Renting a home with Livdin: what happens from viewing to keys

We let and manage houses, flats and rooms in shared houses across Huddersfield, Holmfirth, Leeds, Harrogate, Barnsley, Halifax, Wetherby and Rotherham, from our office on Huddersfield Road in Holmfirth. This page is for tenants. It covers what happens between seeing a place you like and picking up the keys, what it costs, and what we do once you’ve moved in.

Finding a place

Our available homes are listed on the homepage, pulled live from Coho, the system we manage every property in, so a home that has been let drops off the list. If nothing fits, message the office with the area, whether you want a whole house, a flat or a room, your budget and your move date. We reply within one working day.

Before you book viewings, spend two minutes on the affordability checker. Most referencing companies look for a household income of about 30 times the monthly rent, so £650 a month needs around £19,500 a year before tax. If you’re short of that, a guarantor usually solves it.

From viewing to keys

1. You view the property with us. Ask about bills, parking, the boiler, the neighbours, anything.
2. If you want it, we send an application form to every adult who will live there. It asks about your work, income, current address, pets and move date.
3. Once the landlord is happy to go ahead, you pay a holding deposit of one week’s rent. On £650 a month that is £150. The property comes off the market at that point, and the £150 comes off your first month’s rent.
4. Referencing. Each tenant gets a link to complete online: a credit check, an affordability check and a reference from your current landlord. If you’re self-employed, an SA302 or a letter from your accountant covers income. We also need your passport (or a right to rent share code) and proof of address from the last three months.
5. You sign the tenancy online.
6. You pay the deposit and the first month’s rent, and collect the keys.

Questions to ask a letting agent before you rent

Take this list to the viewing. A good agent answers every one without hesitating, and so do we.

• Bills. Which bills, if any, are included in the rent, and what council tax band is the property? On a room in a shared house, ask exactly what the rent covers.
• Heating and hot water. What heats the home, and what is the EPC rating? The landlord must give you the energy performance certificate, and the gas safety certificate before you move in.
• Damp and mould. Look at window frames, ceiling corners, behind furniture and inside cupboards. Ask whether there has been damp and what was done about it.
• Repairs. How do you report a repair, and who fixes it? With us it is the Coho tenant app, or the office on 01484 981717, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
• The deposit. How much is it, and which scheme protects it? It is capped at five weeks’ rent for rent under £50,000 a year. We register every deposit with the DPS.
• Pets. Can you ask to keep one? Since 1 May 2026 you can, and the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse.
• Who manages it. Is the agent managing the property, or only finding the tenant? If the landlord manages it, get their contact details for repairs before you sign. On the homes we manage, you deal with our office.
• The tenancy terms. Ask to read the terms before you pay the holding deposit.

What it costs

You pay us no fees. Agents have not been allowed to charge tenants for referencing, admin or check-in since June 2019, and we don’t look for ways round that.

The money before you move in is the holding deposit, the tenancy deposit and the first month’s rent. On a £650 a month home that is £1,400 in total: £150 when you reserve it, then £1,250 when you sign (the £750 deposit plus the rest of the first month).

The deposit is capped by law at five weeks’ rent for anything under £50,000 a year, and we register every deposit with the DPS, the government-backed Deposit Protection Service. Since 1 May 2026 nobody can ask you for more than one month’s rent in advance. Rent bidding is banned too. The rent we advertise is the rent you pay, and we can’t take a higher offer from someone else.

Your rights since May 2026

The Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026. Every tenancy now rolls month to month with no fixed end date, and you can leave with two months’ notice. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are gone, so a landlord needs a legal reason to end your tenancy. What the May changes mean for renters has more.

Rent can go up at most once a year, with two months’ written notice. If you think an increase is above the market rent, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal. You can also ask to keep a pet, and the landlord can’t unreasonably refuse or make pet insurance a condition.

Once you’ve moved in

Report repairs through the Coho tenant app and add photos. A photo usually means we send the right tradesperson first time. You can also call the office on 01484 981717, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.

If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone out and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 first, then us. For a fire, or anyone in danger, call 999. For a bad leak, turn the water off at the stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and phone us rather than sending a message.

We visit to check on the property during your tenancy, and we always give you notice first. Tenants who rent through us stay 24 months on average.

What one tenant said

“Myself and my daughter went to view a property to rent. Leann showed us around. She was on time and really professional. We liked the property and applied for the tenancy. Throughout the process, we were kept in the loop and it was all super easy and straightforward. I’d recommend LivdIn Property to anyone looking to rent!”

Looking now? See what’s available or message the office with what you need.