Generally, the deposit should be one month’s rent to cover any damage coming to the property whilst you are living there that is still there when you leave. However, the law has changed slightly on this now and they cannot take your bond without a proper reason for doing so.

You will need to pay the bond/deposit on top of the 6 months rent if they want 6 months rent. I would query why the bond is so high if the rent is only £600pm (have you budgeted for how you will manage for money once your bf comes out? Or even before that with a baby on the way? I don’t mean to sound patronising but my bf and I are both working and our rent is £305pm and we seriously struggle!)

Ask for a receipt of payment and keep a statement proving that the money has been paid.

They generally don’t ask questions other than employment and previous addresses. No criminal record has ever been asked for when I’ve rented and neither have credit checks.

All they will do is walk round the house and check the inventory with you, you should also make sure you have a copy of the inventory and write in and sign and date anything wrong with the property at any given date ie if a plug does not work/crack in the wall/paint chips. It will come in handy when trying to get the bond back when you wish to move or they will use it against you and try to take every penny! Darlows did it to us and we left the house in immaculate condition but had no proof. Also, when you move out, hire a professional cleaner so if they say the place wasn’t clean, they can take it up with them and you should have receipts to prove it. Another thing they sprung on us even though we cleaned it over and over to make sure it was clean.

All the best, just try and remember that these people are after all the money they can get, so be sneaky like them and keep copies of everything!

1) The deposit is only a deposit and cannot be set off against the rent. It is returned at the end if you havenot damaged the property. So you will have to pay the full 6 months plus the deposit.

2) They would normally want name of employer for confirmation of salary but in your case they can’t though they may ask to get a personal (i.e. character )reference, a previous landlord’s reference if you (or anyone you are renting or iving with) have rented before and the name of you bank to set up payment after the initial 6 months.

Many agents pass on this information to a credit checking agency which will also do a search for any County Court judgements.

There is no reason that they would do a criminal records check and indeed I don’t believe they can without good reason such as renting a flat in a school.

No you’ll have to pay the 6 months and the deposit but at least you’ll get the deposit back when you move out its to ensure you don’t wreck anything sounds alot though! they just asked about job refs and contacted my work to check how much i earned etc didnt ask about criminal record, did ask about my ingoings and outgoings but that was about it.
hope it helps x

Deposit is usually 1.5mths rent, but it can be anything as there is no set amount, its whatever the tenants will pay.
The holding fees/referencing fees, are different. These you pay to the letting agent, who uses the forms that you fill in to contact an independant referencing agency, who use that infomation to check your employment/previous tenancy/and proofs of who you are. They also check for any ccj’s or bad credit.
As you are not working, the agency has accepted 6 months rent up front, plus the deposit. You need to check what will happen at the end of the six months, some LL ask that a further amount is put up, which is thankfully not something that is done very often. Usually as long as the tenancy has gone smoothly you will carry on paying monthly, just check with the agent.