Questions To Ask When Viewing A Home To Lease

When viewing a home to lease, it pays to be ready and ask the precise questions. Whilst you is probably not shopping for your personal house, you’ll nonetheless be dwelling on this home for a while, so ensuring you can be joyful there’s important.

Listed here are some suggestions and questions which might be smart to ask the owner or property agent when viewing a rental property.

1. What Payments Will I Be Accountable For And How A lot Are They?

Tenants are often liable for payments equivalent to fuel, electrical energy and water, council tax, web, and TV licence. Ask for a tough estimate from the present tenants in an effort to issue all the prices into your price range.

Ask to see the Vitality Efficiency Certificates (EPC), which gives you a good suggestion of how vitality environment friendly the property is and the way costly your payments may be. All rental properties should have an EPC ranking of E or above. From April 2025, all new tenancies shall be anticipated to have an EPC ranking of C or above.

You might also must price range for contents insurance coverage – while this isn’t a authorized requirement, it’s possible you’ll need to think about getting cowl to your belongings in the event you can’t afford to exchange them within the occasion of a hearth or housebreaking.

If the owner or letting agent isn’t certain in regards to the council tax invoice, you may verify your council tax band on the gov.uk web site. Your native authority will publish the council tax bands and costs on their web site.

2. Can I Change Suppliers?

You could want to store round to get the very best deal to your fuel and electrical. If you’re paying your payments individually from the lease, you may change suppliers, even if you’re on a pre-payment meter. In case your landlord covers the vitality payments, you should not have the precise to change vitality suppliers.

3. What’s Included?

If the property is furnished, ask if all of the objects will nonetheless be within the property if you transfer in. Bear in mind, a lot of the furnishings you see on a viewing may belong to the present tenants.

Double-check that home equipment equivalent to fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers are included. Enquire about their age and situation to make sure they’re in good working order.

4. Is There a Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Smoke Alarm?

It’s a authorized requirement for carbon monoxide detectors to be fitted on any flooring that has a set combustion equipment (not together with fuel cookers). A smoke alarm ought to be fitted on every flooring of the property. Examine that these are put in; if not, be certain that the owner has accomplished this earlier than you progress in. It’s within the landlord’s curiosity to make sure these are in place, or they may very well be answerable for a hefty high-quality.

The owner should prepare for a fuel security verify to be carried out each 12 months, and so they should offer you a replica of the fuel security certificates if you transfer in.

5. Who Is Accountable For What?

If you’re viewing a home with a backyard, affirm who’s liable for upkeep. If the contract specifies it’s your accountability to maintain the backyard tidy, verify if the owner gives instruments (equivalent to a lawnmower) or whether or not you’ll have to purchase them.

If you’re viewing an residence with communal areas or gardens, discover out who’s liable for upkeep and verify whether or not any service costs are payable.

6. Who Is The Level Of Contact If One thing Goes Mistaken?

Discover out who it is best to contact if something goes mistaken with the property or in case you have misplaced the keys. Your contact often is the letting agent if they’re managing the property on behalf of the owner, or it’s possible you’ll take care of the owner straight.

7. How’s The Heating & Water?

Run the bathe to make sure it gives scorching water and an excellent charge of circulation. Examine the faucets work and the seals across the sink and bathtub are in place.

Ask how the property is heated and guarantee all of the radiators and lights are in good working order. Ask how outdated the boiler is. Though the owner is liable for sustaining, you don’t need to reside with temperamental scorching water and heating.

8. What’s The Parking Like?

If the property comes with allotted parking included within the lease, ask what number of areas you’re going to get and whether or not residents stick with the foundations.

For streets that require a allow from the native council, learn the way a lot that is prone to be. Ask how busy the parking will get, you may have to be ready to park just a few streets away from the property.

Even if you’re viewing a home with allotted parking areas or a drive, you’ll want to seek out out the place guests can park.

9. What’s The TV & Web Like?

With extra folks working from house and streaming TV, music and video games, web pace is important. Ask how the property receives its broadband connection. Does the property have Virgin Media cables or BT’s fibre to the door?

In order for you Sky TV, ask if there’s already a satellite tv for pc dish or if the owner would thoughts in the event you fitted one.

10. What Are The Neighbours Like?

Ask who the neighbours are. Are they a household, a younger couple or aged? Have any earlier tenants had points with them?

A letting agent might not have this info, however it’s nonetheless price asking. Realizing the neighbours helps you resolve whether or not the property will suit your life-style.

11. What’s The Coverage On Pets And Redecoration?

Most tenancy agreements say you may’t paint the partitions and even put-up cabinets, footage or mirrors. If you wish to put your stamp on the property, be sure you ask the owner about this earlier than you signal the contract, this can be one thing they might think about if you’re within the property long run. Many landlords will put up image hooks or fastenings to hold mirrors or wall-mounted TVs.

Asking up-front about whether or not you may maintain pets within the property may cease you from dropping your deposit additional down the road. Many landlords will add a clause to your contract allowing you to maintain a specific pet if requested.

12. How A lot Is The Deposit?

To make sure you don’t have any shock prices, ask the agent how a lot the deposit is and when that you must pay it. You must also verify whether or not a holding deposit is required to order the property while they perform their pre-tenancy checks.

13. How Lengthy Is The Rental Time period?

Most tenancy agreements are for 12 months, as this strikes an excellent stability between offering landlords with a safe rental earnings and permitting tenants to go away the property. Some contracts can have a 6-month break clause.

Ask what occurs when the contract time period involves an finish. Will it roll onto a periodic tenancy, or will that you must signal a brand new rental settlement?

14. How Lengthy Does It Take To Get To…?

If you’re viewing a home in an unfamiliar space, take into consideration the native transport hyperlinks and facilities you’ll use often and ask how lengthy it takes to get there. As an illustration, how far is it to the practice station, your child’s faculty or a neighborhood store?

It’s essential be certain the situation will give you the results you want.

15. Can I See A Copy Of The Tenancy Settlement?

Earlier than you signal something, ask for a replica of the tenancy settlement and browse it fastidiously, so what you might be signing. Ask questions on something you might be uncertain about and guarantee that you’re conscious of the implications in the event you breach any phrases of the settlement.

If you’re on the lookout for a home to lease in central London, registering with Kubie Gold gives you the very best likelihood of discovering your dream house. A lot of our lets are organized with tenants registered on our database earlier than the property even seems on-line.