Good or bad experiences of renting? We want to hear from you!

MSE_Sally

Let us know about your experiences of renting, from finding a place to live, moving in, living in a rented property and moving out. 

sheffield_soldier

I guess this all depends on the landlord. We have rented for a 5 years and our landlord has been good. He is clearly a multimillionaire as he purchased a bunch of new houses without even looking. I have never met him and everything goes through the estate agent. When things have gone wrong (boilet etc) he has authorised the work very quickly. They try to up the price quite each year but I have told them we are at our max (even though we aren't) and they have agreed to keep it reasonable. Our rent is currently about 100-150 under next doors who moved in a year ago.

I know for a fact not all landlords will be the same but that is our experience. 

MissRMB

I started looking to rent end of 2015. I was a single person looking for a 1 bed property and found it difficult to schedule viewings around working full time. After trying for a few weeks I was finally able to get some viewings and let the agents know of my interest. I lost out to a lot of properties due to being a single person with no guarantor. I actually managed to get the place I have now (moving out this week!) after the landlord decided I was a better fit because I could move in immediately. It's a 2 bedroom ground floor apartment. I paid over £1000 upfront for deposit, rent, checks etc. During my time here I've had a few problems that have been resolved in a good time frame. 2 of the main issues were water damage on my ceiling from property above which led to door expanding and needing to be shaved down - they also just painted over the watermark on the ceiling which is clear as day to see! The other one was my electrics went, turned out to be a lose wire had tripped a safety measure where nothing can then turn on.i was pleased that this function worked, I was not so pleased to be left in the dark for 3 days before they sorted it out. I've had inspections every 6 months and never had feedback from them, so assume they've gone okay. After making the agent aware I would be leaving I've had no problems so far. They did viewings while I was working from home and I did tell them I'd be present and there would be packed boxes everywhere - they didn't seem bothered. I've been handed a list of things I must do before leaving, like clean the carpet (professionally and provide receipt), general tidy up etc. I hand my keys back Monday 15th so can post a further update on how that went. I'm nervous about getting my deposit back. The apartment is in very similar condition to when I moved in except for some general wear from being here since January 2016. I've only ever rented this property and am moving out because I have brought a home. I did, back over the lock down, ask for a pet cat which they refused to agree to unless I agreed to an increase in rent (not sure if that's just standard though). Never met the property owners just the estate agent. 

rexmedorum

MissRMB said:

I started looking to rent end of 2015. I was a single person looking for a 1 bed property and found it difficult to schedule viewings around working full time. After trying for a few weeks I was finally able to get some viewings and let the agents know of my interest. I lost out to a lot of properties due to being a single person with no guarantor. I actually managed to get the place I have now (moving out this week!) after the landlord decided I was a better fit because I could move in immediately. It's a 2 bedroom ground floor apartment. I paid over £1000 upfront for deposit, rent, checks etc. During my time here I've had a few problems that have been resolved in a good time frame. 2 of the main issues were water damage on my ceiling from property above which led to door expanding and needing to be shaved down - they also just painted over the watermark on the ceiling which is clear as day to see! The other one was my electrics went, turned out to be a lose wire had tripped a safety measure where nothing can then turn on.i was pleased that this function worked, I was not so pleased to be left in the dark for 3 days before they sorted it out. I've had inspections every 6 months and never had feedback from them, so assume they've gone okay. After making the agent aware I would be leaving I've had no problems so far. They did viewings while I was working from home and I did tell them I'd be present and there would be packed boxes everywhere - they didn't seem bothered. I've been handed a list of things I must do before leaving, like clean the carpet (professionally and provide receipt), general tidy up etc. I hand my keys back Monday 15th so can post a further update on how that went. I'm nervous about getting my deposit back. The apartment is in very similar condition to when I moved in except for some general wear from being here since January 2016. I've only ever rented this property and am moving out because I have brought a home. I did, back over the lock down, ask for a pet cat which they refused to agree to unless I agreed to an increase in rent (not sure if that's just standard though). Never met the property owners just the estate agent. 

I don't think they can require a professional clean, just that it's as clean as it was before.On some rentals we've had in the past we've hired a carpet cleaning machine, leaving it super clean and quick enough to do. Saying that on others we've had the whole place professionally cleaned just because we didn't have the time & energy in the middle of a long distance move to clean it ourselves.

https://www.thetenantsvoice.co.uk/advice_from_us/end-of-tenancy-cleaning/#can_the_landlord_force_you_to_hire_a_cleaning_company

budgester777

Hi All,

        I currently rent a 2 bed apartment in a town about 9 miles from coventry, which i have lived in nearly 5 years now after my Divorce left me homeless, im currently 52yrs old, my rent has risen fairly incrementally each year making my current rental £575 pcm, during the pandemic last year rents were not increased, however 2 days ago i recieved a new contract to sign acknowledging the rent was to be increased to £650pcm,  an additional £75 pcm this is around a 13% increase. i felt this rise was quite excessive and did not correspond with the ONS figures for the area which reported a 1.7% to 2.7% rise in rents in the area which i live.
       
