Tip one: Research the area you are moving into
When looking for a place to rent it is crucial that you look into the location that the property is in. this is important because throughout the duration of when you are viewing a potential property you only get a brief experience of what the area is like and if you realise that you don’t like the area once you have already signed the tenancy agreement then you will be stuck living in the area for the duration of your tenancy. Additionally to this if you are someone who relies on public transport to get to work or to get to places then you will need to ensure that you are within walking distance of that means of transport and that the transport provided takes you to where you need to go. Furthermore people with children will have to research into the schools in that area to ensure that there are schools for them to get into, it is especially important to ensure that there is more than one school in that area in case your child does not get into your first choice school. Moreover you should also use your research to see how much properties in that area typically cost to rent per month in order to ensure that you’re not being overcharged for a property.
Tip two: Look over the property thoroughly
While you are viewing a property ensure that you take your time to view the property in order to make sure that the property is to your standards, some properties could have damp or other issues, so before renting a property make certain that the property doesn’t have any issues. Furthermore if you have certain appliances that you need to come with the property such as; fridge, freezer, washing machine and dishwasher, then you will need to check with the estate agent that those appliances come with the property.
Tip three: Check the rent is fair
It is important to remember that when looking for a property to rent you are paying the right price. Compare prices in the area and make sure you are not paying over the market rent. The Landlord wants to ensure that he/she has a good tenant ready to move in once their previous tenants have moved out so that the property doesn’t remain empty for too long. The longer the property is empty the more money they lose out on. If the property has been on the market for a while you may be able to make an offer reduce the cost of rent per month even if it is by a small amount.
Tip four: Ensure that your deposit is protected
Under the law in England and Wales, if you have an assured shorthold tenancy, which is the most common type, your landlord must put your deposit into a tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receiving it. If a landlord fails to protect your deposit you can go to the small claims court to get up to four times back.
If your deposit is in a scheme it ensures that…
- You get the full deposit back at the end of the tenancy agreement (provided you meet the terms)
- If you and your landlord are in agreement of how much deposit should be given back then it’ll be returned to you within 10 days of the tenancy ending.
- Plus if you don’t agree with how much is being returned a free dispute resolution service will investigate and decide how much of the deposit you should get back.
To ensure your deposit is protected from the start you can ask the landlord or letting agent which scheme it’s with before you sign the contract. However, if you’ve already moved in and the scheme isn’t named on your contract you can ask the landlord.
Tip five: check your finances
When renting a property you need to make sure that you can afford your rent and afford to live at the same time, this means ensuring that you have enough left over for your general costs of living, bills, insurance, broadband and council tax. Additionally to this you will need to budget at least six weeks rent as the amount to be put down as security deposit for the length of the tenancy. Therefore before renting a property you will need to review your finances and figure out how much you are able to afford each month in order for you to still have enough to live off
Conclusion
After reading these tips it should help you to realise how much thought and planning needs to go into renting a property, because without planning what has been discussed above you will not be able to rent a property and enjoy it at the same time. Furthermore you need to ensure that you don’t have any issues with your Landlords because if you wish to rent another property in the future then you might need to have a reference from a previous Landlord, in which you should be able to get a good reference provided you follow the advice given.