Tips to think about when looking for rental properties
Whether you have been through the experience of finding a property to rental or not, here are some tips that we have compiled for you to keep in mind.
Ask as many questions as possible
It is important that you take your time and ask as many questions as possible. This is extremely important since it’s best to know everything before you move in for a long-term tenancy.
If you can find any problems with the property before you move in or make an offer, it gives you the chance to actually do something about it. Maybe put in your offer to fix certain things before you move in.
Taking a bit of extra time to ask the right questions will make your life a lot easier later on.
You can also take a look at our ‘questions to ask’ page to get some ideas and inform your viewing request!
That is why we are here to help! We’ve made it easy to choose from a variety of important questions when filling in your checklist.
View as many properties as possible
This might sound awkward coming from a house viewing service, but it is true. It is important that you don’t put all your eggs into one basket.
Making an offer for a certain property doesn’t mean you will get it, so it is important to view lots of properties and make as many offers as possible to increase your chances. It is a numbers game after all.
Following this approach will also give you options.
Having options of multiple properties to choose from will make your decision easier and limit the amount of compromises you will have to make.
Preparing your offer
All properties in London require you to put in your offer for the landlord.
Estate agents usually send an offer letter to you and some landlords require you to message them after the viewing is completed with your offer.
In your offer you have the chance to ask for certain furniture to be removed or included, to have the place professionally cleaned, to negotiate the price or anything else you want to make sure it happens before you move in.
Your offer will then be compared against other offers and the most compelling one will get picked by the landlord.
Thus, after you receive the information from your viewer you should start thinking if you are going to make an offer or not and what things you want to include in it.
Location, location, location..
The property is not the most important thing. If you find the perfect property in a high crime rate or far away area you should think twice.
There are a number of things you should think about in regards to the area around your interested property (This is why letting locals view properties for you is so beneficial).
Here are some things to consider:
-
How far away is it from a tube station? Think about going out in Central London and then needing to walk 15 minutes at 1 o’clock alone to get to your home.
-
Is the area safe? It is always a good idea to find out what the demographic of the neighborhood is. Is it mostly students? Which means it can be safe but loud. Is it mostly families? Which means it is safe, quiet and friendly. Or is it mostly young professionals?
-
Supermarkets and general stores. It is also very important to have a supermarket close to you in case you don’t buy online and you need something urgently. It is always nice when the area also has the major chains for shopping or going out for a nice dinner.
-
You should also consider your travel cost for properties that interest you. It can get quite expensive if you will be traveling everyday back and forth. You can use an app like Citymapper to find exactly how much certain trips will cost you.
Where to search for properties
If you have been through the house hunting struggles before, you know that the amount of websites offering properties is close to unlimited.
Whether it’s shared rooms, property listing websites, estate agencies, individual landlords or online marketplaces it is important that you be wary of scammers.
There are a number of things to look out for during your house hunting search.
-
If a property looks too good to be true it’s probably because it is! A cheap rental in a very pristine location is usually a sign of a scam.
-
The other problem is that properties found online during the hot season are probably gone already. Estate agents most of the time don’t have the capacity to update their listings online and in some cases not even on their own website!
-
That is why your best bet is to keep searching from the big platforms such as Zoopla, Rightmove, OntheMarket, SpareRoom, OpenRent. Since they have large traction, these websites do their best to have updated listings on their platforms (keep in mind that this is not always the case).
Furthermore, it is also a good idea to give your details to trusted estate agents (like Dexters, Foxtons, JLL) so they know what you are looking for and they can alert you for any new properties that come up.
Prepare to make some sacrifices
If things start looking dire, don’t give up! Everyone finds a place to stay at some point. But, you should be prepared to make some sacrifices. These usually happen in terms of budget, location or flatmates.
-
You might consider increasing your budget to find a place that suits your needs or even allows you to make a more compelling offer to the landlord and gain an edge over the competition.
-
If that is not an option, you might consider changing the locations you are looking at. If it proves difficult to find a place near your work or your university, you should be prepared to look for properties in zones further away. Keep in mind that transportation is great in London and you can make use of that.
-
Lastly, you have to also keep the option of maybe sharing a property with other people. This will decrease your expenses dramatically. There are a number of online platforms that allow you to find people to share a home with and this can allow you to book a more expensive property that’s safer and closer to your university or work.
Timings - starting early may not always work out
If you are looking for a rental in any other city other than London, starting your house hunting search early is always a good idea.
But, because of the competitive nature of the rental market in London properties come and go in a very short amount of time.
Especially during the summer months (this is when students are looking for properties and when most of the tenancies end), the market is crazy and you may find the perfect property for you at the last minute.
It is highly unusual that you book a place in London months in advance. Saying that, whenever you have the time to look for properties you should do so!
