What is a guarantor?
You will all need a guarantor; this is normally a parent or guardian who signs an agreement to say that they will pay your rent if you are unable to.

What happens to my deposit/retainer?
When you sign your contact you will pay a retainer which secures the property; this becomes the deposit when your contract starts and your landlord has to protect it with a government approved scheme within 14 days. This system is designed to make getting your deposit back much easier.

How much do bills cost?
This depends on the size of house and it’s energy efficiency. We suggest budgeting between £10-15 per person each week, see www.purplefrogproperty.com/utilities for more details.

What is a joint and several contract?
Most tenancy agreements are joint and several which means that you sign the contract as a group and share all of the responsibilities. This means that if one of you does not pay the rent then the others may have to.

How does weekly rent convert into monthly?
There aren’t exactly 4 weeks in a month so you have to multiply your weekly rent by 52 and divide by 12 to get a monthly figure. This will be done on your contract for you.

What’s an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
An EPC shows how energy efficient a house is and can help you work out how much your utilities will cost. We put them on our website for you to look at but if you can’t find one let us know.

What’s a HMO Licence
Every rental property which has 5 or more bedrooms and is on 3 or more floors has to be licensed by the local council to make sure it has certain safety features. If a property you like falls into this category ask the landlord to show you the HMO Licence.

Got other questions? Feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to have a chat.