From this point there is no one to pin the blame on, if you don’t ask the questions you can be sure you will not be told.

External Appearance and condition:
Through your rose tinted spectacles you see an immaculate Modern terrace or a quaint country cottage? You fail to notice however, the loose guttering and cracking windows.

You Think:
You are so in love with the exterior and how aesthetically pleasing the property looks you may fail to notice minor external issues that could later evolve in to serious problems.

Check:

• Does this property have any external issues?
• Clogged Guttering- This can often get overlooked but as soon as guttering becomes clogged it can cause major water damage to your home.
• Look out for soil marks splashed on the wall and obvious rotting.
  

  Bad clogged guttering

• Bad Roofing- On average, roof shingles should last between twenty and twenty five years.
• Look out for dark spots and signs of water damage.
• Cracked/ damaged windows.
• Also note any cosmetic problems, e.g. peeling paint.

Interior Appearance and Condition:
Spacious? Check. Nice décor? Check. Warm? Check.

You Think:
Each room is nicely decorated, spacious, warm and modern. But the properties visual appearance may be deceiving,

Check:

Is there central heating, storage heating, electric heating?

You need to weigh up the factors. Oil is slightly more energy efficient yet Gas is much cheaper.

Also bear in mind, if you are renting a property for a short period of time check with your landlord that you are not expected to fill the tank. If not, you could end up paying to heat the house when you have moved out.

Does the property have electric/gas key meters?

These require you to top up regularly, so if this I the case you need to be sure where your local ‘pay point’ shop is.

If you feel the house décor is shabby and badly maintained ask the landlord if he is willing to fix any of these issues prior to you moving in. It may be difficult to get him/her to agree to any work after you have signed the contract.

• If you wish to hang pictures or mirrors ensure the Landlord will allow this before making any holes in the walls

• Is there a valid gas safety certificate?

• Can the agent provide you with an EPC, (energy performance certificate?)

• Is their loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, etc? (This will affect your heating bills)

• Is there a sufficient number of working smoke alarms? (You should have a minimum of one on each floor) And be sure there is enough storage to cater to your requirements? Be Realistic.

Furnished/unfurnished: You walk in to what seems like a modern penthouse filled with luxury mod-cons. Leather chaise-lounges, fifty inch plasmas and four poster beds.

You Think:

Not only have you landed such an array of expensive goods but you now have to spend very little, if not nothing at all on kitting out your new pad.

Check:

• Is this property being let furnished?

There are three possible options:

Fully Furnished  
Part Furnished
Unfurnished

• Be sure to ask your letting agent to clearly stipulate what is being kept in the property before signing any agreements.

FACT!

• Some Landlords offer properties furnished or unfurnished, sometimes subject to extra cost.

Insurance : You now know whether your rental home is being let, furnished, part furnished or unfurnished.

You Think : As a tenant you will not need to purchase any general home insurance as this home is not technically your own.

Check:

• Has the Landlord currently got home contents insurance?
• What does this contents insurance actually cover?’
• Will I need separate insurance for my own goods?’
• Do not make any assumptions on what is and isn’t covered
• Ensure you know exactly what insurance you need to get to cover your personal items.

It is very unlikely that any landlord will have insurance that covers your laptops, plasma screens and generally expensive personal goods.

Does this property actually fit your criteria? :

You think: Yes, It‘s spacious, modern and has built in wardrobes.

But You’re a heavy smoker with three dogs who needs two parking spaces.

Check:

• Does the Landlord accept pets/smokers?
• Does the property have a garage/parking space?
• Does this property accept tenants that are in receipt of Housing benefit/job seekers allowance?

It is best to stipulate your situation and make sure the property fits any specific requirements that you may have before viewing it.

The Local Area:

You Think: It looks like a desirable area, there’s a Tesco across the road and the local train station is only a ten minute walk.

Check:   

• Where is the local garage/Supermarket/ Train station/School?  
• Does this area have high crime rate?
• Does the area have any busy roads/ night clubs/ bars? 

Make sure you explore the area before committing to anything, that ten minute walk to the train station could be a lot longer than you thought.

