Our Letting and Application Process

At Bee City Living, our goal is to make your move-in process clear, fast, and simple.

Our Letting and application process is designed to be completed efficiently, meaning the entire journey, from reserving the property to getting your Tenancy contract signed and paying the deposit, is completed within 14 days.

Phase 1: Reservation & Holding

Step 1: Expressing Interest

After you have viewed one of our properties, to officially start your application and take the property off the market, please send us an email to enquiries@beecityliving.co.uk. In this email, we need the full name, email address, and best phone number for everyone over 18 who will be living in the property.

Step 2: Securing Your Interest - The Holding Fee

Once we've confirmed your interest, we'll ask for a payment called a Holding Fee. This fee is equal to one week's rent and officially reserves the property for you while we process your application.

• How it works: You pay the amount via instructions sent to you all and make the payment via bank transfer
• A quick note: This fee is non-refundable if you decide to pull out later or if you are unable to pass the legal Right to Rent check (see Step 5), if all references are appoved, this fee becomes part of the Security Deposit!

Step 3: The 14-Day Timeline Commences

🗓️   OUR TIMELINE: The entire process, from paying the Holding Fee through to passing referencing, receiving, and signing the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement, and paying the full Security Deposit, is expected to be completed within a standard 14-day period. We rely on your timely responses to ensure we meet this target for you.

Phase 2: Referencing

Step 4: The Online Application

As soon as we receive your Holding Fee, we'll send you an email link to our referencing portal, Tenancy Hive Referencing. This is where we check things like your income, credit history, and previous rental references.

• Your Action: Please fill out these forms and upload any required documents (like recent payslips or bank statements) immediately to keep the process moving.
• References: Once you have provided the contact information for your employer, previous landlord, and/or guarantor, the portal will reach out to them directly to request that they complete a reference.
• A quick note: It’s vital that you complete your part of the online form swiftly, as we then depend on third parties (like your previous landlord's office or your employer's HR department) to respond. It can often take them a few days to get back to the referencing company. Remember, we have a 14-day limit for the entire process, and any delays in references will count against this timeline!

Step 5: Checking your Right to Rent

UK law requires us to check the legal Right to Rent for everyone over 18 before your tenancy can start. This is a mandatory check that ensures your application stays on track within the 14-day limit.

• Your Action: Once you've added your details on the referencing portal, we will immediately tell you the best way to verify your status:
  1. In-Person Check: This usually applies to UK citizens. You will need to pop into our office with your original, physical Passport so we can verify it. (We cannot accept copies)
  2. Online Check: If you have digital immigration status, we will ask you to provide a Share Code from the UK Government website, allowing us to check your status instantly online.

Step 6: Review & Outcome

Once all the references (from your employer, previous landlord, and/or guarantor) have been successfully returned to the portal we shall review them.

• Our Check: We carefully review all the information provided to ensure everything is consistent and that your income comfortably meets the required affordability checks in place
• The Goal: Our aim is to pass your references so we can quickly move you to the contract-signing stage.

Crucially, any request for extra information after reviewing your initial information, like a guarantor, must be actioned extremely quickly to ensure we don't exceed the overall 14-day limit for finalizing your tenancy. We'll be here to guide you through any conditional requirements!

Phase 3: Signing & Move-In Prepration

Step 7: Signing Your Agreement & Deposit Payment

Congratulations! Once approved, we will send you your Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement.

• Your Action: Please review and digitally sign the agreement immediately.
• Security Deposit: You will then pay the remaining balance of your Security Deposit (which is capped at five weeks' rent). This payment must be received and paid upon signing the agreement
• Protection: Your deposit is safe with us, it will be protected by a Government-approved scheme, The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), and we'll send you the paperwork.

Step 8: Finalising the Paperwork

Once everyone has signed the AST and the full deposit is paid, we will finalise the contract on behalf of your new landlord and arrange your key collection.

Step 9: First Month's Rent

We require your first month's rental payment to be cleared in our account about one week prior to your move-in date.

Step 10: Key Collection!

One Final Check: Once all funds have been received and cleared from all tenants, we can release your keys.

In-Person: To be legally compliant, keys can only be handed over directly to the tenants during our office hours. Keys can be collected from midday at our office on the 1st day of the tenancy.