Renting Top Tips On Renting Property

Date Published:

27/05/2008

4Homes needs you!...
For those renters that are spiralling into a confusing world of tenancy agreements, deposits and notice periods and are beginning to feel a little dizzy, we thought we'd compile together a list of handy renting tips and hints, and who better to provide these nuggets of knowledge than you?!

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Could someone else learn from your mistakes? Are you wise to all the tricks of the trade? If so, pass on your wisdom, and help make renting and letting an altogether less stressful experience...

Margaret

"If you're moving into a shared house make sure (even if they seem the nicest people in the world) that their bills are up to date and get proof!! I moved into a place with four other people and it turned out they hadn't paid any bills for a month needless to say I nearly had a heart attack when the red letters came a month into my tenancy asking for over a £1000!!!"

Immy21

"Always get a professional inventory company to prepare a comprehensive condition report as most of my 'good' tenants have either stolen something or tried to conceal major damage they have inflicted on my flats."

Tiggsey

"Make sure all windows open and close. I found in my last flat that most of them had been sealed shut, which made for an uncomfortable summer!"

Byfordr

"I find it's worth taking pictures or using a camcorder when you move in and out of a rented property. A strategically placed newspaper with the current date adds a frame of reference."

Minty Mulligan

"Be careful of lettings agencies that either haven't been in business very long or are staffed by very young staff. Younger staff are nearly always on their way to moving to residential sales and therefore bigger commissions etc. You have to ask yourself, if I rented out my own flat would I want a 19-year-old looking after the keys, being responsible for appliance breakdown etc."

Xela_17

Beware of flats that have dropped their rent. Landlords won't drop their rent unless they really need to, i.e. when they can't get anyone to live there. In my last flat we couldn't believe our luck when we found a good sized two bedroom flat when we couldn't afford any other two bedroom flats in the area. It had recently dropped its price and there were good reasons. It had damp, the boiler didn't work (even though the letting agent had said it was new), it got no light because of a huge tree right outside the front window and the management agency were useless when anything went wrong. If something seems at too good a price then it is- remember, if no one else wants to live there then why would you?"

JimG

"Check all those radiators & the boiler works! Never believe the landlord if they say something will be fixed before you move in- it never is, and they will be in no hurry once you've started paying."

Aryldi

"When you get the keys to your new home, before you unpack and everything gets disarranged, go through the inventory room by room...Check everything, listing all chips, dents, stains on the carpets/furniture, even missing screws. Then fax that to the Agency and agree any repairs/missing items/damage with them. That way, they have no way to scam off your deposit when you eventually move out. If you do happen to damage or lose something before you move out, replace it yourself if you can before you move, to avoid being charged for an expensive replacement for what wasn't originally a top quality item."

We'd like to keep adding to this list, so if any of you have any top tips or helpful stories for those starting out in the renting world, whether it's from a landlord's or tenant's point of view, we would love to hear from you. Simply leave a comment below...

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