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How it works

Free Benefits

Give honest reviews

Review your experience of living in a
property – let others know the good and bad

Bye bye applications!

No more filling in applications every time
you move – build your electronic reference
to use again and again

See property reviews

See previous reviews on properties you
are looking to rent so you can see if
you will be looked after

Internal messaging

So you can get things done and
evidence any requests for repairs
should you need to escalate things

Arrange viewings

Request viewings from property adverts
and send your profile to landlord for a
speedy response

No discrimination

Our Right to Rent facility will help you to put
together your own documents to enable your
landlord to check your eligibility to rent in the UK

Archive communication

Evidence communication so you can help
yourself recover your deposit at the end
of the tenancy

Use it to your advantage

Have a big advantage over tenants
that are not on the NRS

Sign up to NRS today!

BECOME a PREMIUM TENANT
Tenant Accreditation Programme
(TAP Scheme)

The TAP Scheme is great for tenants to improve their ratings and credit score and get to the front of the queue when looking for a new property. This is an optional, paid-for upgrade to the free service.

Benefits include;

  • More than cover the cost of the TAP – Reduced Rents with participating properties – some landlords recognise the value in a tenant that has put themselves on to an accreditation program and are willing to reduce the rent for a good, responsible tenant which pays for your accreditation!
  • Never be trapped – Enjoy Deposit Transfers – As a trusted and accredited tenant you will be eligible for deposit transfers so any landlord on the NRS scheme simply gets your existing deposit transferred so you don’t have to find a second deposit in order to move. All you do pay for is for any deposit deductions such as cleaning a carpet etc. or add to the deposit if the deposit required for you new property is higher than your existing one.
  • Improve your Experian Credit Score – we validate your rental payments and then report it to Experian who add it to your credit score – on time rent payments = improved credit score.
  • Transparency throughout your tenancy – You will also enjoy a rent book and a deposit deduction table so you can be made aware of potential deductions before the end of the tenancy and track your rent and deposit payments via the rent book.
  • Get first pick of the best properties – See properties coming up for rent before anyone else and because Landlords can see you are accredited with a flawless record you will likely be at the front of the queue for it…

Frequently Asked Questions

Doesn't the TAP scheme come under the recent Tenant Fee Ban?

The tenant fee ban applies to all tenancies. Within those tenancies only Holding Deposits, rent, deposits and charges for tenant defaults of the contract are exempt from the ban. EVERYTHING else is banned and can not be charged.

In short this means that just about every fee that is in the tenancy agreement will be void unless its exempt.

Our TAP scheme is a membership, it is voluntary, it is not part of a tenancy and is a continuous payment until further notice regardless of the number or length of any tenancy the tenant may have. Therefore it falls outside of the Tenant Fee Ban.

The membership fee that is charged covers the cost of all the TAP benefits that the tenant receives which enhances their rental experience.

Participating Landlords will discount rent and therefore deposit amounts if you are a TAP member and in some cases this more than pays for the cost of the TAP scheme itself – In other words when you rent from a participating property, our TAP is either free or cheaper than renting without it – You can sign up today by clicking the tab in the TAP section above.

Do I have to join the TAP scheme?

The TAP scheme is not a requirement of any tenancy and is entirely your decision to sign up to it.

If you are only going to be renting for 6 months then it is not advised. However, It does have many advantages.

You will be seen as a desired, responsible tenant

It will help your credit score if you are wanting to get a mortgage or a loan sometime in the future.

Your deposit will always be securely held by us so when you move we keep your deposit but transfer it to your new tenancy, this way you are not trapped if you can not afford to save for another deposit to move and no one is messing around moving money, finding money, delaying money or feeling vulnerable whilst money is in transition.

Rent Payments will always come via the NRS so you don’t have to remember to cancel one DD or Std Ord and set up another risking money going to the wrong account or person and having to reclaim. We simply take the new amount from you next month and pass it on to your new landlord or agent without you having to do anything.

 

See the TAP section for more benefits.

Can my rental payments help me improve my credit score with the NRS?

YES !

We are partnered with Experian to help tenants improve their credit score.

Once a month we report your rent status to Experian, they add it in to their calculations and alter your credit score accordingly.

NOTE – this is only currently available to TAP tenants as we have to verify the rent payments.

