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Renting a property and moving house
With the credit crunch biting and houses prices in the UK expected to continue going down, letting is becoming a more appealing option for many, or the only option for others. Some people are even going to the extend of selling their house now, taking the gamble that the housing market will drop down significantly, enough not only to make a good profit but also to re-enter the housing market before (and when?) it picks up again. Renting after being a home owner has advantages. Probably the main one being that as soon as something doesn't work you can just ring up the agency, or the landlord and it is no longer your problem(in theory anyway). You are also no longer a slave to all that DIY that seemed to occupy a lot of your free time.
However, it also brings its share of stress. In England, serving one month's notice after the initial 6 month short term assured tenancy is common as contracts are let to go on a rolling basis. Whereby in the rest of Europe, one month is unthinkable. Fortunately, with the internet you no longer have to rely purely on the agencies to contact you when a new property is coming on the market. You don't have to wait either for the weekly property supplement. It is recommended, however, to chase letting agencies up as soon as a suitable looking property comes up. You want to be viewing the property quickly and if interested put an application as soon as possible. In some areas, properties go like hotcakes.
Check as many websites as possible. The national ones as well as the local agencies’ websites (gumtree, local forums and local estate agents) and go onto them daily. Of course like with everything else, beware of scams where people are fishing for your e-mail address. You will be required to provide a lot of information on the application form, including things like your National Insurance number, referees, provide a copy of your passport etc. The agency will do a credit check based on that information and often charge you a minimum of £80 per applicant for administration purpose (if you are a landlord this information can be obtained via the internet for £15 + depending on what information you want). They can also check if you still have rent arrears from a previous landlord.
If everything is fine, you should be invited in to sign the contract. Make sure you get to see a copy of the contract beforehand and that you read it carefully. Don't hesitate to query something you are not clear about as it will be too late once you have signed the contract.
The deposit should be safeguarded by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme whereby deposits are kept by a "neutral" body and the money is returned at the end of the tenancy when everything has been settled. The whole process, from handing in your application form to moving in, should only take a few weeks at the most (it can take a week in some case) but if you feel things are moving too slowly you need to contact the agency regularly. After all, the landlord also prefers his/her property not to be empty! You should receive an inventory when you move in. Go through it carefully making any amendments and return it completed to the agency. If you want more reassurance, take pictures or a film of the state of the property when you move in. When you move out, the agency should arrange a date when both parties go through the inventory.
As well as doing all the packing, you need to inform people and organisations around you that you have moved.There are useful websites around to help you with this is as well.
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Contributor's Note
I don't work for an estate agent nor have any connections with any letting agencies. However, I have moved house many times over the last 2 years.
When I stay put in the UK, I write and have a website about outdoor toys, related health issues and outdoor activities for children. Anne Dussart
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http://moveme.com/services
| http://rightmove.co.uk
| http://propertiestoday.co.uk
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This intel was contributed by banania
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May, 2012
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