Do you know who you're going to live with next year? Now's the time to make up your mind. We've put together a few tips to help you find the perfect flat - and to avoid some of the most common pitfalls as well:
- Who are you going to live with? Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Decide on the number of friends you're planning to move in with before you go to view a flat. If there are five bedrooms, five of you need to sign on the dotted line, so you will all need to be present and available when you go to finalise the paperwork for the flat.
- Does the advert show an energy efficiency rating? This is a letter between A and H which must be listed in the advert. It gives you a good idea of the gas & electricity costs the flat will incur, A being the most and H the least energy efficient. Landlords who aren't upfront about this kind of information are likely to have something to hide - always bad news.
- Is there any mention of 'agency fees' or 'referencing fees'? If yes, don't even look at the flat. These fees are now illegal and landlords still trying to charge them are quite simply bad news.
- Will you be given a full check-in and check-out? The answer should be yes! You should have the opportunity to go through the property's itinerary together with your lettings agent both at the start of the lease and at the end. It's the easiest way to highlight any faults that relate to previous tenants and ensure you receive your full deposit back when you move out.
- Where will your deposit be kept? As of 2012, landlords must place deposits with one of three government-approved tenancy deposit schemes. The landlord has to comply to this rule within 30 working days of the start of your tenancy and send a certificate to confirm it's been done. If your landlord doesn't comply, you can sue for three times the deposit!
Apart from these tips listed above, go with your gut feel. If the property feels wrong when you view it or anything seems dodgy about the landlord, simply don't sign the lease.
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