference fee(s):
  Be aware that every agent will require these, however please do check first because these can vary across the board and occasionally be miss-leading. Leaf Letting's limit these as much as possible to keeps things affordable for you the Tenant. We require clear funds by the agreed move-in day, one months rent in advance, the equivalent of 5 weeks dilapidation deposit and a small administration charge and referencing fee (variable).

• Have personal details ready for reference application forms:

  It is standard industry policy to take-up these. Usually what is required is contact details, employment details, current residential information as well as bank account details and a proof of identity. The difficult one Tenants tend to loose is their PAYE slips!