17 January 2013

If this is the first time you are going to be living in rented accommodation, or if you haven’t lived in a rented house for years, you may not be sure exactly what to expect, what is involved and you may be concerned with what your landlord is going to be like.  Because of the desired location of properties in Earls Court, property prices are high, and so in order to live there it may be that you have to rent a house, if you are finding yourself in a similar situation you should ready up about renting and what it involves to help you better make the decisions you will need too.   •    When you go to the property for the first time have a look at the area that the house is in, as you approach the estate that  you would be living on have a look at how well kept and clean the area is, look at the location of the shops and get a feel of the area.  •    When you arrive at the property look over the building, has it been well maintained, form the outside is there anything that needs fixing on the house, or likely to go wrong soon?•    When speaking to the landlord or letting agent showing you around the property ask some questions about the house:o    Who can you contact if there is a problem, or an emergency?o    Where does the responsibility lie for anything that needs to be fixed around the house?o    How quickly will any repairs on the house be done?o    When you contact your landlord and they are unavailable, how long will it take them to return your call?o    What security measures have been put in place on the house?o    Has the house had many previous tenants? Is there any way of discussing with these tenants why they moved out?o    What is the area the property is situated in like?  What is the crime rate like? Is it a busy area? Are there any noisy factories or roads etc. that could cause some noise pollution?•    Once you have viewed the property it may be an idea to ask the landlord or letting agent if you can take a look around by yourself, this way you can really have a look at thigs without feeling rushed. •     View the property more than once, and at different times of the day, the area may be completely different, for example, at night. •    Introduce yourself to the neighbours, ask them if they know of any problems with the house that have meant the previous neighbours didn’t want to stay.  This will also give you an idea as to how you and your potential new neighbours might get along.  Ask them if they have ever had any dealings with the landlord, and if so what was s/he like.•    Research what the neighbourhood is like. •    Ask the landlord for some previous bills for the house to give you an idea how much you’ll be spending on things like electricity. •    Look at what the local schools are like. •    What is the landlord like, consider:    o    Did the landlord arrive late?o    Does s/he look professional?o    Does s/he look trustworthy?o    Is s/he happy to answer your questions? And are the answers helpful?o    Did the landlord properly let you look around the property, without rushing you?o    Was the landlord friendly and helpful?o    Is the landlord making enough effort for you?  Now is the time they should be making more of an effort, if they aren’t making much now chances are they’ll make even less once you are a tenant.o    Are you happy with the lease?