Renting tips

[Thurston Garden]

Having sold my house (moving day is 22/1), I am probably going to rent for a while until I, wait for it....., build a straw bale house. Some regulars may recall that my folks have a potential plot in their garden and I am quite hopeful that they will have planning in principle (the old Outline Consent) in the early spring. I am looking into buying this from them and building a straw bale(ish) house on the plot.

So I don't loose the equity I have built up in my own house by buying another, I have two choices: a. live with my folks for 18 months, or find somewhere to rent. The latter is the favourite at the moment. 18 months is a long time to live with your folks when you are 40!

Never having rented before, do any ishers have tips on what to watch out for when looking for somewhere to rent, or in negotiating the lease agreement? I have seen two places which would be good - great locations, but the one I like best is, as you would suspect, dearer in rent than the other. The landlord is using a local agent but is off to South Africa in early January and I was quite hoping that when the agent's offices open in the new year that I could haggle a little so the landlord could have a lease all signed up before he leaves. Maybe I am being too optamistic though!

Are there any other things I should be looking out for in the process? The house has just been refurbished and is immaculate.

Ta.

[Thomzo]

Hi
Not many tips from me (apart from the obvious one to read and make sure you understand the rental agreement).

I would just say, however, make sure you go through the inventory with a fine-tooth comb. If there is anything even slightly adrift, make sure you get it agreed with the agent in writing. Take photos if you have to. That way there won't be any nasty business when you leave.

Good luck

Zoe

[Thurston Garden]

Thanks Zoe - you will gave worked out that buying the farm cottage with the LPG heating did not work out. Some things don't happen for a reason!

[Shirley]

Always worth a haggle - we got ours reduced by a bit. We even managed to get away without paying the agency fee! We're currently renting on a short term lease. 6 months and renewable after that on a montly basis. Agree that you need to go through the inventory with a fine toothed comb and be sure with the landlord/estate agency as to what you can and can't do to the place. Some won't even let you hang pics etc. I took photos of everything, and so did the agency.

[JillStephens7]

Something I always mean to do and don't remember is take photos of everything when you move in, e.g. holes left in the wall by previous peoples cabinets and the state of the garden.

I have found people can have quite rose tinted views of the condition their property was in before I arrived and imagine that the hedge has suddenly grown 8ft in a year since I arrived

Good luck, Jill

[spitfire]

i worked in property managment for 8 years here in the usa. i know it is different over there (the uk i presume) but not so different where it matters most. here are a few tips that i would advise.
1, you are only going to be renting for about 18 months, so i would rent the cheaper property and pocket the savings in rent to put towards the new property.
2, take pictures of EVERYTHING..., time and date the photos on your camera.. that way you have a record of any existing problems etc. and also the condition of paint, carpeting etc.
3,are you signing a lease or renting month to month?
if it's a lease the rent will be fixed for the duration of the lease, but you can rent month to month and still have the same benefits if you put a stipulation in that says the rent wont increase for a specific length of time.
4 get EVERYTHING in writing...... everything that you are allowed to do/not do to the property...
5, make sure that you know everything that is included in your rent payment, ie. water rates, garbage pickup, etc..
and lastly,because of the economical climate that we are all in with so many forclosures, i would see if you can get a proviso in your contract that you will be notified by the owners bank or agent if the owner is behind on his mortgage if he has one, that way if s**t happens you will have enough warning...

[StripyPixieSocks]

Not much to add really except don't be afraid to ask questions, make sure you view the property fully, take photos if you have to because moving in and finding your sofa won't fit through the door or something is going to cost time and money.

Make sure you read the contract fully and understand who is responsible for what so if a pipe bursts or something you know in advance who is paying for it to be mended.

Don' be in a rush to sign anything unless you understand it fully and that you have had any queries fully explained and resolved to your satisfaction.

Above all else... good luck, it's a stressful time make no mistaking so be prepared for the occasional off days but it will all be worth it in the end!

Much as I love my parents, living with them when I left my ex I felt like I was 16 again lol

[Millymollymandy]

and lastly,because of the economical climate that we are all in with so many forclosures, i would see if you can get a proviso in your contract that you will be notified by the owners bank or agent if the owner is behind on his mortgage if he has one, that way if s**t happens you will have enough warning...

God yes, I heard about this on the telly and that was a real eye opener!

[Thurston Garden]

Thanks folks, some excellent tips. I am quite happy on the lease - as a commercial surveyor I am sure I will can get my gead around the agreement, but the tip on the landlord going bust is a very good one.

I think it will all come down to rent, and there's nothing I can do until the new year when the offices open again.

Watch this space!

[citizentwiglet]

I've rented around 20 different properties since leaving home; and one thing I would say is to go and see the property in the daytime AND at night. What could be delightful during the day MIGHT just have 30-odd 'youfs' drinking, swearing and causing mischief on your front wall at night. We currently rent an end terrace on an estate, and have had nightmares with the local gang who gather underneath the lamp-post at the side of the house where they can partake in much jiggerypokery of the illegal variety without being seen from the main street - they wake the children up, the language is NOT what I want my children picking up, and they have in the past thrown a lot of drug paraphenalia over our wall whilst running from the police - which I wouldn't really want my kids picking up, either.
Going there at night also allows you to check out whether any potential new neighbours have loud, raucous parties (which you can invite yourself to), or a passion of playing Susan Boyle or N-Dubz at full volume all night; that kind of thing.

[Thurston Garden]

Good point! Thankfully the place I am looking at is in a toaty wee village of about 12 houses. It's not even a through road and the average age of residents is 182. It should be as quiet as a church mouse on a sponsored silence. It's highly likely that I will be the noisy neighbour blasting out Perry Como at all hours.

[Millymollymandy]

Well as long as it's not Subo.

[mrsflibble]

make sure the inventory is done correctly. mark down EVERYTHING no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

if it's a part-furnished house remember to be classed as such all furniture has to be compliqnt with fire regulations.

buy a co detector. use it.

check out the shelter website, it's not just for the homeless. it's got plain english info on renting.

i agree with CT, chec it out in daytime and scope the area at night.

[citizentwiglet]

Watch out, TG, those 182 year olds can get pretty wild when they've won house on the bingo. Or when SuBo ('ain't she got a smashin' voice? Ain't she? Wiv them eyebrows, too') comes on the tellybox. Or they might get so friendly you'll be expected to put out 12 or so wheeliebins every week 'to save their hips'.
You wanna watch em. They be scoundrels.

[Flo]

Funnily enough that point came up at one of our resident panel meetings (housing association tenant here) when the youngest (aged 62) of the road in a similar situation had to keep an eye on the rest of the oldies. Because everyone had coal fires due to being off gas mains in an isolated area, this was some onerous duty.

So don't say you haven't been warned.