Things to consider:

Commuting costs, opening hours of local amenities, neighbours and the local community, suitability, (if you have small children is this a safe/comfortable environment?)

Land/Garden maintenance: For many people a garden is an important aspect to their new rental home but you need to be sure who is responsible for maintaining that land.  

You Think:

That having a nice garden to enjoy in the summer is great and that the landlord will be responsible for mowing the lawn, weeding etc.

Check:

• Is the landlord responsible for any garden maintenance?
• If this is not the case you should consider whether maintaining the garden/land is viable.
• Are you in a position where you can afford mowers/trimmers/ gardening tools etc.
• Also, are you in a position where you have the time for this kind of upkeep, or even whether or not you want to make the effort to do these kinds of jobs?

P

You spend weeks, months even, trawling through box flat after box flat desperate to find even a tiny bit of character in one of these inexpensive little starter homes, so when you do, it really is like gold dust!

You call for a viewing, get butterflies, visit the property and suddenly your picturing dinner parties, cocktail parties and every other grown up occasion you can think of, In YOUR new humble abode.

You tell the agent, ‘I want it; I have a guarantor, deposit, admin fees and references’. Everything you think they want to hear in a desperate bid to secure what could be your own little party palace! ‘It’s yours’ he tells you, ‘Nobody else will even get a look in.’ At this point this agent is not only the most loyal sales person you have ever met but he is now GOD.

Your home, sipping on champagne, ringing every person you have ever clapped eyes on telling them you are now the proud tenants of that stunning, spacious maisonette. You sit at work the next morning, excitedly awaiting the call from that lovely, honest letting agent you spent the whole evening praising.

Twelve o’ clock. Still waiting. He must be busy. Maybe on lunch? Maybe there has been an emergency? Anything…

Home from work. The agonising wait is far from over not even a courtesy call as yet. But he did say it was ours!

Finally a call, hours later, ‘Sorry, we decided to give it to someone else’

And there it is! Over before it even began! You feel like your whole world has fallen apart! Your back on the beer, calling everyone you have ever clapped eyes on and slating the man who has ruined your life.

So what’s have we learned here? Until you have signed that all important paperwork you are most definitely not the proud owner of that ‘little party palace’ you loved so much.

This experience is unfortunately not an uncommon one. On Rentright every step possible is taken to ensure all property listed on the website is so by reputable agents, helping to eradicate experiences like the above one.

Its a shame but many properties listed on property portals have already been let, its a way some agents get you to register with them, fortunatly there is a solution, Rentright, The ultimste Rental Property website has tools and features built into that ensures property is not left on the site indefinatly and is hidden from view until it become available again, This does depend a great deal upon the agent and the method by which they upload property to the website but it does mean that the prospective tenant can generally be more effective in searching for a rental property then many of the other websites that list property in order to have a high property count.

Rentright on the other hand cares about service to its customers and will continue to be focused on delivering quality results to its customers.

(1) Research the Area

One of the key organisation aspects is to make sure you research carefully where you want to live.  There are different requirements which you need to think about such as access to bus routes, shops, schools, trains and motorways so think about what is important to you and note them down.

(2) Research the Market

Take a look at what is available, how much it costs and where it is, from this you will get an idea of what type of property you may be able to afford.  Remember the demand for the best properties will be high so if you do see something you like then be sure to act fast or else you may just miss out.

(3) Check Affordability

Carefully consider how much you can afford, this is very important you do not only need to pay the rent each month but you also need to pay council tax, household bills and contents insurance to name just a few.  So make sure you do not over stretch your budget and get a rental property you can afford.

These are what can be considered the main areas which should be focused on before you undertake the procedure of renting out a property.  Take a look at Rentright for information on renting, property and the RRPI (Residential Rental Price Index) and this will help you through the entire rental process.

The beauty of renting property is you can take your time and wait for exactly the right moment to make your move and get onto the property ladder.  If you are looking for a new rental property then you need to take a look at the Rentright website which has thousands of new property added to the site on a regular basis.  Throughout the UK there are lots of rental property and there will be something in the area where you are looking to rent.

TOP TIP – RENT INSTEAD OF BUYING