Читать книгу Money: A User’s Guide - Laura Whateley - Страница 10

When you have found a property you want to rent you will generally need to go through a credit-check process (if you are worried about your credit history see chapter 2 on how to improve it), which is where you are rated on how likely you are to pay your rent on time. You may also need to show bank statements and provide references, such as your old landlord or employer, or failing that, to offer a guarantor, such as a parent, who will agree to cover your rent if you cannot meet it. You then have to cough up a lot of money for a deposit.

Some agents or landlords require a holding deposit, which is a sum of rent paid to secure the property you want while the letting agent checks your references. When the new law comes into force in 2019 a holding deposit can be no more than a week’s rent. Do not pay until you are sure you want the property, because you may not be able to get this deposit back if you don’t. Usually it will be taken off your tenancy deposit. Get the holding-deposit details in writing, including what will happen to it if your landlord changes their mind and you can’t move in.

You usually also have to pay your first month’s rent in advance. You then need to add on the tenancy deposit. From 2019 tenancy deposits will be capped at a maximum of six weeks’ rent.

Always get receipts whenever you pay anything, in case there are any issues further down the line. Before you pay or sign, see if you can negotiate on any fees or the cost of the rent. These things are not fixed and agents or landlords may be trying it on.

You also need to ask a few questions: how and when you will be paying rent, and whether the rent includes any bills; how long you can rent for – the length of your tenancy – and whether you are entitled to end it early. Are there any rules on what you can and can’t do in the flat – for example, have parties, keep a dog, smoke?

Ask to see the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Legally a property you rent must have an energy-efficiency rating of at least E, unless it is exempt, in which case there is a register for exempt properties on gov.uk. If the property is an F or G your landlord is breaking the law and can be fined.

If you are moving into a shared house with several flatmates your home should be licensed with the local council as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) to make sure it is safe and not at risk of overcrowding. This is worth checking.

Also, it may sound obvious, but do actually view the property you want to rent in situ, rather than just online, before parting with any cash. There are lots of online rental scams out there, particularly targeting students, where you pay upfront fees to secure properties that either do not actually exist or have already been rented out, sometimes multiple times.