Renting question

jadelois

Please excuse my ignorance I have asked my letting agents this question but I don't seem to get much in the way of a logical answer. My tenancy agreement states the following

2. The Tenancy shall be from and including the 04/09/2020 (‘the Commencement Date’) to and including the 03/03/2021

3. The Tenant shall pay to the Landlord by way of rent the amount of £595.00 per calendar month by Bank Standing Order or Direct Debit to: XXX in advance on the 4th day of each month during the Term. The first such payment to be made on the signing of this Agreement for the period from the Commencement Date until the next rent payment date.

The letting agents required a months rent up front and a deposit, does the above state that I also directly pay the landlord from the tenancy start date and therefore i'm a month up front on my rent? 

TIA

greatcrested

Your first payment of £595 is paid on whatever date you sign the tenancy agreement, to cover the period 4/9/20 till 3/10/20.

The deposit payment is additional to thei and will be returned at the end of the tenancy (provided you cause no damage/have no arears).

Whether you pay this and any subsequent payments directly to the landlord or via his agent makes no difference - you pay whichever you are required to pay.

oldbikebloke

assuming your confusion is caused by your taking the words you quote at face value, no you do not "also" pay the landlord, but yes, you are indeed a month "up front". Rent is always (normally always) paid in advance of the period to which it relates otherwise the risk of someone staying for a month and then vanishing without paying is too high.

The letting agent is acting on behalf of the landlord.  If you do "something" with the agent, then it is deemed to be the same as doing it with the landlord directly. You have paid the first month's rent to the agent, therefore you have already paid the landlord for the first month's rent, so 4 Sept 20 to 3 Oct 20. Your next payment is therefore due on 4th Oct 2020 and will cover 1 month in advance, so until 3 Nov 20.

Conveniently for both you and the LL, the rent payment date is also the same as the start date of each rental period.  That will be very important to you when and if you come to work out what notice you need to give if you want to leave (assuming you stay on after the end of any fixed term) and how much you will be paying during that notice period. I suggest you read the sticky at the top of the board so you understand the many more things you need to know as a tenant 
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5180214/tenancies-in-eng-wales-guides-for-landlords-and-tenants#latest