Tenants Guide
Tenants Guide
Tenants Guide
To Renting A Property
MONIES REQUIRED FOR MOVE IN
Other Costs £
Total £ 4,900.00
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INFORMATION FOR NEW TENANCY APPLICATIONS
When you make an application to take up a tenancy of a property, the following will apply prior to the tenancy commencing, during the
tenancy and when the tenancy ends. You should read this document carefully to ensure that you are familiar with the obligations that you
intend to enter into.
Once the Tenancy Agreement is signed you will be bound by those obligations. If you are unsure about any of the contents of the Tenancy
Agreement or this guide you should take independent legal advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice.
The balance of all monies must be received by us as CLEARED FUNDS 48 hours prior to your move in date. You must ensure that your
payment will be cleared prior to this date to avoid any postponement of your move in date. If your deposit is being paid by a Third Party
you must inform us and provide their details as you will not be able to move in until we have that information.
Bank transfer
Payments made by normal bank transfer will take approximately 3 working days and should be made 5 working days before your move in
date
International transfer
Payments made by international transfer may take up to 7 working days and should be made 10 working days before your move in date
Chaps transfer
These would not be considered cleared until the following working day and should therefore be made 3 working days before your move in
date.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD OR NON EU DEBIT CARD.
IBAN: GB59NWBK60800895735968
SWIFT: NWBKGB2L
Please make sure that all payments are clearly referenced with your surname and the unique QQ code that will be supplied to you by
Chase Evans.
VAT
Value Added Tax is chargeable at the prevailing rate (currently 20%). This rate may change from time to time and the total cost will change
accordingly. All fees contained within this Agreement are shown inclusive of VAT.
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THE OFFER
Once you have identified a property that you would like to rent, you must make an offer. At the time of making an offer we require a
Reservation Deposit equal to one weeks rent, on acceptance of your offer by the Landlord this will become the Holding Deposit.
Your entering into a Tenancy Agreement with the Landlord (Holding Deposit will be returned by way of a reduction in your move in monies),
or
The Landlord withdrawing from the proposed agreement, or
The Deadline for Agreement passing without a Tenancy having been entered into through the fault of the Landlord.
The offer that you make must be as detailed and accurate as possible and will be put forward to the Landlord for consideration.
Chase Evans will then negotiate the terms of that offer between yourself and the Landlord.
Following our negotiations, once the proposed tenancy terms are agreed, we will send confirmation emails to both yourself and the
Landlord confirming all the terms of the offer. Any further changes to the offer will be considered as a new offer for the Landlord to consider.
REFERENCING
Prior to being granted a tenancy, you must first satisfy the referencing criteria. If you do not pass the referencing criteria you will not be
granted a tenancy.
Each prospective Tenant, Occupier and Guarantor must complete a referencing application. You will be sent a web link to an independent
referencing agency’s website (FCC Paragon) where you will be able to complete the relevant application form. This will include providing
details of your employer, salary, any current/previous Landlords and your bank details. This information will be used to take up references
from the named parties and to check your credit history; all applications must be completed within 48hrs of receipt of the web link .
It is in your interest to tell your referees that they will be contacted by the referencing agency, asking them to reply as quickly as possible so
that there is no delay in granting you a tenancy. Please be advised that failure to declare information could delay the referencing process.
During the referencing process should any information disclosed later be deemed as false or misleading, this could result in the forfeiture
of the tenancy and your Holding Deposit.
Please ensure that the forms are completed thoroughly and correctly as failure to do so will cause delays. If you have any questions about
the forms, please call Chase Evans before submitting the form.
The referencing agency may ask you provide them with photo ID, proof of address and immigration status (work permit or visa) if applicable.
Please ensure that you enter your current living address on your application form as you will be required to provide proof of this address.
Please enter:
• Bank Name
• Full address of bank including postcode
• Account number
• Sort code
• Account name
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Guarantor (if required)
Depending on your circumstances, you may be asked to provide a Guarantor. The Guarantor must reside in England or Wales and will have
to satisfy the referencing criteria.