       I did some research and looked at comparable rents in my area to see if this was a fair increase, however all the rents i found were rentals from the same company which im currently a tenant, not only do they monopolize the market they in a sense control the rental prices, they own most of the shops, flats and houses in my town with a small number being let by another letting agent whose prices are a little lower in terms of the bigger properties they are letting.

      Really i would like to know what my rights are, i have emailed my landlord and expressed my concern with the rise, i accept things go up, and have proposed an incremental plan over the next 2 years at a £25 pcm rise in line with inflation with a target to reach the £650 pcm price they are asking by January 2024, the apartment which i live in has not been improved in any way since i moved in with myself being only one of a few who work, as many other tenants are unemployed. Ive never missed a payment and have been a loyal tenant and have taken good care of the apartment.

      I understand i do not have to accept the rise and i can contest it, aslong as i do not sign or pay anymore i still have the right or the option to negotiate, however if the landlord does not accept my proposal what are my rights in contesting this rise moving forward ?

      My concern is not only for me but for everyone who rents, the goverment must do something to help renters, maybe put a cap in place whether this cap works in line with council tax bands or council rents, currently a 2 bed apartment to rent from the council is around £360 pcm which is about 45% less than the amount i pay, is there a legal percentage that private rent can rise above council rents in the same area or is there no levy ?

    Because without a cap or levy when do rental rises stop ?, wages are not going up with inflation, fuel bills are going up beyond inflation, NI contributions going up, food bills etc the list goes on, because those of us whose marriages fail, or the young, or those on minimum wage or those for whom renting is the only option when rents exceed a livable wage what options and rights do we have as tenants to stop landlords whether honest or corrupt from putting rents up far beyond inflation and far beyond that which individuals on low wages can afford, because in effect all that is happening is the tax payer will being paying the rent of millions of people each year and for those not eligable for help they face the prospect of eviction and homelessness :-(

  Please help me in understanding how we can fight this and how we can lobby parliment to get something done to help the exploitation of future tenants.

Thanks Andy.

Catman5000

I had a great experience in my last rental home. My landlord was amazing and never raised the rent for 5 years. The place was in good shape but fence panels fell down and other small repairs needed to get done over the years. As my landlord was so accommodating, I agreed to help them fix the place up for a reduced rate when I was made redundant during COVID lockdown 1.

I have had some horror stories though. For example, I had a landlord hire a skip and begin to throw all of my housemate's belongings into it because the place was a bit untidy (nothing major, few bin bags and clothing lying around. I'm a neat freak and can't stand m,ess and it was generally ok).

CurryGuy

budgester777 said:

Hi All,

        I currently rent a 2 bed apartment in a town about 9 miles from coventry, which i have lived in nearly 5 years now after my Divorce left me homeless, im currently 52yrs old, my rent has risen fairly incrementally each year making my current rental £575 pcm, during the pandemic last year rents were not increased, however 2 days ago i recieved a new contract to sign acknowledging the rent was to be increased to £650pcm,  an additional £75 pcm this is around a 13% increase. i felt this rise was quite excessive and did not correspond with the ONS figures for the area which reported a 1.7% to 2.7% rise in rents in the area which i live.
       
       I did some research and looked at comparable rents in my area to see if this was a fair increase, however all the rents i found were rentals from the same company which im currently a tenant, not only do they monopolize the market they in a sense control the rental prices, they own most of the shops, flats and houses in my town with a small number being let by another letting agent whose prices are a little lower in terms of the bigger properties they are letting.

      Really i would like to know what my rights are, i have emailed my landlord and expressed my concern with the rise, i accept things go up, and have proposed an incremental plan over the next 2 years at a £25 pcm rise in line with inflation with a target to reach the £650 pcm price they are asking by January 2024, the apartment which i live in has not been improved in any way since i moved in with myself being only one of a few who work, as many other tenants are unemployed. Ive never missed a payment and have been a loyal tenant and have taken good care of the apartment.

      I understand i do not have to accept the rise and i can contest it, aslong as i do not sign or pay anymore i still have the right or the option to negotiate, however if the landlord does not accept my proposal what are my rights in contesting this rise moving forward ?

      My concern is not only for me but for everyone who rents, the goverment must do something to help renters, maybe put a cap in place whether this cap works in line with council tax bands or council rents, currently a 2 bed apartment to rent from the council is around £360 pcm which is about 45% less than the amount i pay, is there a legal percentage that private rent can rise above council rents in the same area or is there no levy ?

    Because without a cap or levy when do rental rises stop ?, wages are not going up with inflation, fuel bills are going up beyond inflation, NI contributions going up, food bills etc the list goes on, because those of us whose marriages fail, or the young, or those on minimum wage or those for whom renting is the only option when rents exceed a livable wage what options and rights do we have as tenants to stop landlords whether honest or corrupt from putting rents up far beyond inflation and far beyond that which individuals on low wages can afford, because in effect all that is happening is the tax payer will being paying the rent of millions of people each year and for those not eligable for help they face the prospect of eviction and homelessness :-(

  Please help me in understanding how we can fight this and how we can lobby parliment to get something done to help the exploitation of future tenants.

