Why Fronted?

Renting sucks. Let’s fix it.

We all have a rental story

From waiting on small repairs that never get done, to landlords not returning deposits - as a renter, you are not alone in feeling like something is not right.

As renters, we had these experiences. As people, we heard these stories again and again. As a company, we knew we had to change this.

These are the three key facts

1. Renting is expensive.

Rents are going up. Deposits are going up. In parts of the UK, rent has increased +3.5% in one year. Though the Tenant Fees Act (2019) tries to reduce costs to tenants, experts say that the impact could be even higher rents or buy-to-let landlords selling due to dwindling returns (driving up demand and prices).

2. Renting is complex.

Understanding your rental rights is confusing at best. Keeping track of updates to ‘The House Act’ or ‘The Tenant Fees Act’ and how it impacts you is a full-time job in itself or requires specialist knowledge. Agents and landlords have the expertise and resources, but how does the renter understand this information and exercise their rights.

3. Renting is necessary.

This is the base truth. We need a place to live. We need something that meets our budget. We put up with bad situations because there is no good alternative. House prices are rising and with the rent increases, the odds seem to be forever stacking against renters. Renters spent £50bn in 2017 on rent alone however the market has not changed.

Something has to change

Renting needs to meet the freedoms promised, of being able to live where and how we want. We won’t stop renting - it’s the rental experience that needs to change.

That is why we are here with one clear goal. To make renting better for renters.

How does Fronted plan to change the market?

Fronted works for renters and in their best interest. Firstly, we are launching a cash deposit solution to smooth out the first barrier when renting.

A Fronted Deposit makes moving in more manageable. When transitioning between properties, you need to pay a new deposit without access to your old deposit. This gap can be approached in a better way rather than dipping into your savings or borrowing from family 😬.

What if your deposit could be spread across your new tenancy, so you can have a hassle-free rental transition, ending with you having your deposit money in full glory? This is Fronted Deposit, no more worries about not having a bulk deposit, taking out from your savings or reorganising your budget.

This is our first step in helping renters. Fronted is taking on the whole rental experience. Through Fronted, you will get reminders of key dates, when you should expect responses from agents and landlords and gain the language to get things improved in your home. This is power back in the hands of the renter.

We want to help you budget household expenses and rent to avoid financial distress or bad deals. More than 50% of disputes around deposits come from cleaning and problems that have been unlogged maintenance issues. At Fronted, we will make the ‘check out’ experience less painful by providing all the advice and services renters need.

As renting continues to be essential to how we live, Fronted will continue to help.

If you want to talk to us, keep tabs on what we are doing or (importantly) if you have a rental story you’d like to share… sign up at fronted.xyz or tweet us @getfronted

Read more on why we are building Fronted out in the open here.