The Southampton Letting Agent

1 Bed Apartment, Havelock Chambers, Queens Terrace, City Centre

2011-11-15T21:38:00.000Z

£650 per month - Available 15th December

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this fully furnished second floor one bedroom apartment available in the "1930's New York Art Deco" style Havelock Chambers, in Queens Terrace, Southampton.

Available 15th December, this property benefits from having a large lounge, kitchen, bathroom, double bedroom (with fitted wardrobe), and electric central heating.

Ideal for a single professional or a couple, this property is located close to the cosmopolitan area of Oxford Street, with its many fashionable bars and restaurants. The West Quay shopping centre is a mere 10 minute walk from this location, and Town Quay is only 5 minutes away. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

How much are you really paying your current Letting Agent?

2011-10-27T22:01:00.000+01:00

No really, how much are you paying your current letting agent? Chances are it is a lot more than you should be paying.

Recently Citizen Advice have criticised letting agents for ripping landlords off and inventing charges as they go along. And we have seen this happen a lot in the last year.

The top letting agents are getting in a habit of reducing their commission fees to the barest minimum, just to get landlords on board ahead of the competition. So what sounds like a great deal, doesn't necessary mean so. Remember there is no such thing as a free lunch.

There is no transparency with their prices. You get offered a very local rate, but what you don't know is what is added on top. If you really looked, you would find a fee for finding the tenants, a fee for arranging the tenancy agreement, a fee for doing the check in, a fee for renewing the tenancy agreement, and anything else they would like to throw at you. Suddenly their original rate, without all the extras included, looks really good.

Continuing on the theme of transparency. How many letting agents publish their prices? Not many I can tell you. How many of those that don't, will provide their prices if asked by phone or via email? Not that many - unless they can get to your property first, in order to sell themselves to you first.

We believe in transparency. We believe that landlords should, NO MUST, know what is charged before choosing us. They need to know how much they need to pay for our services.

When we say that we will charge 8% for our management service - that is how much we expect to charge, and for landlords to pay. There is no tenant find fee with this service, no fee for doing the tenancy agreement, no fee for doing a check in or check out, no fee for protecting the deposit, no fee for renewing the tenancy agreement - in fact, you would be hard pushed to find any fees aside from the 8% for our management service.

And because we believe in transparency, we are more than happy to publish all our prices on our website. We want landlords to know that what they pay us is all that they pay us. And, of course, let's not forget that there is no VAT to pay - so that's a bonus too.

For more information, please feel free to contact us on 023 8001 0434 or email us at mail@coxford-lettings.com.

Five years and still going strong

2011-10-25T01:16:00.001+01:00

It's true. It's been just over five years since I started Coxford Lettings. And it has an exciting and interesting time. Nothing gives me joy more than the job I do now.

To celebrate these five years, I have decided to offer my standard management service for 5% for the first 5 months (after that it would be 8%).

Obviously there is a catch. The offer applies to new instructions and landlords only. And will apply to all new instructions taken on between and and the 31st of December 2011.

So now is a good time to transfer your rented property to us.

Call me today on either 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

2 Bed Apartment, Ted Bates Road, Chapel

2011-09-21T10:36:00.000+01:00

£850 per month - Available 1st October

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this modern furnished two bedroom apartment in Ted Bates Road, in the much sought after area of Chapel, Southampton.

Available 1st October, this property benefits from having large lounge/dining area, kitchen (with white goods, including dishwasher and washing machine) and breakfast bar, two double bedrooms (one with en suite), family sized bathroom with shower, balcony, and allocated parking space.

Ideal for a couple or two professionals sharing, this property is located close to the shops, clubs and bars in the City Centre, Ocean Village, Oxford Street and Town Quay. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

1 Bed Apartment, Endeavour Court, Ocean Village

2011-08-24T21:07:00.000+01:00

£640 per month - Available Now

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this Luxurious Unfurnished One Double Bedroom, 3rd Floor Apartment available in Endeavour Court, Ocean Village, Southampton City Centre.