The Guarantor will be a party to the Tenancy Agreement and will guarantee and meet the same obligations as the Tenant, during the whole
period of the Tenancy if the Tenant does not do so. The Guarantor will be jointly and severally liable with the Tenant which means that the
Guarantor may have to pay the full costs of any breach of the Tenancy Agreement including all rent arrears. The Guarantor will have to sign
a legally binding Deed of Guarantee. A copy of the Tenancy Agreement will be provided to the Guarantor. Legal and financial protection is
available for student guarantors, further details are available on request.
ID – Certified & current valid passport or national ID Card – this is to confirm your identity and nationality (to show us whether a visa is
required). We will request a copy in the first instance and you will be required to bring your original passport to our office to have this
certified.
Proof of Address – A bank statement or utility bill showing your name at your current address as stated on the reference application form.
The document must be dated within 3 months of the date you begin referencing. Bank letters are only acceptable if they state your account
number and sort code. An E-copy is acceptable as a certified document. If you have an original paper statement you will be required to
bring this to our offices for us to certify.
Visa – if your passport shows your nationality as outside of the EU, your visa or residence permit must be produced. Your Visa should be
valid for the start of the tenancy. You will be required to bring your original visa into the office to have this certified.
Student tenants – must provide a copy of their student ID card and a letter from their university to show their course and the duration of
the course.
All documents must be in colour. The above is also applicable to any permitted occupant or guarantor.
RIGHT TO RENT
Under the Immigration Act 2014, all non EU tenants and occupiers that cannot provide a valid visa will be subject to a home office ‘Right
to Rent’ check. If you have already submitted a visa application to the Home Office and are awaiting acceptance, you can provide us with
your Home Office reference number and we can check with the Home Office your Right to Rent status – This process can take up to 72
hours depending on the level of applications.
LEVELS OF SERVICE
Chase Evans offers different levels of service to Landlords. You will be notified which level of service applies to your Tenancy.
Managed:
You should contact Chase Evans directly for all aspects of the tenancy – paying rent, reporting maintenance issues, renewals, deposit
returns and general tenancy queries.
Non-Managed:
Rent Collection – You should pay rent to Chase Evans, but should contact the Landlord directly for all other aspects of the tenancy –
reporting maintenance issues, renewals, deposit returns and general tenancy queries.
Let Only – You should contact the Landlord directly for all aspects of the tenancy – paying rent, reporting maintenance issues, renewals,
deposit returns and general tenancy queries.
UTILITIES
As Tenant, you are responsible for the payment of council tax and all utility charges at the property for the duration of your tenancy. Where
applicable, you will need to open accounts directly with the local council and the utility providers or utility management company. In some
cases, the utility management company cannot arrange billing directly with tenants and may bill the owner. In such cases, we will arrange
for the tenants to be invoiced accordingly.
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Electricity - To find the service provider please contact the Supplier Query Line: 0800 029 4283 or visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk
Gas - To find the service provider please contact the Supplier Query Line: 0870 608 1524
Energy - In certain developments there is a central, communal supply of energy to provide space and water heating to the property via a
Heat Interface Unit (HIU). As Tenant, you will be responsible for the payment of charges for the supply of this energy to the property. If
you are moving into a property in a development with this system, we will provide you with full details.
Water - Thames Water moving home line is 0845 9200 888. In some cases the water rates will be included in the service charge for the
property and payable by the Landlord. Chase Evans will be able to advise you on this.
If you change any of the existing utility providers, you must advise Chase Evans/Landlord of that change immediately.
Council Tax - You will need to contact your local authority/council to register for council tax. Chase Evans can advise you of your local
authority.
Telephone - Where a previous Tenant has failed to cancel their telephone line you can either contact the Working Line Take Over team on
0800 111 4163 (BT) or order a new line with your chosen provider.
Television - It is your responsibility to ensure that the property has a valid TV Licence whether the television is supplied by yourself or the
Landlord.
Insurance - The Landlord is responsible for insuring the structure of the property and also the contents belonging to the Landlord. Your
belongings and anything you bring into the property will not be covered by the Landlord’s insurance policy. Insurance policies for Tenants
can cover all of your possessions including mobile phones, tablets and computers, which could be costly, against perils such as theft, fire
and escape of water.
