Introduction
This guide shows you how to create a pre-booked tenancy (an application for a tenancy prior to the tenant/s moving in) outside of the LetZone module (the module which helps you manage the pre-booked tenancy process). See the separate guide on LetZone for more information.
Getting Started
Outside of the LetZone module, you can start a tenancy application from the applicant record or the property record.
From the applicant record, click on the kebab menu (top-right) and select ‘Transfer to Tenancy’.
From a property record, in the left-hand-menu, scroll down and select the Tenancies tab and click on ‘+ Add New’.
Tenancy Details
If adding from the applicant record you’ll need to search for and select the property, then edit any of the existing information as required, and then click on ‘Continue’.
If your CRM administrator has the HMO Property option enabled for your agency, and the property is set up as a HMO, you’ll have the option to select a ‘Room’.
Tenant Details
Edit any of the existing information as required.
Tenant Financial Details
So your accounts team can easily match rent payments to tenancies, at this stage, you can record the Bank reference you’ll be asking the tenant to use, and the bank details they’ll be using when paying rent. These can also be added to the tenant record at a later date.
Guarantor Information
Switch on the Guarantor switch to add their information if required.
Either click on ‘add tenant’ and repeat the previous steps, or ‘Continue’.
This will allow you to review the details of the tenancy you are about to create.
Click on either ‘Edit Information’ to amend or ‘Create Tenancy’.
To create a tenancy from the property record, follow the same process, however there is no need to search for and select the property, if you have already added the applicant details, you can search for them to add them as a tenant, or you can enter their details at this stage.
Creating & Sending the Tenancy Agreement
From the tenancy record, click on the ‘Send Letter’ icon.
Select the required tenancy agreement letter template.
Speak to your iamproperty CRM contact to discuss the Dutton Gregory Legal Documents service if you would like to ensure your documents are always legally compliant.
Click on Generate.
You can check that the Landlord/s and Tenant/s are correct before clicking on ‘Generate’.
This will launch the letter template editor and show you a preview of the document.
Scroll through the document to view any merge fields which will appear as ‘<<merge field>>’ and click on ‘View Merged Data’ to ensure that the required information is appearing correctly.
If not, open the relevant record and check that the merge field builder button has been clicked in the relevant section.
If you need to edit the document, ensure the ‘View Merged Data’ button is switched off otherwise it will cause an error.
Once you’re happy with the document, you have the option of exporting to PDF, Word, Saving to Documents (will save in the tenancy record), sending via email (from the CRM), or saving to E-Sign (the document will then appear in your E-Sign dashboard ready for you to send).
If emailing, either select the relevant email template, or build your email manually.
You can use the blue template tags to merge data into your email and click on the Save icon in the template field and give it a name to create a template for future use.
Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Send Email’ button, the email will be saved in the journal of the tenancy record.
The Dutton Gregory agreement templates are designed for a tenancy with the primary tenant paying all of the rent, so if the tenancy is set up with multiple tenants paying the rent, you would need to either edit the template as you create the agreement or set up a separate version of the template for this purpose.
Activating a Tenancy
Once the tenant has moved in, you need to activate the tenancy (move it from Pre-booked to Live).
Using the Search function, search for either a tenant’s name or property address to find the pre-booked tenancy record.
From the tenancy record, click on the ‘Activate’ button (top-right of your screen), or click on the three-dot menu, select ‘Activate’ and confirm.
If you have not yet entered the Deposit Protection information you will receive a warning and will not be able to proceed.
Deposit Protection
Before you can activate a tenancy, the deposit protection information will need to be entered in the tenancy record.
From the tenancy record, in the left-hand menu, select Compliance, scroll down to the Deposit protection section, enter the relevant information and click the Save icon.
Renewing a Tenancy
From the tenancy record, leave the Tenancy Start date as is (as a record of when the tenancy originally started).
Change the Renewal Start date to the date that the new agreement comes into place (the day after the current Tenancy End date).
The Tenancy End date will then update based on the Renewal Start date and the Lease period (e.g. 12 Month Shorthold). Click the Save icon.
Rolling/Periodic Tenancies
If moving to a Periodic (or Rolling) Tenancy, change the Lease Period as required.
Change the Renewal Start date to that the date the new agreement comes into place (the day after the current Tenancy End date).
Leave the Tenancy End date as is, to reflect the end date of the original agreement.
The Activity List will now ignore the Tenancy End date.
When Tenant gives notice, set the Lease Period back from Periodic/Rolling to anything else (e.g. 12 Month Shorthold) and set the Tenancy End date so that the CRM will then trigger a reminder in the Activity List.
Click the Save icon.
Terminating a Tenancy
In the Compliance section, you can enter the meter readings if required.
Set the Vacating Date and Tick the check box (this is for reference only).
Update Tenancy End Date – this will update Final Rent amount (this is for reference only) further down the screen. Click the Save icon.
In Control Centre, Configuration, Accounts, Module Settings, there is an option, ‘Stop Rent Due on Tenancy End Date’. This uses that date to stop rent invoices being automatically generated and can be switched on or off (by one of your team who has Administrator access to your CRM) as required.
If on, you will need to remember to extend the Tenancy End date for rolling tenancies, if off, you will need to remember to terminate tenancies before the next rent due date after the tenancy end date).
If the tenancy end date is on the final date of the agreed tenancy, the final invoice will be automatically generated.
If it is a rolling tenancy and the tenancy end date would mean that the Next Rent Due date would not be reached (and therefore not automatically generate the final rent invoice), you would need to create a Tiered Rent using a minus figure which will automatically create the final invoice when it is due.
From the tenant record, in the left-hand menu, click on the Financial tab and then click on the ‘+ Add new tiered rent’ button (bottom-right).
Add the Effective date, and either add the percentage required (add a minus figure before the number if you need to reduce the rent) or click on Fixed Amount £ to enter the amount of £ you wish to vary the rent by, then click ‘Save’.
Alternatively your accounts team could generate the final rent invoice manually from the Accounts module.
The tenancy needs to be terminated before a new tenancy can be activated, and can be done on or before the Tenancy End date.
Click on the kebab menu Three-line menu top-right, click Terminate Tenancy.