Things To Consider When Looking For A Rental Property

Currently around 2.4 million people between 18 and 30 live in privately rented accommodation

in the UK and it seems that the numbers of people choosing to rent are slowly increasing. Why are people choosing to rent over buying their own homes? Renting is a much more flexible option as once your lease is up you can choose to move somewhere completely different with minimal hassle. Equally you have less responsibility and can even save money in some cases if you choose to rent over buying. In most cases you are also not responsible for any building maintenance if you are renting. There are, however, many things you need to think about when you are looking for a rental property as there are a number of pitfalls, as with buying a house, which you will need to avoid.

One of the most important parts of finding a property is the location. The age-old adage of location, location, location still rings true today. Is the property in a good location for you? Is it close to enough supermarkets or local shops for your needs? If you have children you will need to make sure to look into what the schools in the area are like. Is your work easily commutable from the area and what is the public transport like? This research should not take long to do. Using Wimbledon in South-West London as an example, a quick search on the internet will show that there are at least fifteen schools in the area, a wide range of parkland and a number of tube stations and railway stations. If you are moving to a new area the internet makes it very simple to do background research.

In a similar vein, dont just research what is in the area, try and find out more about the area in terms of renting. Before you choose a rental property you will need to be aware of what the average rent for a similar property would be. You do not want to be unknowingly paying through the nose for a property when other equivalent properties are much cheaper. Once you think you have found a property that you would like to rent, find out what its council tax will be as this may have an impact on whether you can afford to live there.

Though the location is very important, of equal prominence is the property itself. There is no point in moving into a horrible property just because it is in an area you would like to live in. If you have found a property you like, make sure to visit the house at least twice at different times of the day and try and visit the area on a weekday and at the weekend. Doing this will give you an idea of what the noise levels are like Monday afternoon could be very different from Saturday evening in terms of noise.

Dont be blinded by the nice furniture and decorating choices, especially if the property comes unfurnished! Inspect the property closely and critically. Make sure that the appliances and bathroom facilities look to be in good working order (you can even flush the toilet or run the tap to make sure) as these are features of the house that would be more difficult to change later on. Think about how much closet space is available and if there are no built-in wardrobes, would a wardrobe fit in the bedrooms? Also check that there is enough cabinet space in the kitchen and that there are sufficient plug sockets in each room something that is often overlooked when viewing a property.

You may also want to check the parking situation do you get allocated a space or will you have to get a permit? Safety is also crucial. Is the electrical system made up of sparking loose wires? Are there no fire alarms or fire extinguishers in the property? Are there any damp patches that may suggest something has leaked once or twice before? Do the door locks look like they are about to fall off?

When you think you have found a property that meets your requirements and is worth its rental price, you will need to ensure that your prospective landlord doesnt have any rules that conflict with you. For example if you live with a pet you will need to confirm that pets are allowed in the building or property. It is a similar situation with smoking - many landlords want to keep their properties non-smoking.

There are a large number of things you need to keep in mind when looking for the right rental property. If it seems fairly overwhelming, make a list to take with you to remind you of what you need to look for. It is important that you keep your wits about you and arent seduced by low rents and nice furniture as it could mean the difference between finding somewhere great to live and being stuck in somewhere abysmal for the length of your lease.

by: Izzy Evans

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