Available Now, this property benefits from having 1 double bedroom with triple fitted wardrobe, Open plan lounge with Juliet balcony, wooden flooring, large luxury fitted kitchen with double fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, stainless steel hob and double oven, and Luxury bathroom with white suite, large mirrored luxury storage unit bath and shower over bath. Also includes lift to all floors, video entry, on site concierge, 24 hour security, bike storage available and parking permits can be purchased to benefit from on-site 24 hour security. Rent includes water and maintenance.

Ideal for a couple or a single person., this property is located close to to the bars and marina of Ocean Village and a 10 minute walk from the restaurants and bars of Oxford Street. Also close to major bus routes into the City Centre, with onward connections to the Central Railway station and all areas of Southampton. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

1 Bed Flat, Atlantic Mansions, Albert Road South, Ocean Village

2011-07-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

£625 per month - Available 9th August

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished One bedroom apartment, in a Grade 2 listed building, in Albert Road South, Ocean Village. RENT INCLUDES GAS AND WATER RATES.

Available 9th August, this property benefits from having one bedroom, lounge, fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, bathroom with power shower and tiled flooring, double glazing and central heating.

Ideal for a single professional/student or a couple, this property is located close to Ocean Village, popular restaurants, nightspots and local shops. About 10 minute walk to West Quay, though it is very close to several bus routes into the centre. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

2 Bed Flat, The Avenue, Banister Park

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000+01:00

£740 per month - Available Now

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this purpose built modern two bedroom fully-furnished flat, located on The Avenue.

Available Now, this property benefits from having two bedrooms, family sized bathroom, large lounge, and separate kitchen (with white goods).

Ideal for two professionals sharing or a couple, this property is located close to the City Centre and Solent University, and close to major bus routes into the City and the University of Southampton.

Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS, Pets or Children.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

1 Bed Flat, Portswood Road, Portswood

2011-07-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

£550 per month - Available 24th September

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished One Bedroom flat available in Portswood Road, in the ever popular area of Portswood.

Available 24th September, this property benefits from having a lounge, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

Ideal for a single person or a couple, this property is located close to Portswood High Street, and within easy walking distance of the City Centre. Ideal for both universities. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

1 Bed Flat, St Deny's Road, St Denys

2011-07-26T08:00:00.001+01:00

£550 per month - Available 11th August

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished one bedroom flat available in St Deny's Road, St Denys. Rent includes Water Rates.

Available 11th August, this property benefits from having a lounge, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.

Ideal for a single person or a couple, this property is located close to major bus routes into the City Centre, and is only a short walk to Portswood High Street. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

3 Bed House, St Mary Street, St Marys

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

£900 per month - Available Now

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished three bedroom house in the ever popular St Marys area, only a short distance from Solent University. Rent includes Water Rates

Available Now, this property benefits from having three bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, and bathroom.

Ideal for three students sharing., this property is located close to Solent University and the Royal South Hants, as well as being a short walk to both St Mary's and the City Centre. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

1 Bed Flat, Denzil Avenue, Newtown - Includes Gas and Water

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

£495 per month - Available 10th September

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished one bedroom flat in Denzil Avenue, Newtown, Southampton. Rent includes Gas and Water Rates.

Available 10th September, this property benefits from having a bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom. On Road Permit Parking.

Ideal for a single person or a couple, this property is located close to shops in Bevios Valley Road and the City Centre. Within a short walking distance to Royal South Hants Hospital. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

Studio, Cobden Avenue, Bitterne

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

£500 per month - Available Now

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished Studio apartment, which includes Gas, Water and Electric.

Available Now, this property benefits from having a lounge, kitchen, double bedroom area, and bathroom. Off-road parking is available.

Ideal for a single person or a couple, this property is located close to Bitterne Park Triangle and Portswood and local bus routes. And is located within reach of the beautiful Riverside Park. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

Studio, Hulse Road, Banister Park

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

£450 per month - Available 12th August

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this large furnished studio, available in Hulse Road, in the popular Banister Park area.

Available 12th August, this property benefits from having a bedroom/lounge/kitchen area (complete with washing machine, fridge freezer, and counter top cooker), bathroom with shower, and off road parking.