Thanks Andy.

Rents will rise as high as people are willing to pay based on supply and demand. Landlord are running a business so if there are restrictions on what they are allowed to charge people in rent then they will just end up selling up which will further restrict the supply of rental properties so won't help people who can't afford to buy.

WoozieSioux_tse

We are in rented, having decided to complete the sale of our home in June this year. We are renting from a national charity that is supposedly committed to preservation of older buildings. I would not suggest anyone tries to rent from these people, they are awful. We highlighted a number of repairs that needed to be made to keep the house in reasonable condition, looking after their asset, if you will. We constantly get told that work has been authorised, that it is in the pipeline, yet I constantly have to chase and then stuff still isn't fixed.

I believe that part of the problem is that the accounting is completely independent of the estates management, the repairs department is another section that doesn't report back to the estates, they in turn have managers and supervisors.... Nobody seems to have a clue who has to chase jobs up, sign them off and then organise them. Many works should have been completed on a rolling cycle, but haven't been because the works department (and their contractors) are far behind target. They blame Covid, despite much of the work being based outdoors (a lot was cancelled during lockdowns, except emergencies, I have been told). So unless they form a proper work reporting system, things only get done with constant nudging and pushing, despite them agreeing the work does need doing! It's a beautiful setting and if it was maintained properly, would make a family a lovely long term home, but dealing with this charity, I couldn't recommend this particular home to anyone!

When I first moved away from my parents to take a job in another area, I rented a lovely two bed modern terraced home in a quiet cul-de-sac. I stayed nearly two years and only experienced a water leak in the bathroom. Luckily I noticed it and contacted the letting agency immediately. The landlord came out and fixed the problem within the hour, then came back to touch up the tiny mark on the kitchen ceiling when it had dried out and he'd ascertained it didn't need replacing. He was retired and had five buy-to-let properties to top up his pension (think it was a bit more lucrative back then). I got a glowing reference because I'd looked after the house and garden. It was easy to do- he'd clearly thought about how people would live in the property. It was well-appointed and clearly looked after.

The next rental (with my then- partner, now husband) was allegedly a three bed. It had a massive garden that I spent hours growing veggies and flowers in. We had some great parties there! The only really dodgy thing was the placement of the gas boiler. The houses on the row behind the garden were about 70 feet higher above the ground than the garden. So when the wind blew through the garden, it often blew through the boiler flue pipe (sited on the wall facing into the garden) and blew out the flame! Often came home to a cold house. Eventually left as we bought our first home. Made a big mistake by not being present when they did the walk through (they wouldn't meet at any of the times I suggested) and they took all of the interest (at nearly 8%) and a small portion of our initial deposit for a non existent hole in a door. Grr. Still annoys me to this day. Lesson learnt though!

NameUnavailable

I've rented twice, shared a house with a mate, no issues whilst renting although the (expected) wrangling over getting our deposit back at the end when they claimed cleaning costs etc., even though we left the place immaculate.

I also rented for a year when I was working away, lovely flat in a marina, no issues (apart from noisy neighbours downstairs) and no issues when I left, deposit repaid promptly. I think the washing machine packed up at one point but they fixed it quickly.

I'm actually renting now but at a mates place so very informal arrangement.

rdixon555

As other posts have suggested, this is mostly down to the landlord.

We've had a terrible experience renting, which is down to the landlord refusing to fix things, or not fixing things properly over the three years we've been here. In our case the property is managed directly by the landlord, no estate agents get involved.

These include:

• The heating never working
• Poor insulation resulting in mould
• The landlord coming over without giving us the proper 24 hours written notice
• The hot water broke and they told us to 'boil some water and we'll get round to fixing it'
• and many more!

There is not enough protection for renters - if something breaks which you shouldn't have to fix, and the landlord refuses to fix it properly, then seemingly nothing can be done.

Gycraig

Personally every experience I have ever had renting has been negative. 

One gave us the keys on a Saturday then tried charging us more because it was a Saturday, this fee wasn’t mentioned on website or any paperwork, sent an email stating I wouldn’t be paying it and it got dropped.

One flat we had a leak from above causing damp, told the letting agent heard nothing back, didn’t worry about it as was moving a month later. Tried to claim nearly full deposit for the damp / “Professional cleaning”. Went into the estate agents asked for a manager. Showed him my print outs of the emails they had ignored and also showed him moving out video which was a similar condition to when we’d moved in. Told me it had to be “professionally cleaned” I asked what certificate i had to produce to be a professional cleaner….. 

had nearly the exact same conversation regarding professional cleaning in 2 rentals. Seems a common scam.

Funniest one was a shared house where the landlord openly admitted he took cash and didn’t give tenancy agreements so he could boot people out easier. Paid a week in advance on Mondays, told him Sunday I was moving out, tried pressuring me to pay 2 weeks notice, wow