What You Need To Look For When Searching For Your Perfect Rental Property 

How do you make sure you choose the perfect rental property for you? It’s not an easy job to take on, however, there are a few key points to have in mind when you’re viewing potential new homes.

It doesn’t matter if your viewings are for Liverpool, London, or Manchester apartments for rent, the important things to consider are the same and will help you choose the right property for you.

Rent

This may seem like an obvious thing to consider but you’ll be surprised how easy it can be to miss out on a few important points that can make a big difference. Firstly, research what the average current rental rates are for what you’re after, and then set yourself a budget and only search for properties that are within that range. This will stop you from tempting yourself too often with properties that are only ‘just’ out of your price range.

To caveat this, however, if there is an apartment, for example, that you feel is perfect for you, it never harms to speak to the landlord to see if there is any room for maneuver on the price; if you’re a good tenant, with quality references and you’re looking to lengthen your tenancy, you may be able to get the rent reduced slightly.

Something else to consider when viewing properties is whether the rent will include other factors, such as water bills, property, and garden maintenance, or council tax. If these things are not included, then you need to remember to budget for them separately and this may impact the top level of your price range.

Internet Connection

With home working now being a lot more popular than it once was, a powerful internet speed and the broadband signal has gone from being a ‘nice to have a feature to something of an absolute necessity for tenants. This means that it’s essential to do your research on this topic as well – search the WIFI signals, and also phone signals for your network, in areas you’re interested in renting in and see if they meet up to your digital needs.

No Pets / Smoking

Usually, advertisements for rental properties will make it clear as to whether or not they are happy to accept pets and/or smoking within the property, however, if, in doubt, it’s always important to check if the landlord is happy to accept either. Always clarify, if there’s any doubt, otherwise you may leave yourself open to issues with the tenancy agreement or run the risk of invalidating your insurance policy.

For those with disabilities who may require a guide dog, it’s completely reasonable to ask the owner to reconsider any no pet policies, however, if they were to refuse, they may be breaching disability discrimination laws. You can still avoid these issues though. If you are considering moving to Houston, you should check out some of these pet-friendly Houston apartments and connect with the landlord as soon as possible to have you and your pet accommodated.

Have a Good Look at the Property

When looking around any new property, make sure you keep an eye out for details that will highlight any issues and let you know that the property is looked after and in good working order.

Outside, check to see if the doors, windows, and gates look secure and well maintained, see if the brick and paintwork look clean and neat, and even give the roof the once over from the street to check if there are any tiles missing that could result in issues or inconvenience for you further down the line.

Inside of the property, the checks should continue – check again that the doors and windows seem secure, see what the water pressure is like if there are any signs of dampness,ness and what sort of heating is installed. It’s also worth checking the furniture against an inventory list you’ve been given, against what’s in the house to see what you’ll be getting. Also, if the decor perhaps isn’t to your taste, check with the landlord if they’d be happy for you to update – you may even find they’ll pay for the upgrades.

As long as you go searching for your rental property armed with a few crucial things to look out for, what originally seemed like a time-consuming, difficult task will turn out to be much simpler and you’ll find your perfect property in no time.