Renting - what to look for?

Skint_Catt

Hi all, my partner and I are about to move in together. I haven't rented for years (back with parents) and I don't think OH has ever rented.

So when we go for viewings/talk to agents what do we need to be watchful for? Inside/outside the house and/or dodgy practices by agents?

Thanks

C xx

pcg2001

Not really a reply, just to reinforce your request for help, since we are also embarking on a totally new adventure of looking for a house to rent and any advice would really be helpful.

Doozergirl

You don't have a survey on a rental property so I'd just make a little list of the main features of the house to check. Windows, boiler & radiators, condition of roof, look and sniff for signs of damp etc. You want to make sure that the landlord is looking after the place.

If you're anything like me you'll get entirely swept away with a place and then not even be able to tell your partner if it had any windows at all, let alone what they were made of and if they help keep you warm.

franklee

On the dodgy practises by agents:

1. Read the AST in advance, they should give you a copy if you ask. See if the terms are unfair. Ask about any you don't understand.

2. Ask for a list of ALL fees. I pay 50 per adult (there's two of us) for referencing/credit checking and that's it no other charges. Other agents charge more, up to 300-400 to get in. They may charge for inventory checking, for the AST, for general admin, for renewals, for checkout, for just about anything they can think of. So ask.

3. Operating the so called Sword of Damocles. More about that in my sig. Basically it a wheeze to do you out of your two months notice and/or to make you pay renewal fees.

4. Get everything in writing.

5. Make sure you know what's offered, do you have use of the whole property, garden, garage, parking, what.

6. Do you want furnished or unfurnished. If you want the landlord to remove furniture and they agree get that in writing.

7. Check what repairs the landlord will pay for. Will he be paying to repair any white goods (like washing machine) that he supplies, some don't.

8. If the property is still occupied by the outgoing tenant then be respectful of their privacy and possessions as one day that will be you having viewers in. If they are there then try asking if the tenancy has gone well. If they are surprised you've turned up then run a mile as the agent isn't getting permission for viewings and will do that to you too.

9. Ask if the landlord has permission to let from his lender, a reputable agent will have checked this.

10. Ask about the landlord, is he planning to sell, how many properties does he have. Try to get a feel for if he's in it for the long term and solvent. Look up the details at the land registry. You don't want to be moved on which will happen if he sells or get repossessed.

11. When is the property reserved for you? When do you and the landlord sign the AST? Some agents leave this till moving in day and so the landlord could pull out at the last minute. Other (better) agents get things signed in advance.

12. Make sure it has the essentials like a shower.

barnaby-bear

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Hi all, my partner and I are about to move in together. I haven't rented for years (back with parents) and I don't think OH has ever rented.

So when we go for viewings/talk to agents what do we need to be watchful for? Inside/outside the house and/or dodgy practices by agents?

Thanks

C xx

Check the shower, try it - does it work? Amazing how many don't.

Ask about LLs mortgage, many BTL LLs get cheaper rates by pretending residential mortgage - so what? If LL doesn't have permission to let regardless of AST, tenants have NO rights and can be evisted immediately. If there's a mortgage to have tenure if there's a mortgage there has to be permission to let.

Digital camera, photo everything, especially inside of carpets/oven/fridge/freezer, door frames, mould on tiles, matresses (both sides). Lodge it with solicitor, employer, local church leader, etc in envelope CD, sealed, signed, kept by respectable individual. If carpets were grubby when moving in you don't have to clean them regardless of bo&&&cks in contract (betterment).

Copy keys as soon as move in -keep originals safe, use the copies, if you lose originals there can be huge penalties.

olly300

Check inside every cupboard particularly cupboards understairs or on external walls when you go on viewings. You are looking for damp problems and to see the size of the cupboard. (Some LA look at you funny when you do this LL never do. )

barnaby-bear wrote: »

Copy keys as soon as move in -keep originals safe, use the copies, if you lose originals there can be huge penalties.

