going to look at properties to rent - what to ask/consider?

sophlowe45

I'm starting to go look at a few properties in London as i need to move in on 2nd September. I'm looking at renting a room in a flatshare or houseshare and the first place i'm going to look at, i've scheduled for this evening.

But what do I make sure I ask when i'm there? Is there scope to reduce the rent by negotiating or generally is it you have to pay the advertised price as if yuo don't there will be plenty of other people who will...(esp. in London?)

I'm using upmystreet.co.uk to get a very rough idea of what the areas are like.

I'm searching for a place through websites such as gumtree and a few other ones i can't remember off the top of my head so i won't be going through an agent. How do i make sure i protect myself from handing over a deposit and never seeing it again etc.

Also anything else i should be considering and i haven't mentioned, please let me know.

Thank you.

gerryh_2

Hi. Rents are generally not neg. If you want the room, only pay a small holding deposit, £50 - 100, to stop LL showing others round, & get a receipt. Only pay the rent & remainder of deposit after you have signed contracts & have a date for moving in. When you move in, complete the inventory ASAP & take pictures of any stains/damage etc. Do same when you move out to ensure deposit is returned. Good luck. Scarletmist is similar to Gumtree.

Kaminari_2

I've always negoiated on rent when done through an agent. I have noted down everything that i wanted fixing (mouldy carpet in current flat) and had it done prior to moving in.

If you are sharing rent is not usually negotiable as you will be paying a shared amount with the others in the house. Make sure you meet the others living in the house and if you don't get a good feeling from them then i would find somewhere else.
I would check if the house has all that you need ie internet connection, washing machine and the house rules about using them.

Good luck!

sophlowe45

I'm actually also considering flatshares/houseshares where the landlord lives in the property and is renting one or two rooms out in their house...i thought this woulld actually be better than ending up in a house or flat full of strangers...this way the condition of the place will be better, less chance of noisy flatmates etc.

would people say i should consider things differently in any way if i was living in a normal flat/houseshare to living with the owner of the property themselves?

Thanks.

Kaminari_2

Personally i would feel safer living with the owner except i don't know if i could totally relax as it would feel to me like i was visiting someone.

However, living in a big share house will allow you to meet lots of different people and there will probably be less rules.

If you do live with an owner find out what their expectations are ie do they expect you to be in at a certain time? Do they want you around while they have visitors? Do you have use of the common areas?

apcd2

I currently rent in London and there's huge scope for negotiating on price. I've been here for about 4 years and rents have decreased over that entire period. Don't believe landlords or agents who try to tell you otherwise. I'm paying less for my current flat than the previous tenant was and now, a year on, prices for similar flats are 20% cheaper still!

In general I'd go for a 10% reduction on the asking price immediately and ask what the previous tenants were paying. In the current climate you should never pay more than this.

It also helps if you're planning on moving in very soon and gives you far more room for negotiation (it's in a landlord's interest to knock 10-20% off the rent and have you move in in a couple of weeks rather than keep the room empty for another month). 2nd of September may be a little too far off to really play this card though.

As for handing over deposits and suchlike make sure you get receipts for absolutely everything. Worst case you can then claim it back later. When you move in take photos of anything in the flat which is in a less than perfect condition just in case the landlord later tries to claim you caused the damage. I've never had any problems getting deposits back but it pays to be safe.

Good luck with it all. Hope you find somewhere nice.