For: Lauren Agent: Moscrops Estate Agents, 8 Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead, CH41 2QR Phone: 0151 453 9224 Property ref: PM1969 Listing: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90810435
| Rent | £625 pcm (£144 pw) |
| Deposit | £625.00 (stated in key features) |
| Type | Ground floor, self-contained, purpose-built flat |
| Bedrooms | 2 |
| Bathroom | Combined wet room shower / WC |
| Layout | Entrance hall → living room (front), kitchen diner (rear), 2 beds, wet room |
| Heating | Gas central heating |
| Windows | uPVC double glazed |
| Outside | Paved area to front; enclosed yard and garden area to rear |
| EPC | Band D |
| Council Tax | Band A — £1,667.06 for 2026/27 |
| Parking | On-street |
| Listed | 13/07/2026 |
Listing says "Modernised" and "Close to shopping / supermarket", "Convenient for bus & rail".
- Available-from date
- Furnished or unfurnished
- Whether pets are allowed
- Tenancy length / type
- Whether benefit claimants are accepted
- Whether the rear garden is private or shared
- Any accessibility features beyond the wet room
Rent £625 pcm. Worth knowing what the housing element of Universal Credit will actually cover. Birkenhead sits in the Wirral Broad Rental Market Area, and the 2026/27 monthly LHA caps are:
| Bedroom entitlement | Max housing element |
|---|---|
| Shared accommodation rate | £318.71 |
| 1 bedroom | £425.00 |
| 2 bedrooms | £525.00 |
Important: the rate is based on how many bedrooms Lauren is assessed as needing, not how many the flat has. A single adult living alone with no children is normally assessed at the 1-bed rate (£425), or the shared rate if under 35 — though getting the daily living component of PIP normally exempts you from the shared rate, which would put her on the 1-bed rate. The 2-bed rate would only apply if there's a child, a partner who can't share, or a non-resident overnight carer.
So realistically there could be a shortfall of roughly £100–£200 a month between the housing element and the rent, which she'd cover from her standard allowance / PIP. This is worth checking properly before viewing — a benefits calculator (entitledto or Turn2us) or Wirral Council / Citizens Advice will confirm her actual bedroom entitlement. Discretionary Housing Payment from Wirral Council can sometimes cover a shortfall.
Council tax: Band A at £1,667.06/yr. With the 25% single person discount that's about £1,250/yr (~£104/month), and Council Tax Reduction could cut it much further or to nil depending on income. Apply to Wirral Council directly — it's separate from UC.
Legal caps worth knowing (Tenant Fees Act 2019):
- Holding deposit max = 1 week's rent = £144.23
- Security deposit max = 5 weeks' rent = £721.15, so the £625 asked is within the cap ✅
- Admin/referencing/inventory/renewal fees are banned. Only permitted charges are rent, deposits, utilities, council tax, a change-of-tenancy fee (£50 cap), and default fees for lost keys / late rent.
- Deposit must be protected in a government scheme within 30 days.
- Can you confirm the rent is £625 pcm and the deposit is £625?
- Is a holding deposit required to reserve it, and how much? (Legally capped at £144.23 — one week's rent.)
- Is any rent in advance required, and how much? Is that on top of the deposit?
- Which deposit protection scheme does the landlord use — DPS, MyDeposits or TDS?
- Are there any other costs at all before move-in — referencing, inventory, admin, anything?
- Are any bills included in the rent, or is everything on top?
- Are there any service charges or ground rent passed on to the tenant, since it's a purpose-built block?
- Which council tax band — the listing says A, £1,667.06 for 26/27, is that right?
- Does the landlord accept tenants on Universal Credit / housing benefit? (Blanket "no DSS" policies have been ruled unlawful discrimination in county court, but many landlords still apply them informally — better to know in minute two than after a viewing.)
- What does the referencing process involve for someone who isn't in work?
- Is a guarantor required? If so:
- What income or homeowner status does the guarantor need?
- Do they need to be UK-based / a homeowner?
- Is a rent guarantee insurance policy or larger deposit accepted instead of a guarantor?
- Is there a minimum income requirement, and do PIP and UC count towards it?
- Would the landlord accept direct payment of the housing element to them (managed payment / APA) if that helped?
- Are there any affordability checks she should know about before applying?
- Is there a credit check, and would past credit issues be a dealbreaker or just a guarantor trigger?
- What type of tenancy is it — assured shorthold, or a periodic/rolling agreement? (Note: since the Renters' Rights Act reforms, fixed-term ASTs have been replaced by rolling periodic tenancies in England — worth asking the agent to spell out exactly what she'd be signing.)
- Is there a fixed term? 6 months, 12 months, longer?
- What happens at the end of the term — does it roll on month-to-month automatically, or does a new agreement have to be signed?
