We reviewed different aspects of first-time renters and compiled the following useful tips.
If you hold no prior experience in renting a place to live then there is a greater possibility of you as a tenant might stick in the whirlwind of property search. Especially property search in an alien city puts much onus on you to be sure of finding a good locality, considering the transportation system nearby, distance to medical facilities etc. It doesn’t help the cause if you have a family as very easily it adds few other concerns like finding a property nearby a good school or local town centre etc. There are various ways one can explore to find a suitable property for renting like checking with friends and family or checking some trusted websites that allows you to list properties based on your search criteria. Reaching out to letting agents and finding a suitable property through them could also be an option but that in some ways is limited to a specific area.
Below are few tips for first-time renters to consider while renting a property.
- Ensure that the house is safe enough to stay: It is of prime importance to confirm that the house ticks all the boxes of safety parameters that make it eligible and counted as a safe place to stay for you and your family. Safety concerns about the house should be brought to the notice of the landlord or letting agency before finalizing the deal. You should also insist on providing a safety certificate- Gas safety certificate and energy performance certificate(EPC) for your peace of mind.
- Avoid paying fees for letting agent/s: Letting agents cannot charge fees for the service they provide to both landlord and tenant. Many a time as malpractice, letting agents demand fees from tenants as well as from landlords. A letting agency in a nutshell is a service provider and landlords may approach letting agencies to help them find advertise the property and helping find the tenant. Hence, It is legit for letting agencies charge landlords for the service they provide to them. However, asking fees from the tenant is not immoral and improper. As such, It should be ensured that as a tenant you are not wrongly charged by the letting agency.
- Avoid paying fees for background checks: As per the Tenancy Fees Act 2019, landlords are solely responsible to bear any administrative cost and other costs pertaining to background and credit checks, inventory inspection costs from a 3rd party professional company. Once the tenant likes the house and agrees to all the terms and conditions placed by the landlord, you go into the next round where the letting agency or landlord may do your background check from an independent party. This is mainly to comfort the landlord as tenants don’t have any business to pay any fees for it. If the landlord insists on doing a background check then he/she should pay for the service. As a tenant, you could push back if asked to pay any fees for it.
- Get a clear understanding of your duties:
Getting the renting property done will provide you with the essential right to stay at the property for the time specified in the agreement. However, it is not possible to document put every bit and the tenant should make sure to understand the responsibilities that lie with him.
Below are the few things to be mindful of
- Day to day maintenance of the property.
- You must inform the landlord/ letting agent if any repairs are required in the property at the initial stage.
- Registering yourself with the council you fall under and letting them know the date on which you moved in.
- Register with utility providers like gas, water and electricity and provide them with the meter reading details with the date you moved into the property.
- You may have to call other services providers like an internet service provider to set up a broadband connection at the property.
- Last but not the least, abiding with all the rules lay down within the property agreement like timely paying utility bills like gas, electricity and water bills and council tax bill.
- Be thoughtful of the neighbours.
- Not engaging in any practice of having a co-tenant could land you in legal trouble.
- Any furniture and utilities in the property are for your convenience and should be utilized wisely.
- Get stock of the inventory: The tenant should ask to provide the details of the inventory provided in the property. However, the tenant may want to cross-check and get a stock of all the inventory in the property. Any discrepancies should be brought to light to the landlord or letting agent immediately. If possible try to keep photographs of all the inventories in the house.
- Check about the protection of deposit money: From the security point of view, it is often a practice for landlords to ask for a certain amount as a deposit from the tenant. However, the tenant should avoid paying the security deposit amount directly to the landlord in the form of cash or bank deposit. Instead, the tenant should agree to pay the security deposit with a Deposit protection fund which safeguards your deposit amount from any ill intentions. Also, it should be noted that the total deposit amount should not exceed 5 weeks rent as per the Tenancy Fees Act 2019.
- Pay rent by bank transfer: As a renter, you must pay rent on time as per the date agreed in the tenancy agreement. It is advisable to pay the monthly rent via bank transfer by manual transfer or by giving standing instructions to your bank. Avoid paying rent in cash as cash transactions can’t be traced and they can’t be recorded.
- Get a clear understanding related to the break clause: Generally, a property rent agreement is done for 12 months but the tenant may be pushed to leave the property before serving the agreement period due to unforeseen issues. It is vital to understand the rules in the agreement about the penalty and notice period that needs to be paid if the tenant fails to serve the complete tenancy period. The tenant can foresee the situation and should ask to include and explain in detail about the break clause.
- The clause related to Pets: If you are a pet lover and have any immediate/future plans to bring a pet to the rental property then it is better to get clarity from the landlord or letting agent about any applicable policy regarding pets. If it is not explicitly mentioned in the rental agreement that pets are not allowed at the property then the landlord has no ground to oppose you from having any pets at the property.
- Cost-saving on utility bills: As a tenant when you move into the property you get default service providers for various utilities like gas, electricity, water, internet etc. However, it’s well within your rights to check with your landlord/letting agent if you can switch to different service providers that offer cheaper plans. Tenants can always look for smart ways to limit the consumption of utilities to bring down monthly utility costs and save some money.
The above tips can surely help new renters to correctly approach renting a property for the first time and avoid common pitfalls around it.