Frequently asked questions

Homes for Reading (Hfr) is a professional landlord who is setting new standards in private rental We do this by designing and providing good quality rental homes that meet the needs and aspirations of modern renters; and providing our customers with a peace of mind service that compliments and makes their lives easier.

To make an enquiry please call our dedicated lettings team on 01189 372882 or email homesforreading@reading.gov.uk

Once a viewing has been completed, we ask for a £150 holding deposit. With the holding deposit paid, all prospective tenants go through referencing checks.

Once the £150 holding deposit is paid, all prospective tenants go through referencing checks which are carried out by Homelet to approve your eligibility to enter into a Tenancy Agreement. These checks usually take between 3 to 5 working days to complete and it is your responsibility to promptly provide all supporting documentation required.

Homes for Reading already subscribes to processes outlined in the Tenant Fees Act (comes into force on 1st June 2019), which bans certain tenant fees being charged by Landlords. Once all tenants have passed referencing checks, your first month’s rental payment is payable along with the balance of the deposit prior to you moving in. The deposit is calculated based on 5 weeks’ worth of rent less the original £150 holding deposit which is converted into the main deposit. This deposit is held for you in the MyDeposit scheme, which is a Government, approved Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. The deposit covers all loss and damage to the home over and above our fair wear and tear policy that may occur during your tenancy. It will also cover any rent arrears. We collect one month’s rent in advance regardless of tenancy start date. For more information, please refer to the reservation process.

HfR charges no fees! To reserve a home you pay a holding deposit, charged at £150 for a home. This holding deposit is held on account and it will become part of the tenancy deposit when you successfully complete your tenancy sign-up. In the event you fail referencing or choose not to proceed with the property the £150 holding deposit is not refunded. Our lettings team will work with you prior to taking up referencing to ensure you have every opportunity to pass. If the lettings team felt you would not pass the referencing check, we will refund the holding deposit. There will be no hidden or additional charges after you have paid this holding deposit. As we do not use estate agents there are no additional agency fees or renewal fees and there is no charge for opening or closing inventories and recording a schedule of condition.

The deposit is calculated based on 5 weeks rent, (in line with the Tenant Fees Act, 2019) and is held for you in the government’s MyDeposit scheme. The deposit covers all loss and damage to the home over and above our fair wear and tear policy that may occur during your tenancy. It will also cover any rent arrears.

We operate a fair wear and tear policy. This policy determines what HfR construes to be reasonable use of the property taking account of the number of family members and whether there are pets. Where a property is damaged beyond fair wear and tear, HfR will seek to recover costs through the deposit.

The Government requires landlords to check that a tenant can legally rent a residential property in England. Therefore, before the start of a new tenancy, HfR is required to check all tenants aged 18 and over, even if they’re not named on the tenancy agreement. This means original identification documents have to be seen at the property viewing and a photo record is made. HfR’s Right to Rent checks are carried out by visiting the prove right to rent page on the government website and obtaining a share code. Documents must be obtained and checked for all tenants; if a tenant is not present at viewing, a copy of the document must be sent via email to HfR. HfR is then required to see the tenant and check the original document before agreeing a contract.

Our rent accounts operate by Direct Debit. Payment will be taken on a monthly basis on the 2nd of each month.

Yes, HfR is a pet-friendly landlord. There is a monthly “pet rent” charge of £10 per dog or cat. Pets are accepted at landlord approval.

Stay as long as you choose when you rent with HfR. We offer flexible tenancy terms, starting from 12 months. If you prefer to stay longer that’s not a problem for us. We believe in stability and putting down roots. As a professional landlord we are here for you to do just that. In fact, it makes us happy if you want to stay longer!

HfR does accept guarantors. To pass affordability checks, the joint household income must be at least 30 times the monthly rent. HfR Lettings Team can advise in advance of any assessment and is also able to discuss whether the property is affordable and what alternatives maybe available to you. As a responsible landlord HfR will not let to a household who does not pass the affordability criteria. Example: Monthly rent £1,100 x 30 = Household income of £33,000

As well as a great home, we provide customers with a high quality and responsive service, with a dedicated management and maintenance team on call 24 hours a day.