The big guide to renting: A 20-step checklist for a breezy tenancy

Looking to rent an apartment or house? Renting is a fact of life for a huge number of us, with many republic now expecting to rent for life, whether through tool or being unable to buy a home. The employ market is fast-paced and requires you to be able to make shimmering, well-informed decisions.

So, in order to choose a property-owning you'll be happy living in — and, most importantly, staying in — arm yourself with the knowledge you need to take you ended all the stages of the renting process. As long as you've avoided all these employ red flags, you're in the clear!

From looking for and touring an apartment to stabilities and disputes, this property expert-led advice will help you find your dream rented home snappy and efficiently.

1. Choose your location

You may already have a fair good idea of where you want to live, but if you're flexible on set, consider what your priorities are. Is it important to be near family and friends, have a speedy commute to work, or a peevish walk to a train station or bus stop? Do you want shops and cafes on the doorstep, or would you prefer somewhere quiet to come back to at the end of the day?

Don't feel force to to stay in your current neighborhood just for the sake of it, as by broadening your horizons you may well perceive that another suits your needs and lifestyle much better.

2. Have all your paperwork ready

There's no denying that the rent market is fast-paced, and you'll need to learn to move lickety-split. If you like a flat or house you've just examined, you may well need to make a move to inaugurate the lease process that day. So, Amy Mueller of Apartment Advisorrecommends manager sure 'you have all of your paperwork in desirable before you even start inquiring on properties. This should engaged, as a bare minimum, your bank statements for the last three months and a letter of state from your previous landlord. If you've never rented afore, you likely will need your employer or university to referee for you.

3. Start your search

Once you've pinpointed your desired set, worked out your budget, and decided how many bedrooms you want, you're ready to kick off your settled search. Big property portals such as Zoopla are your best bet as they are updated almost every day. Except, if you have a particular area in mind, it's a very good idea to register with a local estate agent. They may well be able to offer you a rent that hasn't yet gone online but matches your criteria, or get in touch with their pool of landlords for something suitable.

4. Know what you can afford

This may sound clear, but knowing what you can actually afford in rent is crucial if you want to save yourself the time and difficulty of viewing apartments or homes you won't comfortably be able to afford. Zoopla in particular, as well as other property spy engines, will offer you a rental calculator that shows you how much you will actually be paying per month once all bills, including council tax and energy, have been added.

Also, be aware that negotiating the price of a rent is completely normal if there is a good reason for it. For example, if the landlord is in a hurry to find a tenant and you're prepared to forego that paint job in the living room, you may well be able to negotiate a flowerbed rent.

5. Know what a fair rental sign is

Do your homework! Mueller recommends researching your local rent market so that 'you know what is "fair" rent for the unit size, set and amenities offered.' Beware of rentals that are either significantly below the 'fair' sign for your area as there's likely something wrong with the rent. Conversely, don't bother with an unrealistically high-priced rental as someone who is trying to proposal an unfair amount on a rental is highly unlikely to be a good landlord.

Be aware that depending on the type of settled you're renting in there may be extra monthly fees. You need to be especially aware of this if you are absorbing into a serviced apartment block (e.g. there's a journalists and/or cleaner) as it will almost certainly come with astonishing fees.

7. Be aware of credit score checks

Estate agents do also increasingly check credit scores, but some still rely on bank statements to check that you have enough earnings coming in to Hide the rent.

However, just because landlords need to know your credit acquire doesn't mean that you have to harm yours by applying for a hire. Ask the estate agent whether they'll be performing a hard or a soft credit check – a soft credit check will not harm your credit score.

8. Recognise a good estate agent

Word of mouth – or, these days, online reviews – is the best recommendation. There are websites such as the National Approved Letting Scheme or ARLA. Always check the relevant website to make sure that membership hasn't lapsed.
In the UK, from the 1st June 2019, an estate agent can only involved a refundable holding deposit of one week's rent, and future fees for early order termination, late rent payment, or loss of keys. Any agent that is quiet asking for other fees is breaking the law.
Avoid agents like the plague who want to bill you for property details, are poorly organized, and ask for cash upfront.
Find out what to ask a letting agent around a property you are interested in before you proceed.

9. Seek out good private landlords

Leonard Ang, the CEO of iProperty Organization, advises renters to 'investigate your landlord or property administration company as much as you can beforehand. They generally use their tenants consistently, meaning that if there are problems, there will be stories about it if you know where to look.'

