With mortgage rates and building costs through the roof, the rental market has seen a huge boom. Renters practically have to sign on the dotted line before the property is even on the market just to make sure you have a roof over your head. It can be all too easy to forget that renting is a big decision and one which should be approached with some consideration. We’ve all heard horror stories about rentals - whether that’s the damp hidden behind the sofa, the mice who like to get cosy in the cupboards when the weather gets chilly, or the previous tenants' old takeaways left in the fridge (or in the bed, as was the case with some friends who just moved into a new house).
Before even starting your search, there are some questions you must ask yourself: first and foremost, what is your budget? The general government guidelines suggest that 35% of your take-home pay is the most you should be paying in rent. Don’t forget to account for council tax, bills and insurance on top of that.
Next, you’ll want to be realistic about how much space you need - are you planning on sharing a shoebox with your five closest friends? Perhaps re-assess whether this will actually be fun - you don’t want to find yourself cleaning up five people’s worth of mess every day or queuing an hour for the shower before work. If you’re by yourself, think again about whether you really need that extra bathroom or secondbedroom.
If you're sharing with a partner, however, you may want to consider adding a second bedroom-cum-office onto your list of ‘must-haves’. If one of you works from home, it’s a good idea to have a separate space where you can concentrate, away from clanging pots and pans and the blaring TV. Many people like to have a separate room for a sofa bed where snoring partners can be banished.
A good landlord is diligent and makes sure that you’re safe and comfortable in the property. In order to avoid any confusion, it’s important to establish exactly what is included in the rent - and importantly what isn’t, before signing anything. These are the questions you should be asking ahead of renting, and there are plenty more below…
If so, this is not legal. Landlords are not permitted to charge for viewings, and can only charge one week's ‘holding fee’ for reserving a property, which must be refundable.
According to gov.uk, as of June 1st 2019, the maximum deposit landlords can charge for properties where the rent per annum will equate to less than £50,000, is five weeks’ rent. This is extended to six weeks for properties where the annual rent is more than £50,000. Make sure you’re not overpaying.
It’s important to take into account the general wear and tear that each additional tenant will cause on the floors, walls and white goods. If you're planning on a ‘Mary Poppins’ bag’ type situation, consider asking the estate agent or landlord to include a servicing of all white goods and any other renovation work to be added into the contract.
Don’t be caught out by the service charges on blocks of flats and shared ownership buildings. You don’t want to find yourself lumped with a bill for thousands of pounds to fix the roof of a flat you’re only going to live in for a year. Ask the landlord up front if service charge is included in the rent.
Maybe you have fallen in love with period features and a generous garden, but you may want to also be aware of who you’re sharing the walls with. Is there an adorable newborn baby next door who will scream through the night? Or perhaps a house full of delightful students who will throw an all-night house party at least twice a week throughout the summer months (this actually happened to me). It might seem neurotic, but ask the current tenants if they’ve had any issues with the neighbours. If you’re someone whose eight hours of sleep a night is non-negotiable, consider finding somewhere perfectly quiet.
Most rental agreements will state that you must leave the property in the same state you found it. So, if you want to paint a wall or hang up your artwork, be prepared to paint it back at the end of your tenancy, and fill any wall holes in too.
Depending on what you’re looking for, a furnished flat can be a good or bad thing. If you’re going for somewhere ready-to-go, check the condition of the furniture before signing for the property. If it’s not up to scratch, you can ask the landlord to fix or replace it. Make sure you take a full inventory of what’s there when you arrive, and take photos too, to prove the condition of each piece. It may also be worth taking out ‘tenants' content insurance’ to cover you in the case of any damage.
If you’re moving into a lovely period property with lots of inviting gaps in walls and floorboards, it’s worth checking when the property was last sealed by pest control. The landlord should have a certificate to show that it’s been visited and serviced by an extermination company. You certainly don’t want to find yourself sharing your house with a family of mice or rats as soon as the weather gets a little cold and your local rodents get peckish.
If they have multiple properties, the chances are they will have a less personal approach, though it does mean they might be well versed in getting things done quickly. If they have just the one property it’s possible they will be more concerned with how you are as tenants, and have more time to focus on your property. Neither is necessarily better, but their priorities might be slightly different.
Other things to consider…
It can be intimidating to be watched by an estate agent or current tenants, but you don’t want to move in and suddenly find that there was damp behind a piece of furniture and none of the lights work.
How have the tenants found their time there? Are there things that need to be fixed before you move in? Are the landlords helpful and responsive? Have there been any issues with plumbing or machinery which you should be aware of?
This includes deep cleaning, any decorative renovations that need doing, and any fixes that need to be done. According to Nick Woodward, Lettings Director at Essential Living, ‘standard practice is that all conditions are set out and confirmed in writing, over email or an ‘offer letter’ prior to the tenancy agreement being signed’. This means that ‘unless conditions are listed within the tenancy agreement and have been agreed on and signed by both parties, there is no legal duty on the Landlord’s part to fulfil additional requests’. Make sure that you’ve thoroughly thought through what you need done, and put it in writing, before signing your tenancy agreement.