Once your referencing is complete and you have received confirmation that you have been successful in securing the property, it is
strongly advisable that you begin to consider insurance for all of your items, as well as the Landlords fixtures and fittings that you may be
responsible for under your tenancy agreement (this can act as a form of protection for your deposit should some accidental damage occur
to the Landlords property).
There are numerous companies in the market who will provide you with a quotation however, Paragon Advance are specialists in the
lettings industry and as you are a client of ours, they may be able to offer you a discounted rate. You will be offered the opportunity to
allow Paragon Insurance to contact you to discuss your individual insurance requirements when you complete your reference application.
On acceptance of your offer, you will be sent a draft copy of our standard Tenancy Agreement. You are advised to read it carefully as this
draft gives you the opportunity to check any terms or points that you do not understand and ask any questions before you sign the actual
Tenancy Agreement.
The Tenancy Agreement signed between the Landlord and the Tenant contains the rights and responsibilities of each party during the
Tenancy. The Tenancy Agreement is a binding contract between you and the Landlord. Do not sign it unless you agree to all that is stated
within it.
The Landlord and the Tenant will be responsible for carrying out the promises they have made in the Tenancy Agreement. If the Tenant
breaks any of those promises the Landlord can hold him to account. If damage has been caused, the Landlord may charge the Tenant for
that damage, and either recover the money owed from the Tenancy Deposit paid, or take action against the Tenant through the courts to
seek compensation. In some circumstances the Landlord will be entitled to ask the court to bring the Tenancy to an end.
Your responsibility for meeting all of the expectations of the Tenancy Agreement will continue until the agreement is terminated by mutual
consent between the parties. Vacating the property and returning the keys does not necessarily terminate the agreement.
Tenancy Term
Your tenancy may be for a fixed term or it may have a break clause that allows you or the Landlord or both to terminate the tenancy before
the end of the fixed term by giving notice. The tenancy can only be terminated at the end of the fixed term or in accordance with the break
clause. You cannot leave or break the tenancy earlier unless the Landlord agrees.
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Binding Date
Please be aware that once the Tenancy Agreement is signed by all parties and ‘executed’ by entering the binding date, the tenancy will be
legally binding regardless of whether you have taken up occupancy. Tenants will receive a signed copy of their Tenancy Agreement on the
day of move in.
Early Termination
If a Tenant wishes to terminate a Tenancy before the end of the fixed term or notice period contained in the Tenancy and the Landlord is in
agreement, the Tenant will be liable to pay the rent as required under the Tenancy until the end of the fixed term or notice period or until
a suitable replacement tenant is found. The Tenant will also be liable for any losses incurred by the Landlord which may include costs for
referencing, check in / out, deposit registration, tenancy agreement, marketing and advertising.
A Joint Tenancy can only be terminated if all of the Tenants agree. An individual Tenant cannot give notice to end only his or her
responsibilities for the Joint Tenancy. If an individual Tenant wishes to leave the tenancy, this will necessitate a Change of Occupant.
Change of Occupant
During the term of a joint tenancy, should one Tenant decide to vacate with the agreement of the Landlord & the other Tenants, it will be
the remaining Tenant or joint tenants’ responsibility to find a replacement Tenant or to agree to take the tenancy with a reduced number
of joint tenants. This will effectively terminate the existing tenancy and create a new one.
Any new Tenants will have to pass the referencing process and if the number of Tenants is reduced, all existing Tenants will have to be
re-referenced at the new rental share amounts. On completion of referencing, a new tenancy will be created and an administration fee of
£50 inc VAT will be payable by you.
If any outstanding sums are owed for rent, or costs incurred due to breach of contract by the Tenant, a change of occupancy or renewal
for a further term may not be granted. At the end of the Tenancy, any such amounts due will be deducted from the Tenancy Deposit held.
It is the responsibility of the joint tenants to agree the transfer of an apportionment of Tenancy Deposit monies between themselves. Chase
Evans will not release any of the Tenancy Deposit monies held or collect additional Tenancy Deposit money from the new Tenant. Chase
Evans will however arrange for the new Tenant’s details to be updated with the relevant deposit protection scheme.
