Six tips if you’re renting a house

I’ve lived in rented accommodation all of my adult life. I’d love to be in the position one day to buy a house, but that’s not looking likely anytime soon. We’ve had some great landlords and some not so great ones. We’ve learnt so much over the years, so here are my top tips:

• Make sure that you have written confirmation of how much deposit you have paid, and how long it will take them to return it when you leave the property.
• Take your time reading all the fine print in the tenancy agreement – and query anything you’re not sure on.
• Check your inventory really really carefully when you move in. If there are any mistakes make sure you inform your landlord/agents. Equally take photos of anything not mentioned on the inventory – marks, things that are broken, etc – make sure the photos are dated too and keep them safe for when you move out.
• Ensure you know who is responsible for maintenance. Most landlords/agents will have handymen they send for any repairs needed.
• Check if they mind you decorating – in my current property, we can do as we please – paint, put up shelves, etc – we just have to put it back to how we found it when we leave.
• Take out home insurance to cover your contents.

Homelet – the landlord insurance specialists, have put together this infographic, which is really useful for tenants as well as landlords and gives you an overview as to tenants rights

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