Ideal for a single person or a couple, this property is located close to the Bedford Place area, The Avenue, and the Common. Also close to bus routes into the city centre and to the universities. Early viewing is recommended.

No DSS or Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or checkwww.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

2 Bed Flat, Ennerdale Road, Maybush

2011-07-11T22:03:00.000+01:00

£625 per month - Available 9th August

Coxford Letting Agent Southampton are pleased to offer this furnished two bedroom maisonette in Ennerdale Road, Maybush.

Available 9th August, this property benefits from having a Lounge, Kitchen (with white goods), two double bedrooms, bathroom (with shower), double glazing, gas central hearing, and off road parking.

Ideal for two professionals sharing or a couple, this property is located close to local shops and schools, as well as major bus routes into the City Centre and General Hospital. Early viewing is recommended.

No Pets.

Contact Lee on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing, send a request via email, or check www.coxford-lettings.com for details of our other properties.

We are now listed on FindaProperty.com

2011-05-18T22:17:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to announce that as of today our available properties are now appearing on FindaProperty.com.

This is a great addition for us, as we can now offer our available properties to an even broader section of potential tenants. Also it compliments the existing portals we already list on, such as Zoopla, PropertyFinder, Globrix, and Mintlocation (and not forgetting the other 20 or so property portals that we list on as well).

Not all agents would consider advertising to such a broad range of potential tenants. So when you are next thinking about renting out your property in Southampton - come and talk to us, and get your property listed on FindaProperty (and everywhere else).

Student House Price Reductions

2011-05-10T10:48:00.000+01:00

Spoke to one of my landlords this morning, and he asked me to reduce two of his properties in price. Each of these properties are at a very competitive price now, so don't take long, book a viewing today - 07515 119588.

4 Bed House, Wessex Lane, Swaything
£850 (was £950) per month - Available 1st July 2011
This good sized house consists of three double bedrooms, one single bedroom, lounge, kitchen (with cooker, fridge Freezer, washing machine, and dishwasher), bathroom (with shower), downstairs wc, and garden.

4 Bed House, Harrison Road, Swaything
£1,000 per month - Available 1st July 2011
This property benefits from lounge, kitchen (with white goods), three large double bedrooms and one single, bathroom (with shower), off road parking, and a garden.

Call Coxford Lettings today on 07515 119588 to arrange a viewing.

Wanted, Landlords willing to take housing benefit claimants.

2011-05-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

For the last couple of weeks we have received loads of phone calls from people looking to rent properties but who are in receipt of housing benefit.

Normally that isn't a problem for us as we usually have a property which will take housing benefit claimants. But lately this hasn't been the case, and the number of calls we are getting is more than double what we usually get.

Right now we have a shortage of properties that will take housing benefit claimants. So we need landlords in or around Southampton who have a vacant property to consider taking housing benefit claimants.

We know that taking on housing benefit claimants can be risky, but then in these uncertain economic times, it can be a risky business taking anyone on these days. But as long as a certain set of rules are applied at the beginning, there is no reason why housing benefit claimants can't as good a tenants as professional tenants.
If you read this blog last week you will know that we talked about these rules and how they can help. But if you didn't then we would recommend that you do - click here to access the post.

We can help you as a landlord to go through the process of accepting housing benefit claimants, either through our tenant find service or our managed service (so that you don't have to deal directly with the tenants).

So if you have a vacant property in the Southampton or surrounding area and you are thinking about accepting housing benefit claimants, please call us on either 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 - we would be only to happy to help.

Studios, 1 & 2 Bed Flats available soon in Bedford Place

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000+01:00

From around mid-may until mid September, we will have around 41 flats available in a modern block in the Bedford Place area. These 41 flats consists of a mixture of studios, one or two bedroom flats.

These flats can be found in Mede House in Salisbury Street, behind London Road and opposite the exit to Bedford Place car park. The flats are nicely laid out, and some of them even have balconies offering great views of Southampton; though if you have a top floor flat, you will have great views regardless of a balcony. There is a lift to all floors, CCTV through the communal areas of the building, and a coin operated washing machine and dryer on the ground floor.