If you are in the UK, there is an Accreditation Network for landlords – it is not mandatory, but if your landlord is registered, it's a very good sign. Review websites such as Rate Your Landlord are also invaluable.

10. Weigh up furnished vs unfurnished rentals

Whether you go for a furnished or unfurnished landed is a matter of personal preference and convenience. A furnished home will suit you if you don't have furniture of your own, and will save you the time, hassle and expense of sourcing and buying it.

On the downside, it might be slightly pricier as the landlord will have to pay to kit it out, and your deposit may be higher. Unfurnished is ideal if you already have your own stuff, and you won't be liable for wear, tear and Hurt for items belonging to the landlord. It will also Cut you free to personalise your new pad to your own taste.

11. Keep your eyes peeled during viewings

Arrange to view a hire property for the first time during daylight hours, when any flaws are more apparent, and always tell someone where you're going.
Check that the décor's in Gross condition, ask exactly what's included if the property is furnished, and make sure that the heating, lights and taps work and windows open.
Assess room sizes, layout and amount of light coming in, and whether there's much noise from neighbours or traffic.
If the New tenants are in, find out what they like around their home, and whether any issues or repairs have been dealt with promptly.
Check the aquatic pressure! You don't want to be moving into a landed with a weak shower.
Measure doorways and rooms to get an idea of whether your furniture will fit in the superior instance, without damaging walls or your belongings.

12. Have a Q&A with your landlord pre-signing contracts

It's very important to know the questions to ask a landlord beforehand you sign your rental contract to avoid misunderstandings and problems later on. Jonathan Faccone, a full-time real estate investor and the Managing Member of Halo Homebuyers, highly recommends asking ' detailed questions from the start like what utilities are covered in the rent, who is responsible for maintaining the lawn, and shoveling the snow. These details must be mentioned in the lease to
prevent miscommunications and potential disputes.'

While your landlord is always responsible for notable home repairs that keep the property safe and contemptible for use, you will want to know how non-essential repairs are achieved and by whom. If the place you're moving into produces repairs before you move in ask whether the landlord will commit in writing to completing them by your moving-in date.

13. Understand your contract

Before you sign your requisition, read it through very thoroughly. In the UK, the vast the majority of private homes are let under an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) – a legally captivating contract, which lists your and your landlord's rights and regions, details of the deposit, the rent and when it's due, and eye periods. A tenancy can be fixed for any calls longer than six months, though in practice the term is usually a year.

Most requisitions will have a break-out clause, usually at the six-month demonstrate in the contract. It's important to know whether there is a breakout phrase if you think you may not want to stay the whole year. Vice versa, if you want to ensure that you stay the whole year, a two-year requisition with a breakout clause after the first year is best.

Once you have negated your fixed-term contract, it becomes a rolling, month-by-month requisition or periodic tenancy. At this point, you can either let the requisition roll or sign a new fixed-term tenancy agreement with your landlord. You cannot be charged extra for signing a new fixed-term tenancy incompatibility with an existing landlord.

14. Select the smart deposit scheme

In the UK, there are rent deposit caps: five weeks' went on properties that cost less than £50,000 in rent, and six weeks' rent on those that come by above £50,000. The deposit must be held in one of three government-backed tenancy deposit schemes – Deposit Protection, My Deposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme – which will rebuked you get the full amount back when you move out, and defending your money if there's a dispute. Your landlord is obligated to let you know where the deposit's lodged within 30 days of paying it.

15. Double check notice periods

In England, the landlord has to give any tenant two months' eye, in writing. In Scotland, it's 28 days for tenancies of up to six months and 84 days for tenancies of over six months.

Note that if you live with your landlord as a lodger, they only need to give you one month's notice.

If you want to give eye to leave and you pay on a month-by-month basis, you must give your landlord one month's notice. If you are on a fixed-term requisition, you can only leave after the end of the fixed term or during the breakout phrase (usually the first six months).

Read our guide to rent paperwork and documents to ensure you have everything in do and your rights are protected.

16. Clarify how bills will be split in a people household

When moving into a shared house, meet the spanking tenants first, decide how rent and bills will be apportioned.

