Renting a home can be a thankless task. Almost everyone ends up doing so at some point in their lives, yet when it comes to help and advice tenants can often feel like a forgotten tribe, explains Cathy Stanworth.
Initiatives are launched left, right and centre to help first-time buyers, families climbing the property ladder and pensioners struggling to keep their homes, but rarely do renters get a look in.
Thisismoney.co.uk tells the story: “In a bid to level the playing field slightly, new government laws regarding multiple occupancy homes and protecting tenants’ deposits are imminent, but picking your way through the pitfalls of the lettings market is still a tricky task.
“Renting is often thought of as something done by people before climbing the property ladder, but many homeowners opt to rent for periods of time while waiting to buy.
“Choose the right property and agent, and renting can be a joy - the money might be paying someone else’s mortgage but freedom and the ability to pass on responsibility is yours. On the other hand, take the wrong route and a tenancy can be six months or longer of daily stress and pain.”
But there are ways to make sure your next letting experience is more hospitable than horrible. Here are some of This is Money’s top tips for renting a home:
1. Use the whole rental market: Don’t just walk into the high street estate agents. Large firms can have a wide range of property but check out property management agencies and private landlords too, and make sure you are not paying over the odds.
A good place to search for independent agents online is listing websites. www.loot.co.uk covers the whole of the UK and has thousands of properties to rent. In London gumtree.com can also be a useful place to look.
2. Take your time viewing properties: Looking around rental properties can be a bit of a whistlestop tour, but if you find somewhere you like don’t just give it a ten-minute once over.
Check everything carefully. Does it have central heating, a washing machine, dishwasher, decent fridge and freezer? What are the showers like? Are the windows in good condition? These can all be forgotten in the heat of the moment. Make a checklist to take with you when viewing properties you really like.
3. Ask the agent about their fees: Before you make an offer, quiz the agent about fees for references and credit checks.
4. Choose flatmates carefully: If you are looking at renting with others, choose who you live with carefully. A recent poll by gumtree.com revealed that chef Jamie Oliver is the person people would most like to live with, while troubled popstar Pete Doherty was the least popular.
It’s unlikely most people will end up with a celebrity housemate, good or bad, but little things can make the difference between harmony and torment. Money is the most common cause of dispute. Make sure you work out your budget and how bills will be paid.
5. Make sure you set up direct debits or payments properly: Being a tenant who doesn’t pay on time is the best way to ensure your landlord or agent won’t go out of their way to help you.
Getting all the finances sorted properly and having the deposit, first month’s rent and subsequent rent arrive on time will mean that you are immediately onside with the people you need to call if the plumbing goes or you want a new oven.
6. Tell your agent or landlord if there are problems: Landlords are not psychic. You may know that the washing machine has stopped working and grumble about it, but unless someone tells them they don’t know work needs doing.
Don’t be shy in reporting any difficulties - having them fixed at no cost to you is one of the privileges of being a tenant. A good landlord will also appreciate knowing if something needs doing - after all, its their investment you live in.
By Cathy Stanworth
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