This page will provide you with all you need to know on the process of applying for a property with Purplebricks, all the way through to collecting the keys to your new home.
Reserving a Property (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
Should you make an offer on a property and it be accepted by the Landlord, you will be asked to pay a holding deposit equivalent to one weeks agreed rent. This will remove the property from the market whilst reference checks and preparation of the tenancy agreement is undertaken. The holding deposit is taken as a financial commitment from you, the prospective tenant to proceed towards entering into the agreement.
Refunding a Holding Deposit
Should you proceed to enter into a tenancy agreement with the Landlord, the holding deposit will be paid towards the balances of your first month’s rent.
Should the Landlord choose to withdraw from entering into the agreement, this money will be refunded to you.
The holding deposit paid will remain on account for the duration of your application.
Retaining a Holding Deposit
A Holding Deposit will be retained where a prospective tenant;
Should any of the above occur, Purplebricks retains the right to deduct its reasonable expenses on a case by case basis which may include the administration, referencing or any other costs incurred.
Reserving a Property (Scotland)
Once an offer has been accepted you will be asked to provide details for your references. No holding deposit will be payable.
Please find a draft copy of our Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (England and Wales) here and Private Residential Tenancy Agreement (Scotland) here.
Redress Scheme and Client Money Protection
Purplebricks is a member of Property Mark Client Money Protection Scheme, and also a member of The Property Ombudsman which is a redress scheme.
At the point of making an offer, you will be asked for a preferred date for the commencement of your tenancy. Please note that we require a minimum of 7 days to complete the administration on a new tenancy. This move in date will not be confirmed until referencing has been completed. We would also advise that no removal services are booked until the time to collect your keys has been agreed.
Following a successful referencing application, you will be emailed the Tenancy Agreement. Please read this carefully as it is a legally binding document. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We offer initial tenancies of either six or twelve months. At the conclusion of this term, subject to agreement from the landlord, you may be offered another fixed term contract, or the tenancy will roll on a month by month period basis.
We would ask you sign and initial the agreement where applicable via Adobe Sign within 5 working days of receipt. Once you have moved in, a copy of this agreement will be emailed to you signed by, or on behalf of, the landlord.
By submitting a tenancy application with Purplebricks, you agree to receive a copy of your 'How to Rent Guide' electronically in the form of a PDF. Should you require a hard copy, please inform you dedicated Lettings Coordinator.
You will need to pay a deposit for the property up to a maximum value of 5 weeks rent. This will be registered in a recognised tenancy deposit scheme for the duration of your tenancy.
Prior to you moving in, you will need to pay the outstanding balances on your account as detailed in your Initial Monies Request which you will receive following the return of satisfactory references. This will include your first months' rent, deposit and minus and holding deposit that has been retained already.
The funds must be cleared at least 5 working days prior to the commencement of your tenancy.
Once payment has been made, your will receive a receipted invoice.
Should your landlord have opted for a 'Tenant Find' service, any subsequent payment made to Purplebricks will be returned to you. This will be outlined in your final email from Purplebricks' Lettings Coordinators as well as being detailed in your tenancy agreement.
The inclusion of furnishings and appliances within the let should be discussed prior to the signing of agreements. Levels of furnishing vary greatly and no set precedent exists. If you require clarification on what will be included, please contact us at your earliest opportunity. We will ask the landlord to supply a brief list of furnishings at this stage
Purplebricks or the Landlord will not be held liable to supply items that are assumed to be included.
Prior to, or on the day of you moving in, should your landlord have opted to provide one, you will be supplied with an inventory and schedule of condition for the property. We would ask you to check this carefully, amend if necessary, sign where appropriate and return to us within 5 working days.
We will arrange for you to meet either our Local Expert, the Landlord or an Inventory Clerk at the property on the day of the commencement of your tenancy. All tenants are required to bring their passport with them to the handover. You will then be provided with all relevant contact information and keys.
Who carries out the referencing?
We use an external, third party company called LegalforLandlords to carry out our referencing process. They will require information from yourself and/or your employer and/or your current landlord/Letting agency to obtain the necessary documentation/evidence to support your application. Please let all parties know to expect communication as this will speed up your application.
I have had my offer accepted, how do I submit my application?
After paying the holding deposit (if applicable) through the Purplebricks website, our system will allow you, the prospective tenant, to complete the reference application form.
To re-enter the form, simply select the offer tab within ‘myPurplebricks’, and then respond under the accepted offer.
If you are Employed, in support of your application you can provide:
NB. We are unable to accept a verbal reference from a mobile phone number to verify your employment.