Periodic Tenancy
Following the end of the fixed term of your tenancy, if you do not enter into a further fixed term, it will become a periodic tenancy. Under a
periodic tenancy all of the obligations of your original Tenancy Agreement will remain in force and you will be required to give one month’s
notice in writing to terminate the tenancy.
Prior to the end of the tenancy we will contact both the Landlord and yourself to see if both parties wish to continue the Tenancy for a
further term. If both parties wish to renew, Chase Evans will negotiate the terms of the new tenancy. You will be informed in writing of
the terms.
You will need to make a firm decision in good time so that any new Tenancy Agreement can be prepared and signed by the parties prior to
the renewal date. If both parties are unable to agree to a new tenancy, the property may be put back on the market.
Should the Landlord not wish to extend the tenancy a Notice may be served upon you at least 2 months before the end of your tenancy
advising you of the date that you will be due to vacate the property. If you do not comply with the Notice, possession proceedings will be
taken against you.
Should you decide that you do not wish to extend the tenancy, the tenancy will terminate at the end of the fixed term. If instructed by the
Landlord, the property will be put back on the market during the last two months of the term.
CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
If your circumstances change during the tenancy and/or if you start to receive housing benefit (or equivalent), you should inform your
Landlord and the Agent immediately. Failure to notify a change in circumstances may result in notice to terminate the tenancy.
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RENTAL PAYMENTS
When a tenancy is entered into by the Landlord and the Tenant, the Tenancy Agreement will require you to pay the rent by standing order.
You will need to set up the standing order for rental payment with your bank using our bank account details as listed on page 2 of this
guide. The payment date on the standing order mandate should be 3 days before the rent due date to ensure that the rent is received on
time, the entire rent for the property must be paid from one account only and you should insert the QQ code as supplied to you as the
reference. If your property is not managed by Chase Evans and you are paying rent directly to your landlord, you should arrange for the first
monthly rental payment to be paid to Chase Evans and then all future payments to be paid to the bank account of your landlord (details of
which will be supplied to you) by standing order.
If the rent is paid late, interest will be charged at 3% over the Bank of England’s base rate if a rent payment is more than 14 days overdue
for each day that the payment remains outstanding.
Failure to pay your rent on time may result in notice to terminate the tenancy.
The Tenancy Deposit must be paid by you on or before the start of the Tenancy and will be held in a separate client account by either the
Landlord or Chase Evans or sent to an approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. The Tenancy Deposit will be returned at the end of the
Tenancy after any deductions have been agreed between the parties for any damage or other breach of the Tenancy Agreement. No interest
is payable to you on the Tenancy Deposit.
Whether the Tenancy Deposit is held by a deposit protection scheme, your Landlord or Chase Evans as stakeholder will depend upon the
circumstances of the Tenancy, the service we are providing to the Landlord and/or the scheme of which either the Landlord or Chase Evans
is a member. The way in which the Tenancy Deposit is held will be clearly shown on your Tenancy Agreement.
Government Approved Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) Schemes - Assured Shorthold Tenancies
Since 6th April 2007 all Tenancy Deposits held for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy must be protected by a government approved tenancy
deposit protection (TDP) scheme.
MyDeposits (https://www.mydeposits.co.uk)
Deposit Protection Service (http://www.depositprotection.com)
Tenancy Deposit Scheme (https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com)
At the end of the Tenancy no deductions can be made from the Tenancy Deposit without the written consent of both parties. If there is a
dispute regarding the deductions the dispute will be resolved by one of the above schemes who will adjudicate and decide how the Tenancy
Deposit should be returned. Full details of the scheme which protects your Tenancy Deposit will be shown in your Tenancy Agreement.
Further information can be obtained from the government website at https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection.
If you are entering into an Assured Shorthold Tenancy and your Tenancy Deposit is being paid to us by someone other than yourself (a
third party) you must inform us immediately and prior to the Tenancy Agreement being prepared and the Tenancy Deposit being paid. Any
third party paying the Tenancy Deposit must be included in the deposit clause of the Tenancy Agreement as an ‘Interested Party’ and we
must also protect the Tenancy Deposit under the name of the ‘Interested Party’. A third party is anyone that is not the Tenant named in
the Tenancy Agreement, so guarantors or permitted occupiers would be considered to be third parties and you should inform us if they are
paying the Tenancy Deposit.
