RENTING MADE EASY

How to get the best deal and the new way to rent

1

SORT POUNDS AND PAPERWORK

Decide what you can afford before you start house-hunting. Remember you’ll have to budget for gas, electricity, water, phone, internet, TV licence and Council Tax on top of your rent. Do you want to live alone or share? Think carefully about who to live with. Good friends don’t necessarily make great flatmates.

Landlords and letting agents will want to confirm your identity, immigration status, credit history and employment status, so have your passport and all this information readily available. Before you start, do several photocopies of all the relevant paperwork; if you find the perfect place and there’s lots of competition, you could lose it if there’s a delay.

2

BE CLEAR ON FEES

It’s now illegal for a landlord or letting agency to ask you to pay fees for obtaining personal references, administration and credit and immigration checks, thanks to the ‘tenant fees ban’ legislation introduced in June 2019. Housing charity Shelter says that the following are the only circumstances in which fees are chargeable: late payment of rent (after 14 days), replacing lost keys, ending your tenancy early or changing or assigning your tenancy.

Be aware that tenants who signed contracts before June 2019 and wish to renew can also be liable for a renewal fee. Find out more about tenant fees in Britain at shelter.org.uk; just select your country.

3

ENSURE YOU’RE PROTECTED

You’re entering a legally binding agreement so don’t be pressured into signing any documents quickly, such as immediately after a viewing. ‘Take your time and read the contract thoroughly,’ says David Cox, chief executive of letting agents’ organisation, ARLA Propertymark. ‘Ask as many questions as you want until you’re comfortable you understand everything. If you’re not happy, ask for changes or amendments.’ If you’re renting for the first time, it’s a good plan to take someone you trust to viewings and meetings for support.

4

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Once you’ve signed the contract, there’s a list of items to check, says Cox. You must be given a copy of your new home’s Gas Safety Certificate if the property has gas, the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), the Government’s How to Rent Guide (also online at gov.uk), your Deposit Protection Certificate and the attached Prescribed Information (see top right), which may take a few days to process, as well as a licence issued by the local authority if the property is subject to any form of local authority landlord licensing scheme. Approve the inventory (contents list) with the landlord or agent before you move in.

5

DEPOSIT PROTECTION

If you’re renting on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, the most common kind of tenancy (known as a Short Assured Tenancy in Scotland), check that the landlord or letting agent uses a tenancy deposit protection scheme. Without this, the deposit you put down to secure your new home – capped at five weeks’ rent in advance if the annual rent is less than £50,000 – isn’t protected. Then when you wish to move out, the landlord or letting agent could unlawfully withhold your deposit, even if you leave the property in good order.

Under the scheme, the landlord or agent is required to protect your deposit within 30 days of receiving your money and send confirmation as to which approved scheme they’re using plus any relevant information, known as the ‘Prescribed Information’. If he or she refuses to use a tenancy deposit protection scheme, contact Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk).

6

THE NEW WAY TO RENT

All-inclusive, fully fitted and furnished, high-quality rental properties including 24-hour reception, on-site gym, and hotel-style communal lounges are the newest idea in renting. Build to Rent is the clumsy term for these flats that are going up in their thousands around the country. Rents start at about £950 a month for a studio outside London, but include everything except Council Tax, and there’s often zero deposit.

‘Our apartments are designed for renters from the outset. This marks a significant change from the ‘one size fits all’ approach so often seen with newly built urban homes,’ says Jeremy Fletcher, COO of the Tipi development at London’s Wembley Park, while Johnny Caddick, founder of Moda Living, which has the Angel Gardens development in Manchester adds, ‘The hotel-style add-ons not only save our residents money but also create a sense of community.’ (tipi.london; modaliving.com).