Advice for tenants renting in the UK

With house prices in the UK still high and mortgages requiring ever higher deposits, renting is fast becoming the norm for many people. Many young people such as students or those that have recently graduated may already be used to renting. Others however, such as those that are moving with their jobs, or recently divorced, are looking to rent for the first time.

Choosing a property

A key issue for most people is location. Access to work is the usual priority. Other things to consider may be: proximity to good schools, shops and amenities, a safe area, off street parking, town or rural location and many others. There are many rental properties available in most areas so to save time and start narrowing it down, it is a good idea to make a wish list of the key things you (and any partners) are looking for in a property. Note which items are “must haves” and which are more flexible. 

The next key item is the price. To calculate your budget for rent remember that as a tenant you will normally be responsible for the Council Tax, all utility bills and any services such as phone, broadband and sky or cable etc.

Once you know the location and your budget you can begin the search. This is far easier than it used to be. You no longer have to trawl around all the letting agent offices looking in their windows. The arrival of property portals such as rightmove and propertyfinder means you can search far more efficiently, for the exact criteria you need, right from your office chair or sofa. Most portals allow you to search by price range, location and property type. Most agents advertise on at least one of the main portals and you can often email all the agents in the area at a press of a button with your requirements. Registering your requirements will mean you should get an instant update as soon as something suitable comes available.

You may end up with a long list of suitable properties. To narrow it down it is worth contacting the agent to ask a few more questions. Inevitably there may be something missing from the advert that you may want to know. There is no point wasting yours or the agents time viewing the property only to find for instance that there isn’t any parking when it is once of your key requirements.

Once you have narrowed down the list of properties, it is time to arrange a viewing. I would recommend no more than 4-6 properties. We often have people with a list of 10 or more to see and they have forgotten what the first one looked like by the time they see the 5th or 6th. If you have asked the right questions and done your research thoroughly you should be able to find what you are looking for without spending hours visiting too many.

Negotiating the contract

When you have found your ideal property it is time to make an offer. Some landlords are willing to accept a reduction in rent if you are willing to sign for a longer period of time for instance. Renting is not like buying, however, the rental prices tend to remain stable or increase year on year so low offers may be rejected. You should also receive a copy of the proposed tenancy agreement before you apply and should read it carefully before applying and discuss anything you are not happy with or do not understand with the agent.

Moving in

A good agent should check you into the property and go through the inventory, taking note of the meter readings etc. The inventory is a key piece of evidence in any dispute over the damage to the property etc. Therefore make sure it is accurate and preferably backed up by photos. If one is not provided you should make your own and take photos on the day you move in.

Remember to cancel any utility accounts at your old address and use the post office forwarding service for all mail.

During the tenancy.

Some landlords manage the property themselves during the tenancy and other employ the agent. Either way you should receive information on who to call if there is a problem. Some everyday issues like replacing light bulbs and washers on taps will be the tenant’s responsibility, larger issues such as the heating breaking down will be the landlords and you should contact the responsible party as soon as a problem is noticed.

End of the tenancy

In order to make sure you receive your deposit back, you should run through the inventory and check everything is back in the original position and the property is thoroughly cleaned throughout. It should be in the same condition as when you moved in (allowing for some wear and tear).

You deposit should legally have been submitted to one of three government regulated schemes and the agent or landlord should have given you details of the registration at the beginning of the tenancy. In the event of a dispute, the schemes provide a free arbitration service.

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