Where a third party is paying the deposit, we will need the following, before the Tenancy Agreement can prepared:
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Deductions from the Deposit
Your Tenancy Agreement sets out exactly how the money will be dealt with at the end of the Tenancy and what you can expect to happen.
The fact that a Tenancy Deposit has been paid does not mean that a Tenant can afford to ignore any other promise outlined in the Tenancy
Agreement. The money paid as the Tenancy Deposit does not represent the limit of your liability to the Landlord for any breach of the
Tenancy Agreement.
The Tenancy Deposit cannot be used to pay the rent for the last period of the Tenancy. It may however be used after the Tenancy has finished
to compensate the Landlord if the Tenant has been in breach of his obligations under the Tenancy Agreement by failing to pay rent.
If you are a joint tenant it is up to you to decide how the returned Tenancy Deposit is to be allocated. At the end of the Tenancy the Landlord
may choose to pay the remaining sum to one joint tenant or split the money between each person forming the Tenant. You must arrange
for that sum to be divided properly between joint tenants. You might decide that one Tenant should have a smaller share of the returned
Tenancy Deposit because he or she was responsible for more of the damage. That is up to you.
An Inventory and/or Schedule of Condition should be prepared prior to the start of the Tenancy. This will detail the contents of the property
and also describe the condition of those contents, the inside and outside of the property, the garden and any outbuildings as applicable. If
Chase Evans manages the property, you will be given a copy of the Inventory after the Check-in, otherwise you will obtain a copy of any
Inventory directly from the Landlord.
Where Chase Evans manages the property, we will arrange for an inventory clerk to check you into the property at the beginning of your
Tenancy, which will also alert us to any minor repairs and maintenance that may be necessary. Where possible, we will also arrange for an
inventory clerk to check the property with you when your Tenancy comes to an end. You should always attend the Check-in and Check-out
as it is in your interest to do so for your protection. If you are unable to attend you should arrange for a third party to attend in your place.
The Landlord is responsible for the costs of preparing the Inventory and carrying out the Check-in and Check-out inspections.
Following the arrangement of the Check out inspection you must vacate the property at that time. Failure to vacate the property on time
would be a breach of contract on your part.
When we do not provide a full management service, the Landlord will make arrangements with you to check the property at the start and
end of the Tenancy.
KEYS
One set of keys will be provided for each named Tenant/ Permitted Occupier. You should not have additional keys cut without the consent
of the Landlord or the Agent. At the end of the Tenancy you must hand all keys (including fobs, remotes, permits and utility cards/keys) back
to the Agent or the Landlord. If any are not returned you will be charged the reasonable cost of replacing the locks and keys. You may not
change the locks without the permission of your Landlord, to do so would be a breach of your Tenancy Agreement.
During your Tenancy, it is your responsibility to promptly report any repairs or maintenance that may be required in the property. If the
property is managed you should contact the Chase Evans maintenance department on 020 3869 2191 propertymanagement@chaseevans.
co.uk, otherwise please liaise with your Landlord directly.
You should not, under any circumstances, instruct any contractor directly to attend the property, as this could result in you being held liable
for any costs incurred relating to the call out and/or invalidating any warranties that may be in place.
If we do not hold keys to the property and we arrange for any repairs or maintenance to be carried out in your presence, you are obliged to
keep the appointment once agreed. Failure to do so would be breach of contract on your part.
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If you are renting a property in a new build development it is likely that the property and its appliances will be under a warranty. In line with
this, should a matter of maintenance or snagging be reported to Chase Evans, we will need to instruct the building developer or appliance
manufacturer to attend the property on behalf of the landlord, in order to remedy the reported matter. Chase Evans are unable to instruct
contractors as appointed by us to repair any issues that are under an active warranty, as to do so would invalidate the landlord’s warranty
policy.
