What does Devon SmartMove do, and what does it NOT do?
Devon SmartMove may be able to help people move into privately rented accommodation when they do not have savings for a deposit at the time of moving in.
We can take responsibility for the deposit for 6 months thereby giving the tenant time to save the money that the landlord is requesting.
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Why does a landlord ask for a deposit?
He requires a deposit in case there are rent arrears or damage to the property. If there are then the landlord takes this from the deposit at the end of the tenancy.
How does it work?
We do not give you or the landlord money. We offer the landlord a “bond” or guarantee that if there are rent arrears or damage then the bond will pay.
Why do I have to save towards the deposit when Devon SmartMove are responsible for the bond?
Our bond will only remain in place for 6 months. At the end of this time the bond will expire. It’s important that you have some savings to give to the landlord so that he has the deposit he wants.
Part of being accepted onto Devon SmartMove is joining the SmartMove savings scheme. If you do not have the deposit money at the end of the 6 months the landlord will have no security against rent arrears or damage, and may ask you to leave.
How will the savings scheme work?
The savings scheme is run and administered by Devon SmartMove, and once the amount of the deposit has been reached we hand this back to the tenant who hands it over to the landlord.
What does Devon SmartMove NOT do?
We are not an emergency service. This means that we are not a quick solution to your housing situation.
We do not offer rent in advance. A landlord will generally want a month’s rent on the day you sign the tenancy agreement and move into the property. You will have to look into ways of getting this money. We can advise you on how you might go about this.
We do not have any accommodation of our own. We can work with you to look for privately rented accommodation yourself, but we cannot find it for you.
What does Devon SmartMove expect of me?
Devon SmartMove works hard to foster good relationships with landlords in the area. We hope that we can give a good impression of Devon SmartMove tenants to landlords so they are more willing to accept our bond. This can only happen if Devon SmartMove tenants play their part too.
We expect you to attend a pre-tenancy workshop before you are accepted onto the scheme. You must agree for any Housing Benefit to be paid direct to your landlord and to keep to the terms of your tenancy agreement.
We hope you will co-operate with the SmartMove staff wherever possible and be a responsible tenant and good neighbour.