This may not always be possible due to coded keys however you need to make sure it is agreed in writing how many copies of the keys you have and what doors they open.

Notify the LL / LA of repairs immediately they happen in office hours.
If they are not fixed in 7 days take a digital photograph of the problem and email the LL/LA the photo stating what the problem is asking them to reply to your email. If they don't reply or the email bounces, develop the photo and use a letter to get the message across. (I had a LL who tried to take part of my deposit for a problem which I didn't cause and they were notified about 6 months earlier via email.)

Make sure you get a manual for every single applicance especially the boiler in the property and read it before you use the applicance you are not sure about.

Take meter readings and write them somewhere safe (diary and bill folder) when you move in and move out. Keep a copy of all the bills in a folder and write on the bills the date you paid them if you pay DD/online or put the receipts in. Lots of LA use the excuse of not paying the bills to wrongly try and keep your deposit. Only the person named on the bill is legally liable to be chased to pay the bill but this doesn't stop LA trying this. So having this folder means they try it you can show them the entire folder.

franklee

olly300 wrote: »

Check inside every cupboard particularly cupboards understairs or on external walls when you go on viewings. You are looking for damp problems and to see the size of the cupboard. (Some LA look at you funny when you do this LL never do. )

If I was the tenant still in occupation I'd chuck out any viewer who goes rooting in my cupboards, fridge or turns my mattress. I hope these suggestions are only for an empty and unoccupied property. Remember that while the current tenant is still living there, and PAYING RENT, it is his HOME. If a viewer did that to me he'd be straight out the door and all further viewing cancelled.

Skint_Catt

Thanks all, much appreciated.

Seeing our first property tomorrow night!

u2o

Good luck!

and if someone from the LA is showing you around the property, get the feel of what they're like. when i was flat hunting, some agents were very unprofessional - turning up late and not apologising, constantly chatting away to his OH on his mobile and completely ignoring me (shame, was a nice-ish flat), moaning because they told me the wrong flat-number and i was waiting there etc etc. last thing you want is going with someone incompetent or rude!

daphne_descends

Pay attention to things like kitchen and bathroom tiles - the state of them, how secure they are. Tap a few to see if they are blown.

And yes, if you can, look inside cupboards (if there are people living there ask first) and have a good sniff, really annoyed with myself for not doing this and now a problem with damp.

DEFINITELY check the shower works. Ours is great but also leaks into the kitchen which obviously we didn't know about. Also check the taps, are they stiff does the water flow properly.

I agree with u2o about paying attention to the LA. Ours are awful. It was only on the day we moved that I realised. We stood in the rain in February for 45 minutes because they had given the check-in person the wrong keys. Finally this mardy !!!!! turns up with the right keys and practically throws them at the check-in person and moaned about having to drive over here, I could've smacked her. Then, the keys she had given didn't include a back door key, I think it was two weeks before we got that. It went downhill from there and if I could change anything I'd have ran a mile and not signed that bloody agreement.

So think carefully

And good luck! They're not all bad, I'm sure...

franklee

fac73 wrote: »

Pay attention to things like kitchen and bathroom tiles - the state of them, how secure they are. Tap a few to see if they are blown.

And yes, if you can, look inside cupboards (if there are people living there ask first) and have a good sniff, really annoyed with myself for not doing this and now a problem with damp.

DEFINITELY check the shower works. Ours is great but also leaks into the kitchen which obviously we didn't know about. Also check the taps, are they stiff does the water flow properly.

This illustrates why I'd never ever allow a viewing without my being there. The viewer has no rights whatsoever to touch anything at all in someone else's home be it cupboards or shower. If the property is empty then fair game. But while I am paying the rent and my possessions are in-situ then touch anything without asking at your peril. On the other hand if you ask nicely I will happily give you the low down on everything including the agent/landlord and you will learn far more than you ever would by being pushy. Remember one day the boot will be on the other foot and you will be the tenant leaving who is putting up with the inconvenience of viewers trooping round.