Frequently Asked Questions

Once you have found one or more of our properties that you are interested in, either complete an enquiry form on our website or call 01603 435644. We will take all your details, discuss the suitability of the property and arrange a viewing for a convenient time.

Call our office on 01603 435644 and we will contact the landlord and tell them about your interest. Once agreed, all person(s) moving into the property aged 18 or over will need to complete the relevant online form – click on the Apply Tab. Once completed we will carry out credit checks and apply for employers and landlord/agency references as required. A holding deposit will also be required.

A holding deposit of one week's rent must be paid to secure interest in the property. Once payment is received we will take the property off the market. This is non-refundable if any relevant person including any guarantors withdraw from the tenancy, fail a right to rent check, provide false or misleading information or fail to sign their tenancy agreement within 15 calendar days.

Please refer to our tenants guide and fees page

Carvels will run credit checks on all applicants over 18 years old, apply for an employer's reference and current/most recent landlord reference.  You will need to be able to provide 3 years employment and 3 years residential history. If you do not meet our criteria then a guarantor may be required. 

This is normally completed within 5 working days from receipt of you completing our online form. Responses can depend on your employer and your personal circumstances, but you can assist us by advising your HR department and current landlord that they are due to hear from us shortly and providing direct email addresses.

In 2016 the government introduced "Right to Rent" checks for all tenants in the UK, we will just need a scan of the photo page of your passport to keep on our file. If you are not a member of the EU, we will also need a valid visa.

Carvels will decide whether an application requires a guarantor dependant on your circumstances.  Guarantors are required for a number of reasons, the most common reason being if the monthly salary of a tenant(s) is less than 2.5 times the monthly rent due.

You will receive a full refund of monies paid such as the holding deposit.

A maximum of the equivalent of 5 weeks rent can be requested for your deposit.

Carvels use the Deposit Protection Service (DPS)  www.depositprotection.com. Deposits are usually returned within 14 days of you moving out, but this can be significantly longer or shorter depending on whether there is a dispute or not.

We will do everything we can to try and resolve any issues to avoid a dispute at the end of the tenancy during the final check out inspection, however should it need to be formally disputed this will be directly with the scheme

Depending on the local authority, you may be able to get a space; however, you should always check with them first.

Most properties do not have bills included in the rent, but properties that do will usually have this stated in the marketing description and tenancy agreement. If you are unsure, ask a member of staff.

We accept bank transfers (BACS) and our bank details will be provided.  All rents should be paid monthly by standing order from your bank. We will ask you to set this up before the start of your tenancy.

The rent can be paid from one account or from several individual accounts by monthly standing order.

This will vary depending on the local authority. Please refer to their websites for banding advice.

Yes, you will make a check in appointment with a member of staff at Carvels who will then meet you at the property to go through the inventory, read meters and handover keys.

Carvels will contact the relevant utility companies to transfer the account names into the new tenant(s) name(s) from the commencement of the tenancy agreement.  We will also take photos of the meter readings and these readings will be on the inventory.

Once the tenant has moved into the property they will be responsible to ensure all details are correct and payment methods are confirmed with each company.

The tenant is responsible for providing their own phone and broadband supplier.

The landlord provides insurance cover for the buildings and his own contents within the property. It is the tenants responsibility to insure their own personal belongings in the property.

This is up to the landlord’s discretion however you will be able to find this information either on the property description or asking a member of staff.