If you are interested in this but do not want to join the TAP scheme then please email your interest to creditscore@thenationalrentalstandard.org.uk  (There will be a charge for this service to cover costs and processing fees that are also charged to us)

What if my agent or landlord won't sign up to the NRS?

There may be a reason why your Letting Agent or Landlord will not want to sign up to The National Rental Standard.

 

If you are looking for your next agent/landlord and they are not on the NRS

Contact them to see if they will sign up, if they do then they can go through the process and sign you up. But ensure this happens before signing an AST so that you know they were not just saying it to get you in their property.

If they say no, ask yourself if you want to get involved with an agent/landlord that is not willing to be transparent or accountable, also, will they actually look after you and carry out repairs?

If you feel unsure then we advise to find someone that will look after you and can demonstrate that they can.

 

If your existing agent/landlord won’t sign up

You may want to ask them first, if they are happy to then they can go through the process and get you up and running

If they say no or you do not want to communicate with them for what ever reason then you can sign up yourself and then request your agent and landlord to.

We ask them to verify that you are one of their tenants and you are in one of their properties.

They have 28 days to complete sign up, if they do, then you are up and running. If they don’t we will make contact.

If they still do not want to sign up then we state that on their now limited profile and you will be able review them and carry on as if they were signed up, they would not be able to respond to any requests or reviews until they do complete the sign up.

Future tenants looking for them will then see that they do not want to be signed up to the NRS so that our members can then decide if they want to rent from them or not or find an agent or landlord that is fully signed up and transparent instead

Why are the review questionnaires based on set questions?

By having answers to set questions on both sides it helps others compare like for like.  It covers the entire rental lifescycle so nothing is missed – others get the full picture and It also helps remove the noise (and emotion) .

The National Rental Standard is about fulfilling responsibility for all parties, set questions allow the recipient to identify areas for improvement.  We hope the overall net effect is general improvement as parties take on feedback, and look to improve on areas of weaknesses whilst highlighting areas of strength.

I want to move but I can not save up for another deposit, I feel trapped, what can I do?

If you can, join our TAP (Tenant Accreditation Program) see above for more details.

Within the TAP you can enjoy Deposit Transfers.

When you sign up we will go through the process of transferring your deposit over to the NRS deposit scheme (MyDeposits)

The NRS keeps your deposit regardless of how many times you change property. So convenient for you, your landlord and your letting agent.

We just keep updating your tenancy details as per the LAW requires and provide you with a new deposit certificate so you always know where your deposit is.

This will also be seen in your rent book.

Once we have your deposit you can move to another property without having to find another deposit so you are not trapped in a property you no longer want to stay in.

You will also not have to worry about handing it over to a landlord you have only just met and do not know if they actually own the property you think you will be renting from them.

PLEASE NOTE – Although you won’t have to find a large sum for another deposit you may have to find an amount to pay for any normal deposit deductions. If you have looked after the property and there are no deductions then you won’t have to find that amount either!

There are other great advantages to the NRS TAP scheme. Have a look before you sign up. There is a small monthly membership fee so please bear that in mind before you join.

I am on TAP and about to change property. Do I have to cancel my Direct Debit with the NRS and set up a new one?

No, that is the great thing about being a TAP member on the NRS. We look after you and reduce the hassle from moving around.

(If you are in transition because you have just signed up to TAP then you will need to cancel any other payments)

Once The NRS has set up the DD, you need to do nothing going forward when you move.

We adjust your DD to suit your next property rent amount and continue seamlessly to collect it as before, no need to do anything.

We then pass it on to the next landlord.

By the way – we transfer your deposit too and provide you with another deposit certificate to match your new rental details. Its great being on TAP.

How do I know the property I am looking to rent is actually Fit for Habitation?

Fit for Habitation is now Law.

Landlords have a duty to ensure all rental properties are Fit for Habitation.

The majority of the Fit for Habitation Law is made up of the HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)

For more information visit http://www.fitforhabitation.co.uk 

Some landlords will be sorting this out themselves others will be getting an official third party HHSRS property inspection.

The NRS uses The HHSRS Co Ltd.

A certificate will be found on each property advert to let you know if each property has been officially inspected and been awarded a Fit for Habitation certificate.

Using the NRS property search will help you find these properties and other safe legal homes with reviews from previous tenants so you know you will be looked after.

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