Due to it's location, Mede House is ideal for Students studying at Solent University. Not only because of it's close proximity to the university, but also close to the many pubs and nightclubs in the Bedford Place/London Road area (not far to go after a good night out).Those studying at the University of Southampton are also welcome as the U1 and U2 go from London Road, which is only a minutes walk from Mede House.

We have included a summary of the flats available below. If you would like to live here, please call us today on either 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588 - failing that, you can email us at mail@coxford-lettings.com.

We look forward to showing you around Mede House.

Studio, Salisbury Street, Bedford Place - £425 per month - Available From 16th August

Studio, Salisbury Street, Bedford Place - £450 per month - Available From 21st May

Studio, Salisbury Street, Bedford Place - £475 per month - Available 2nd September

1 Bed Flat, Salisbury Street, Bedford Place - £525 per month - Available 21st July

1 Bed Flat, Salisbury Street, City Centre - £645 per month - Available From 20th July

2 Bed Flat, Salisbury Street, Bedford Place - £695 per month - Available From 3rd July

Student Properties Still Available

2011-05-03T08:00:00.002+01:00

Today is Tuesday 3rd of May and with students coming back for the summer term, now's a good time to remind everyone that we still have a great number of student properties available.

We have listed a summary below, and if you would like to arrange a viewing, please call us on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588.

2 Bed Flat, Cranbury Terrace, City Centre - £780 per month - Available 1st August
This property benefits from lounge, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom (with shower), and off road parking. Rent includes water rates and electricity (subject to fair usage).Located close to the City Centre, Royal South Hants Hospital, and Solent University, this property is ideal for both professionals and students alike.

4 Bed House, Wessex Lane, Swaything - £950 per month - Available 1st July 2011
This good sized house consists of three double bedrooms, one single bedroom, lounge, kitchen (with cooker, fridge Freezer, washing machine, and dishwasher), bathroom (with shower), downstairs wc, and garden. Unilink routes U1 and U6. into the City Centre, the General Hospital, and the Universities, stop right outside the house.

4 Bed House, Harrison Road, Swaything - £1,100 per month - Available 1st July 2011
This property benefits from lounge, kitchen (with white goods), three large double bedrooms and one single, bathroom (with shower), off road parking, and a garden. Located close to the University of Southampton.

4 Bed House, Gordon Avenue, Portswood - £1,210 per month - Available 1st July 2011
This property benefits from having 4 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, bathroom, and garden. Located close to Portwood High Street and Unilink bus routes to both Universities.

4 Bed House, Milton Road, Polygon - £1,300 per month - Available 1st July
This house consists of 4 bedrooms, kitchen (with white goods), lounge, bathroom, and enclosed garden. Ideal located for easy access to the Universities, and the pubs & clubs in and around Bedford Place.

4 Bed House, Burlington Road, Polygon - £1,300 per month - Available 1st July
This property benefits from a large kitchen, with white goods, separate lounge, four bedrooms, bathroom (with shower), and garden. Ideal for Students studying at Solent University.

6 Bed House, Southcliff Road, Inner Avenue - £1,768 per month - Available 1st July
This property benefits from having a lounge, kitchen, six bedrooms, bathrooms, and garden. Ideal for six students sharing, this property is located close to pubs & clubs in and around the local area, and easy access to the Universities.

6 Bed House, Osborne Road South, Portswood - £1,860 per month - Available 1st July
The accommodation comprises: fully fitted kitchen with dish washer, tumble dryer, microwave, large fridge, two electric ovens and gas hob with extractor over; utility room with washing machine, under counter fridge and chest freezer; communal lounge with TV, sofas, dining table etc. Also includes off road parking, garage for storage, small garden and covered patio area ideal for BBQ's etc. On the ground floor there are 3 bedrooms, a shower room and the communal lounge, kitchen & utility . On the first floor there are 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. The bedrooms each have a double bed, wardrobe, bedside table and chest of drawers; all rooms have TV aerial points.

