When you rent a property, a contract is drawn up between you (The Tenant) and the Landlord of the property. There are two types of Rental Agreements, an Assured Tenancy (AS) and an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), the AST will be our preferred contract. An AST agreement exists to protect both you, as the Tenant, and the Landlord and sets out the terms for you to live in the Landlord’s property. It is normally a written agreement that clearly outlines your responsibility for the condition of the property and the responsibilities of the Landlord whilst you are their Tenant.
We believe retirement is all about having time to enjoy the things you love the most. Your own front door gives you privacy when you want it, but a communal Owners’ Lounge opens up a whole new social life with like-minded neighbours when you wish. All of our developments are designed exclusively for the over 60’s but we do manage some developments which have a minimum age of 55.
At all Churchill Retirement Living developments, you can say goodbye to maintenance. The communal upkeep and maintenance of the development including the gardens are all taken care of for you. You can forget about all those irritating, time-consuming jobs when you move into your new home.
Owners/Tenants also have the huge advantage of a ‘lock up and leave’ lifestyle enabling them to simply lock up and leave their apartment for weekends away and holidays.
Your Lodge Manager will always be on hand, and safety and security is of paramount importance to us. Living in a Churchill apartment means you’ll be able to close your front door in complete confidence, knowing that your apartment will be safe. What’s more, residents often find they are closer to friends and family, who can also benefit from the peace of mind that comes with a Churchill apartment.
Retirement developments or apartment complexes are essentially apartment blocks for independent individuals who just happen to be over 60, but so many people still seem to confuse retirement living with care homes or nursing homes.
The differences are:
The residents in Care Homes usually live in single rooms with en-suite facilities, much like a larger hotel room. As residents of care homes often have greater medical needs, most homes have on-site care services. In care homes all meals are provided, either in residents’ own rooms or in the dining room, and communal facilities will usually include staffed kitchens, lounges, activity rooms and a garden area.
Nursing homes provide the same facilities and personal care as a care home, but also have a qualified nurse on duty 24 hours a day to carry out nursing tasks.
We do not offer these services in our retirement living developments. You must be able to live independently.
Click here to see our ‘Guide to Renting‘.
The process of agreeing to rent an apartment can seem daunting, however that should not stop you, we will be at the end of a phone to guide and help you through every stage – right up to move in day and beyond (if we are managing the apartment).
Below is a 6 step guide to administer your move to one of our retirement living apartments:
Simply call us on 0800 077 8717 and we will register your details on our systems. Or alternatively, have a look at the property search section which lists all available properties and call us if you have any further queries.
If there is a property you would like to see, give us a call or send us an email with your preferred date and time and we will arrange this for you. In most cases, viewings are conducted by the Lodge Manager of that development, who we feel is the best person to give you an overview of the facilities and lifestyle on offer.
Once you have seen an apartment that you would like to proceed with, we will ask you to pay a Holding Deposit of 1 week’s rent to secure the property. This will be deducted from your first month’s rent, should you proceed and subject to contract.
Please note – this will be withheld if you withdraw from the Tenancy, you or any relevant person (inc any guarantors) fail referencing or Right to Rent, provide false or misleading information or fail to sign the Tenancy Agreement (and or deed or guarantee) within 14 days.
We will ask you to provide proof of ID and will also conduct the Right to Rent. We then refer you to an independent referencing company who will conduct thorough credit checks, look at affordability and validate your eligibility.
Once all the referencing process is complete and you have passed, with the Landlord’s acceptance we will draw up the Tenancy Agreement and agree a start date. At this point we will also arrange your check-in with an independent inventory company.
Upon completion of all the above and at an agreed date and time you will meet the Lodge Manager who will welcome you to the development and the Inventory Clerk who will check you in to the apartment and go through the condition and contents at time of handover. They will also take the meter readings and hand over the keys to your new home!! A copy of this will be provided to you at a later date.
For more detailed information on this process please see our Tenant Guide to Retirement Rentals, which also offers an FAQ page –
Click here to see our ‘Guide to Renting‘.
Responsibilities and Tenant Fees
Both the Landlord and Tenant have their responsibilities when an agreement is made to rent a property.
Please note – this will be withheld if you withdraw from the Tenancy, you or any relevant person (inc any guarantors) fail referencing or Right to Rent, provide false or misleading information or fail to sign the Tenancy Agreement (and or deed or guarantee) within 14 days.
See our Client Money Protection (CMP) certificate.
Read terms of CMP.