Finding safe, habitable and affordable accommodation are the basic requirements of any new tenant!
By knowing that the private landlord is trustworthy and reliable, a tenant can have peace of mind in their new home.
Due to the uncertain financial times that we live in, the landscape of the housing market is changing. Competition for rental property is intense and in some parts of the country affordable accommodation for an average income is scarce.
The private rental sector is growing fast in Britain, but unfortunately, it is one of the least regulated industries.
When it comes to policing the industry, most of it is carried out by local authorities, professional bodies, independent charities and conscientious landlords and letting agents. The government has made a few attempts at helping to secure the sector with landlord accreditation and deposit protection, but there is still more work needed. Unfortunately, parts of the letting industry and particularly private landlords suffer from a poor public perception and criminality.
New tenants need to do their homework when it comes to looking for private rented accommodation. It is surprisingly easy to carrying out basic checks on the people you could be doing business with. Investigating an area or a property you may wish to live in does not require the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes.
Online letting agents, Lettingaproperty.com would like to pass on a few handy clues to potential tenants.
Identify where you want to live:
- How much can you afford? Knowing what you have available for rent and bills per month is the deciding factor for the type of accommodation available to you.
- The location of the property will affect its value. By visiting an area at different times of day you will have a better idea of what it is like to live there. An area may be quiet at midday, but at rush hour it could be hell.
- Larger letting agents and private landlords often have a number of properties in one area. Whenever possible try and speak to other tenants, gauge their opinion on the landlord. If the tenants in that property are helpful or unhelpful then take that as a hint for living under the same roof as them.
Check if the landlord, letting agent or online letting agent is accredited:
- The government set up the voluntary accreditation scheme as a way of raising standards in the rental sector and ‘weeding out’ the rogues. By joining the accreditation scheme a landlord must show evidence that their management of the property or properties meets the accepted standards for the scheme.
- The property must be of a high standard and conform to regulations and certificates enforced by the local authority.
- As a tenant, this provides you with a guaranteed standard of dwelling and an assurance that the property will be managed correctly.
To protect you further, tenants need to be aware of the rights they have when dwelling in a property and understand the terms and conditions of their tenancy agreement.