- If it rolls on, is there a renewal process or renewal fee? (Renewal fees are banned.)
- What notice does she need to give to leave, and how much notice can the landlord give her?
- Is there a break clause, and when can it be used?
- Is the landlord looking for a long-term tenant or is there any chance of selling the property?
- How often and by how much can the rent be reviewed / increased?
- Can she see a copy of the tenancy agreement before paying anything?
The listing says "Garden Area to Rear" and "enclosed yard and garden area", but doesn't say whether it's hers alone.
- Is the rear garden exclusively for this flat, or is it communal / shared with the other flats in the block?
- If shared — shared with how many other flats, and does everyone have access through it?
- Who is responsible for maintaining it — the tenant, the landlord, or a managing agent?
- How is the garden accessed — directly from the flat (back door from the kitchen diner?), or only via a shared side entrance or through the block?
- Are there gates, and are they lockable? Is the rear boundary secure and fully enclosed?
- Is there a rear access alley behind, and do other people have a right of way through the garden?
- Would the landlord allow changes to the garden — for example lifting paving slabs and laying turf, or putting in raised beds?
- Does that need written permission in advance?
- Would she have to restore it to how it was at the end of the tenancy?
- Would the landlord contribute to materials, or is it entirely at her cost?
- Can she put up a shed, greenhouse, washing line or small storage unit?
- What's the front paved area — is that shared with the other flats or part of this one?
- Where do the bins live, and is bin storage shared?
(Interpreting "we presume pets are allowed but just checking" — if it was actually a different question, flag it and I'll redo this section.)
- Are pets allowed? If yes, what kind and how many?
- Does the landlord need to approve a specific pet in writing?
- Is there any extra charge, higher deposit, or a requirement to hold pet damage insurance? (Landlords can no longer refuse pets unreasonably under the Renters' Rights Act reforms, but can require pet insurance — worth asking exactly what their policy is now.)
- If the garden is communal, are there any rules about pets in it?
- The listing says "modernised" — what's been done and when? New kitchen, new bathroom, rewiring?
- How old is the boiler, and when was it last serviced?
- Is there a current gas safety certificate (CP12) and EICR (electrical safety report)?
- EPC is band D — roughly what do heating bills run at? Is there loft/wall insulation?
- Has there been any damp, mould or condensation? It's a ground-floor flat, so worth asking directly.
- Are the windows all double glazed and in good order — any blown units?
- What's the water pressure and hot water setup like in the wet room?
- Is the flat furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished? Are white goods (cooker, fridge, washing machine) included?
- Is there a washing machine plumbing point in the kitchen?
- Any flooring included, or bare boards?
- What broadband is available at the postcode — fibre or copper only?
- The combined wet room / WC is a plus for accessibility — is it a level-access wet room with a floor drain, or a low tray?
- Are there grab rails, or would the landlord permit them being fitted?
- Are there steps at the entrance, or is it level access from the pavement? The description mentions a pathway through a front paved area.
- Are doorways wide enough for a wheelchair or walking aid if that ever becomes relevant?
- Would the landlord be open to disabled adaptations if funded via a Disabled Facilities Grant from Wirral Council?
- How many flats are in the block?
- Is the flat directly below another flat — any known noise issues?
- Are the neighbouring flats privately rented, owner-occupied, or council/HA?
- Is the communal entrance (if there is one) secure, and who maintains the communal areas?
- Is there loft or outdoor storage, or somewhere for a bike?
- Who is the landlord — a private individual or a company? Is the property managed by Moscrops or does the landlord manage it directly?
- Who does she call for repairs, and what's the typical response time?
- When is it available from?
- Has an offer already been accepted, or is it still genuinely available? (Listed 13/07/2026, so it's been up a couple of weeks.)
- How many viewings/applications have there been so far?
- Is on-street parking unrestricted — any permit scheme or resident bays?
- Which bus routes and stations are closest — Birkenhead Central, Conway Park, Hamilton Square?
- When can she view, and can she bring someone with her?
- Once a viewing happens, what's the application process and timescale?
- Have the property reference PM1969 ready — that identifies it instantly.
- Ask questions B (benefits/guarantor) early — if they don't accept UC or insist on a homeowner guarantor she can't provide, the rest is academic and she's saved a trip.
- Don't pay a holding deposit on the phone. View first.
- Ask them to email the tenancy agreement and any fee schedule before committing to anything.
- Worth running a benefits calculator (entitledto.co.uk or turn2us.org.uk) beforehand so she knows her real housing element and whether £625 is affordable. Wirral Council or Citizens Advice Wirral can confirm bedroom entitlement and Council Tax Reduction.
- Take notes on the call — write the agent's name down.
Property details taken from the Rightmove listing (ref PM1969) as of 29/07/2026. LHA figures from the DWP's England Universal Credit LHA rates 2026 to 2027. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.