Helpful Tips for First Time Buyers

2011-04-28T08:00:00.002+01:00

In the current economic climate first time buyers are finding it incredibly hard to not only get a mortgage but also to cover all the costs of buying a house. For those able to get a new mortgage there is always the risk of hidden costs and mounting debt. Therefore, we have put together a few helpful tips to make sure you first time buyers don’t leave yourself short when moving into that new home:

Find the right mortgage – With hundreds of mortgage providers out there it is always worthwhile checking your options. Make sure you search a good variety of providers and find the interest rate and payment plan that is right for you. Check your options thoroughly and make sure you pick one that you can afford and will not straddle you with a pile of debt.

Get a good surveyor – Your new house may look fantastic on the surface but until you get it surveyed you can never be sure of what underlying problems there are. What you don’t want is to move into a new property only to discover you need to pay out because of a leaky roof, mould, damp or bad foundations. By getting the property properly surveyed you will find out any potentially costly issues before you sign the contract.

Be aware of hidden costs – When buying a home for the first time you will find you have to pay out for much more than just the mortgage deposit. Make sure that when you are pricing up your move you take into account Stamp Duty Land Tax, the cost of a removals company, Lenders Fees and Land Registry Fees.

These are all one off payments but if you leave yourself short you may feel the sting of them for years to come.

Get insured – You may be used to your landlord fixing burst pipes, broken appliances and leaking windows but once you own it’s your responsibility. Therefore always make sure you cover yourself with a comprehensive home insurance. The monthly premiums may seem like a pain but you will be kissing your insurance renewal if something goes wrong in the house as your insurer will pay out for the costs.

So there you have it, follow these simple tips and you will find buying for the first time is a lot less stressful than people make out.

Standard Property Management Service

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

Coxford Lettings are pleased to offer our Standard Property Management Service at a competitive rate of 8% of the monthly rent, which comes with no vat attached, no initial set up fees and no added on tenant find fees.

This service is ideal for a landlord who wants total peace of mind when it comes to letting their property, and who wants a third pary to find and manage the tenants while they are living there.

We work on a no let, no fee basis – so there is nothing to pay until a tenant moves in and starts paying rent.

All our properties are advertised on our website, Zoopla, Property Index, Propertyfinder, Mintlocation,Thinkproperty, Hotproperty, Gumtree and 20 other property portals.

We can also provide Legal Expenses & Rent Protection Insurance, which is designed to offer you even greater peace of mind and will pay the rent should the tenants default. It will even cover the legal expenses should there be a need to evict them because of the rent default. This service is included in ourRent Guarantee Property Management Service.

As we believe that all our landlords should be known by their names rather than a reference number, we have decided to limit the number of managed properties to 60. That way you can always be guaranteed a professional and personal service from Coxford Lettings, and that your property will be looked after.

There are still places available for your managed property, please call us today on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588. We look forward to working with you.

Are you a name or a number?

2011-04-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

It's an honest question, and one you should think about when choosing a letting agent. Do you want to deal with someone who considers you as a reference, or someone who wants to work with you as a person?

And that's the main difference between us and one of the "leading"agencies. They may look nice, treat you nice, and make great coffee, but once your property has been let, you become a reference number - never to be treated in the same way again.

Of course there is another way. You get treated like a real person with us, and not just on special occasions It's all part of the service that we offer and believe in, whether it's full management or tenant find.

Because always knowing a landlords name, and knowing instantly what property they own, is an important thing and separates us from the so called "leading" agencies.

So get your name back and stop being thought of as a number. Call Coxford Lettings today on either 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588.

Rent Guarantee Property Management Service

2011-04-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

Coxford Lettings are pleased to offer our Rent Guarantee Property Management Service at a competitive rate of 10% of the monthly rent, which comes with no vat attached, no initial set up fees and no added on tenant find fees.

This service includes FREE Legal Expenses & Rent Protection Insurance, which is designed to offer you even greater peace of mind and will pay the rent should the tenants default. It will even cover the legal expenses should there be a need to evict them because of the rent default.