For your information and for the purposes of transparency we would like to detail for your attention, that the developers and manufacturers
operate under a separate framework with regards to response times than Chase Evans. Their set periods to resolve matters reported will
depend upon their deemed level of urgency and noted availability, which could range from between 1 to 10 working days typically. Chase
Evans however, will of course always push for any matters under warranty to be resolved as soon as is practically possible on behalf of
yourself and the landlord.
If the apartment you are renting is within a building offering facilities such as gym or swimming pool or other similar facility, the building
management may charge a fee for usage and/or induction fees – whilst we endeavour to ensure you are aware of any costs involved the
building management may alter or change these at any time. Therefore we advise anyone unsure to confirm with the concierge of the
building.
PROPERTY VISITS
If Chase Evans manages the property we will carry out Property Visits on a periodic basis. The primary purpose of these visits is to identify
any minor repairs or maintenance that may have become necessary. We will provide you with a minimum 24 hours written notice of any
intended visit. As part of our management service, Chase Evans should hold keys to your property, which will be used to gain access if you
are not present and have been notified.
If we do not hold keys to the property and we arrange for access and the Property Visit to be carried out in your presence you are obliged
to keep the appointment once agreed. Failure to do so would be breach of contract on your part.
Where we do not provide a full management service, the Landlord will make arrangements directly with you for access to visit the property.
A Landlord cannot access a property without providing the required notice in writing, except in an emergency.
END OF TENANCY
At the end of your Tenancy, the property should be left in a clean and tidy, in the same condition and with the contents in the same location
as at the start of the Tenancy and be ready for immediate re-occupation. Particular attention should be paid to the carpets, windows, ovens,
refrigerators, stains and marks to walls.
The property will be checked by an independent inventory company at the end of the Tenancy, no further access will be allowed into the
property following the completion of the Check-out inspection. Should any areas require further cleaning you will be held liable for any
cleaning charges incurred.
All personal possessions must be removed prior to the Check-out inspection as we take no responsibility for any personal items left in the
property after the conclusion of the Tenancy. If any items are left in the property you will be held liable for the cost of removal and charged
a daily rate of rent for the additional days until large or bulky items that delay the commencement of a new Tenancy can be removed.
TAXATION
If you do not comply with the Non-resident Landlord Scheme, you may become personally liable for any tax due. Further information can
be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/paying -tax-on-rent-to-landlords-abroad. Chase Evans will notify you if your Tenancy requires you
to join the Non-resident Landlord Scheme.
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Stamp Duty Land Tax (“SDLT’)
If the rent for the whole of the fixed term of the Tenancy exceeds £125,000 you may have a liability to declare it to HMRC and pay SDLT.
Further information can be obtained from the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/sdlt/ .
PRIVACY
We are committed to safeguarding your privacy. We will only collect information required to provide you with the services, products, quotes
or information that you have requested.
Personal information of both the Landlord and the Tenant will be retained by the Agent along with present and future addresses in addition
to other contact details for each party which may be provided to each other, to utility suppliers, the local authority, authorised contractors,
any credit agencies, reference agencies, legal advisers, debt collectors or other relevant party.
By submitting your information, you consent to its use as set out in our Privacy Policy. If at any time you wish your personal details to be
amended or removed from our records, or if you have opted in and you no longer wish to receive certain information, you can either write
to us at the above address or alternatively email [email protected]
COMPLAINTS
Chase Evans is a member of the Property Ombudsman Scheme, membership number T02100 (www.tpos.co.uk) and we are committed to
providing the highest standards of service to all of our clients and customers. If you have any problems with our service you should refer to
our Complaints Procedure which can be found at http:// www.chaseevans.co.uk/privacy-policy or may be requested from:
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DECLARATION
Print Name:
Print Name: Shashi Mahajan, Tenant Signed:
Signed: Dated:
Print Name:
Signed: Dated:
Print Name:
Signed: Dated:
Print Name:
Registered Office: Strata Tower, 10 & 12 Walworth Road, London SE1 6EE | Registered in England and Wales, company registration number 3664031 | VAT number: 769 9784 34
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Head Office & Property Management
T: +44 (0)20 3869 2190
E: [email protected]
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Coming Soon
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