Introduction

Deposit – free renting (subject to a monthly cost). Terms and conditions apply.

No upfront monetary deposit required (generally the equivalent of 1 month’s rent)

You will still be liable for any damages & dilapidations caused during your tenancy (fair wear and tear taken into consideration) which will need to be paid for by you at the end of the tenancy should this occur.

Straight forward end of tenancy process

Independent dispute resolution

Subject to cancellation by you with 1 month’s written notice, noting that there is a minimum 3 month term.

Please refer to the No Deposit Option terms and the terms of your Tenancy Agreement for further information.


Tenant Benefits

Our membership for tenants, named the Residency, offers something for all tenants. Become a Residency member and gain access to the following tools and resources:

No Deposit Option - Say goodbye to months of saving and hello to deposit-free renting. As part of the Residency, the No Deposit Option means you will no longer have large deposits tied up for the duration of your tenancy*. Please note: The tenant is still liable for any damages at the end of the tenancy.

Exclusive discounts - To help you reduce your day to day costs you can access an exclusive portal to save money across 100s of well known brands (including some supermarkets)!

Financial well-being and education - Understanding your finances shouldn’t be hard – that’s why we’re here to make it easy for you. Maximise your financial opportunities, overcome financial problems and make managing money stress free with our financial advice and education. We’ve also added a Budget Planner within your Romans portal, which helps you to plan your finances.

Discounts for domestic appliances - Your new home deserves new gadgets. To help you, we’re offering you exclusive discounts on Russell Hobbs domestic appliances.

Unlimited legal helpline - Your Residency membership entitles you to free and impartial legal advice - choose from a panel of highly regarded solicitors.

Cohabitation agreement - In case you’re not renting alone, we’ll help protect you to protect your interests with a cohabitation agreement.

Will writing - Our panel of fully qualified solicitors and Estate Planning Consultants will help you draft out a will to protect your loved ones and leave matters exactly as you want them.

Financial protection review - As part of your Residency membership, we can also offer you financial protection review for that extra peace of mind.

First-time buyer advice - In case you’re planning to purchase your own property, we’ll provide you with access to our mortgage advisers. You’ll soon be armed with everything you need to know to take your first steps on the property ladder.

Workplace pension review - As a Residency member you will have a free workplace pension review – discover what your pension will be when you retire and take control now.

End of Tenancy

The Acorn Group will arrange a check out at the property. They will provide you with a schedule of damages/dilapidation (if any) against your tenancy. We will, where possible, contact you via our Deposit Portal, the Depositary, This will allow you to view any relevant paperwork pertaining to your tenancy and monitor the status of the end of tenancy process at any time. You will have 30 days from receipt of this notification to agree to or dispute these. Once you have agreed to the damage/dilapidations, you will need to make payment of the agreed cost via a debit/credit card or bank transfer.

Notifying us of a dispute

A dispute is raised by completing a dispute notification claim form and providing evidence. An adjudication will then be undertaken by HF Resolution Ltd who are an Independent third party who specialise in resolving disputes in the property sector.

There will be a cost applicable towards raising a dispute by you which is £120 inclusive of VAT, payable in advance of adjudication. This fee will be refunded to you on a pro rata percentage basis of any amount awarded to you in the adjudication.

Example – You are advised of an amount required by your Landlord totalling £700 to cover the total costs against the Schedule of damages/dilapidations. The schedule will list the specific items/points in question and the amount requested against them.

You agree to an amount of £400 leaving an amount of £300 in dispute. You request that the matter goes to arbitration and pay the fee of £120 inclusive of VAT. The HF Resolution Ltd

Adjudication rules that the Landlord should only receive an amount of £200 as fair compensation.

You have had an amount of £100 ruled in your favour being a third (33.33%) of the initial disputed amount of £300. A third of your adjudication fee inclusive of VAT equates to £40. The £40 will be refunded to you by The Acorn Group.

Any one Tenant on a Joint and Several Tenancy Agreement can raise a Dispute, provided their name is on the Tenancy Agreement. They will need to confirm that they are acting on behalf of the other Tenants. HF Resolution Ltd will check the validity of the dispute before proceeding to the matter to adjudication.

You will need to contact The Acorn Group to obtain a Dispute Notification Claim Form.

Default Adjudication

If you do not respond to the notification of the schedule of damages/ dilapidations within the 30 day timeframe, either by accepting them and the proposed charges against them or by notifying The Acorn Group that you dispute them/the proposed charges, then we will move forward with the claim and look to instruct our credit control team for debt collection.

About Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service can resolve your dispute without you having to go to Court. Both you and your Landlord must agree to its use. ADR is evidence-based and requires you to raise a dispute explaining what you are disputing, and requires your Landlord to provide evidence to justify the proposed charges. HF Resolution Ltd will review the case and make a binding