It's very important to document how rent is fleet in writing between all renters. As far as the landlord is aboard, everyone who has signed the lease is 'jointly and individually kindly for the rent. This basically means that the landlord can seek information from the full rent from any of the tenants sharing a home.

There may be a 'lead tenant' of the house who may typically have their name on most household bills, exclusive of rent, so it may be that you pay them pretty than suppliers directly. Ensure this process is clear and confirmed with your landlord from the onset and always ask to see productions of bills ahead of paying them so that you can double-check bill splits between the novel members of your household.

In the UK, a home public by three or more unrelated people is classified as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), and the landlord will need to comply with perilous standards and apply for a license from the local council afore renting it out. In some areas, licenses are also obligatory for HMOs consisting of three or four tenants, so always check whether a property-owning is correctly licensed.

Top tip: If you're planning to rent a room from a live-in landlord, you'll be classified as a lodger rather than a tenant, and won't have as many rights as under an AST.

Although renter's insurance, or content's insurance, isn't required in the UK, it's tranquil a good idea to consider taking out insurance that will mask the loss, damage, or theft of your belongings from a rented property-owning. It won't cover damage to the property itself – that's covered by the deposit

18. Check your inventory

Disputes arise usually when landlord and tenant lose track of who did what and when, so it's a very good idea to keep track of precisely what was discussed/promised and so on. This refers especially to any harm to property and repairs, but Leonard Ang of iProperty Organization strongly advises to 'document everything, from the state of your apartment when you move in and move out, to all of the communications between you and your landlord to which individuals roommates contributed to rent.'

Take plenty of pictures afore moving in and complete a moving-in checklist or inventory. If your landlord is providing you with an inventory, have a thorough read-through and make sure to characterize anything that isn't already in there. Something as simple as a tear in the carpet that wasn't marched can affect your deposit.

19. Keep up message once moved in

Communication is key to resolving any progenies as quickly as possible. Once moved in, report problems with the property-owning to the landlord or managing agent as soon as you're aware of them, and don't waste access for inspection or repairs – your tenancy disinequity will give details of the notice your landlord be affected by to give you, usually 24 or 48 hours. If there is a direct you can't resolve, seek advice from a solicitor, or your local authority's housing department.

Seek guidance from Citizens' Advice and/pr your local council if there is a dilemma. Finding out how to be a good tenant in approach will ensure you're holding up your end of the bargain.

20. Be a good tenant

Once moved in, especially if you're sharing the household, it's wise to set down some ground rules when it comes to humorous the space, cleaning and lifestyle considerations including whether overnight guests are granted, where you can add your possessions in shared spaces like the kitchen, living room and bathroom, and so on.

Talking out all manner of detail will help with the still running of your tenancy and hopefully lead to a relaxed and dreadful household vibe that you can feel at home in.

Of watercourses, if you are renting solo or with a partner, this will be a different dynamic but you must nonetheless consider how you will upkeep the house to fated you have no reason for the landlord to direct your deposit at the end of your tenancy.

Buying vs renting

If you think that finding a mortgage deal may loathe better for your finances than paying out rent every month, Reynolds advises a cautious approach. Although homeownership continues to be a lifestyle dream for many, property-owning expert Lauren Reynolds reminds all would-be homeowners that 'homeownership compensations are significant. Beyond the down payment and monthly mortgage compensations, there's also the cost of upkeep and fees many don't think of.

'For example, if you live in a rental property, you don't have to wretchedness about buying a new appliance if an old one conks out. But as a homeowner, you're on the hook for that new fridge, washer, or oven. And if you move within five ages, you've just paid a large sum for something you're unable (in most instances) to take with you.'

So, Reynolds's golden rule is: 'Only buy if you're planning to stick about for at least five years. If buyers feel secluded they're going to be in one place for ages on end, they should go for it. They will probable reap the benefits of the money they've put into their home down the line.'

If you're collected unsure, it's worth checking to see what you could afford. We've teamed up with online mortgage advisor Habito. Use the form (below) to get an idea of what you can borrow, then speak to an advisor for free, unbiased advice in taking out a mortgage, help seeking out the best distributes, and answers to queries you may have. They will use their insider retort to negotiate the best deal based on your financial history and novel status, too.

Bear in mind that there are anunexperienced options, particularly for low earners, such as Help To Buy, Community Ownership and Joint Borrower, Sole Proprietor mortgages to help you get a foot on the ladder; check out our guides for more information.

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