This service is ideal for a landlord who wants total peace of mind when it comes to letting their property, and who wants a third pary to find and manage the tenants while they are living there.

We work on a no let, no fee basis – so there is nothing to pay until a tenant moves in and starts paying rent. In addition, we offer a free, no obligation valuation to all Landlords, whereby we are happy to not only value your property but we will also give you helpful advise in the all aspects of renting your property.

All our properties are advertised on our website, Zoopla, Property Index, Propertyfinder, Mintlocation,Thinkproperty, Hotproperty, Gumtree and 20 other property portals.

There are still places available for your managed property, please call us today on 023 8001 0434 or 07515 119588. We look forward to working with you.

To let to Housing Benefit or not?

2011-04-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

It's a question that we ask landlords a lot, but the answer is more often than not,no. Which is a shame as housing benefit tenants can make great tenants and more likely to look after a property than most others.

Why do we always get that answer? It's fairly obvious really. Rightly or wrongly, we believe that those in receipt of housing benefit are a lazy bunch of people and are getting something for nothing. We read in the papers about all these benefits that people receive, often very large numbers, and how they do nothing for it.

This isn't really the case you know. That's only a tiny minority who some how manage to twist the system and never seem to get caught. The vast majority of housing benefit claimants are decent people who want nothing more than a break and a chance to advance themselves (just like the rest of us). It's just that some help is needed from the council to get them on their way.

Housing Benefit claimants can be broken down into about four different categories. The first one are those who are unemployed and receive benefits while they are looking for work (no matter how long it takes). The second are single parent families who can't work because they are raising children. The third are those who can't work because of a disability that stops them from doing so. And finally the fourth group, those who use housing benefit as a top up because they work for more than 16 hours per week but don't earn enough to cover all the rent.

There are other much smaller groups, but the majority fit into the above four categories. But whatever group they belong to, housing benefit claimants can become just as good as tenants as anyone else. It's just a case that more landlords need to be persuaded to give them a chance.

In order to convince more landlords, we implemented a process a while back, which makes the way we deal with housing benefit applicants easier and more secure. It is all based on the following simple and common sense rules.

All applicants must provide evidence that they are in receipt of housing benefit payments, or have been approved for such payments. If neither exists then there is no point in proceeding.
All applicants must have a guarantor. This guarantor must be in full time employment and own their own house. It makes sense to have a guarantor, especially if the council stops payments for some unexplained reason.
All applicants must have the full deposit. No excuses or alternatives should be accepted.
All applicants must have the first months rent in advance. It can take anything up to 6 weeks before the council start payments, and when that happens, the tenant is then anything up to 6 weeks in arrears all the time. At least by taking the first months rent, by the time the council starts payments, the tenant will either always on time or only a week or two late.

Following these four simple rules means that a housing benefit tenant can be treated and processed the same as any other professional or student tenant. It's obvious that not every housing benefit applicant will be able to pass these simple rules, but it does mean that those who can are likely to become model tenants.

If you would like to work with us to provide more properties for tenants in receipt of housing benefit payments, please call Coxford Lettings on 023 8039 7162 or 07515 119588.

The Archers in Southampton!! Whatever Next?

2011-04-23T08:00:00.002+01:00

For those following Ambridge Extra on Radio 4 Extra (was Radio 7 until three weeks ago), you can't have helped failing to notice that Southampton has been appearing a lot lately.

Ambridge Extra is meant to follow the lives of those lesser known characters in the Archers. The last couple of episodes we follow Alice Carter (married to Chris Carter) as she is in her final year studying engineering at Southampton University, and who is sharing a house with Chaz and Paulie.

Seems that Chaz got himself in trouble last Tuesday and is being questioned by Hampshire Police on suspicion of beating someone up. And to add even more intrigue, he has told the police he is in a relationship with Alice, hoping that she will help get him off the hook. Can't wait to find out what happens!

So anyway, getting back to some sort of theme, they must be living in a shared house somewhere in Southampton. No more than 3 bedrooms, as there is no indication that anyone else lives in this house. Any thoughts on where it could be, let me know - no prizes though, it's just for fun.