If you are Self-Employed, we will require at least one of the below to evidence your earnings:
If you are Retired, we will require:
If you are Unemployed, you will more than likely require a guarantor. However, the following benefits are considered (upon providing evidence of receipt) and may be used to top up other sources of income:
If you are a Student, again you will most likely require a guarantor, however we may also consider:
The affordability criteria for our properties is as follows:
Tenants:
Guarantors:
If you are currently residing in rented accommodation you will be required to provide contact details, including email address, of your current and/or previous landlord(s). It may your current Letting agents details that we require – please check who you currently make your rental payments to and provide these details.
A credit history search is conducted through Experian, this looks back over the previous 6 years. This will not hinder your ability to receive credit moving forward and will not show as search on your credit report.
This check ensures that you have the right to live in the UK.
In order to process your application, please provide a photocopy from the below list of acceptable documentation.
If for any reason you are unable to provide one of the above, you must provide 2 of the following documents as evidence.
In all instances, we will require a form of identity and proof of current address that is dated within the last 3 months.
I am paying the rent in advance, do I need to be referenced?
Yes. The agreement which is being entered into is ongoing, it does not automatically end at the conclusion of the initial term. This would then be re- assessed two months before the conclusion of the agreement to see whether you could now pay monthly, or pay in advance again. Additional references may be required at this stage to allow you to pay monthly – this would be at the landlord’s discretion.
I will be paying all of the rent, does my partner/family need to be referenced?
Any individual over the age of 18 should be referenced, whether they are contributing to the rent or not. They will be added to the agreement under a license to live there but hold no responsibility towards the rent. The landlord still has the right to know information such as previous landlord references for people living under a license.
I do not earn 30 times the monthly rent as an annual income alone, however both myself and my partners income combined will equate to this, will I be accepted?
The affordability calculation is done jointly between all tenants that are living in the property and therefore named on the agreement. So long as the joint annual income is greater than 30 times the monthly rent, the affordability check will be passed.
What is a guarantor?
A guarantor is an additional party to the agreement made between the landlord and tenant. They ‘guarantee’ the financial obligations of the tenant under the agreement wholly and indefinitely. They will be asked to sign a separate agreement with the landlord (Deed of Guarantee) and therefore referencing is again needed to complete due diligence. A guarantor must be UK based and all referencing highlighted above, aside from the landlord reference, will be required for the guarantor and a signed copy of the Deed of Guarantee must be provided before the tenancy agreement can be signed by yourself.
What will happen with my references?
Your full reference reports including all details obtained will be sent to the landlord to allow them to make an informed decision as to whether they wish to enter into the tenancy agreement with you.
Please note the following permissions which we wish you to provide in relation both to the information you enter on this form when you register with us and of your residence at an address let to you under our agency.
By agreeing to the terms outlined, you indicate your consent to your personal information being passed to our Utility Management Partner, Hallmark Corporate Services Limited who will attend to the continuity of your energy and service supply. You also consent to Hallmark Corporate Services Limited offering you the opportunity to sign up to the services of its preferred utility supplier, British Gas.
By agreeing to the terms outlined, you indicate your consent to receiving email marketing, telephone marketing, postal marketing and or text messages from our Utility Management Partner, Hallmark Corporate Services Limited and its selected third party utility providers, such as Home Telecom.
I confirm I have read and understood the above information, including the privacy notice, and consent to comply with the terms outlined.
Signed…………………………………………
Dated………………………………………….
Please tick this box ONLY where you DO NOT wish to receive a Utility Pack from Hallmark Corporate Services Limited in order to be offered the opportunity to sign up to the services of Hallmark Corporate Services Limited’s preferred utility supplier, Octopus Energy
Privacy notice
For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 (the “Act”), the data controller is New Broom Limited T/A Purple Bricks, Avon House,435-441 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 4AA.
We use the personal details that you submit to provide you with our services. You may give us personal details about you by filling in this form or by corresponding with us by phone, email or otherwise. In addition to the information you give us on this form, we may also collect additional information (for example, details of your property, current energy providers) as necessary to provide our services and to deal with your queries.
Disclosures of your personal details
We may pass your personal details to our Property Management Partner, Hallmark Corporate Services Limited to enable us to provide you with our services.
In turn, Hallmark may pass your personal details on to selected third party service providers to enable these providers to provide you with energy and other utility services that you request.
We may also share your information with:
Marketing information
We would also like to use your personal details:
Accessing your information
The Act gives you the right to access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with the Act.
Please send any questions, comments, complaints or requests regarding this privacy notice to: lettings@purplebricks.com