If you are planning to move into a rented property then you’re not alone. There are 5.4 million rented households in the UK (PWC), which means a fifth of the UK population rent their home from a private landlord.
And because so many people rely on private landlords and properties to provide them with a home, there are plenty of rules and regulations to protect tenants from rogue landlords and letting agents.
Here are some of the key things you should know before moving in.
1. Not all tenancy agreements are the same
Many landlords and agents offer ‘standard’ tenancy agreements (also called Assured Shorthold Tenancies or ASTs) but often they can be anything but standard. The agreement will normally run for either six or 12 months, and may include clauses about when the rent is paid, whose responsibility the garden is and whether pets and children are allowed. But watch out for the non-standard clauses, for example ones that ask the tenant to repair things that the landlord is legally responsible for, and clauses that try to give the landlord unrestricted access to the property.
2. If the property has a gas boiler or gas cooker, it should have a gas safety certificate
Landlords are required by law to complete an annual gas safety test on any landlord-fitted gas appliance or flue in a rented property, and provide the tenants with a copy of the certificate within 28 days.
3. Pay attention to the inventory list
Most landlords and agents will arrange for an inventory of the property to be completed before a tenant moves in. This document will describe the key items within a property and including photographs if necessary. These will record what's in the property and its condition. But it is essential that you check carefully that the inventory is accurate, otherwise there may trouble ahead when you move out.
4. Your deposit must be lodged with an approved scheme
Landlords in England and Wales are required by law to protect a tenant’s deposit (or insure it) via one of the three government-approved deposit protection schemes within 30 days of receiving the money. There are separate schemes for Scotland and Northern and Ireland. Read more about the three schemes.
5. The house must have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The minimum required by law is that every storey of a property has a working smoke alarm, and that any room where solid fuel is used is fitted with a carbon monoxide detector/alarm.
6. There are rules about rent increases
If you are signing an AST the landlord can only increase the rent at the end of the fixed term – which usually means after six or 12 months, depending on your contract. Sometimes landlords put clauses into the contract that say otherwise, so watch out when you’re signing it.
7. Landlords and agents can’t come in when they like
By law a landlord can gain access to a property to make repairs or carry out an inspection, but they must give the tenant 24 hours’ written notice and visit at a reasonable time of day. The only exception to this is when there is an emergency within the property. Some landlords include clauses that give them greater access to a property, but these should be removed as they are invalid.
8. Set up a CreditLadder account
Tenants can make their rent payments count towards their credit score via CreditLadder. Every time a tenant makes a rent payment through us that payment is shared with Experian. The data is then registered on a tenant's credit file and can increase their credit score. Find out more about how it works.
9. Have the council tax and utilities been changed over?
Most ASTs will require the tenant to pay for the gas, electricity, water, broadband and council tax, so you’ll need to register for each service before you move in.
10. Check out the landlord or managing agent
Before signing on the dotted line and moving in, tenants should check out who they are renting the property from and who will be managing it. The AST should say who the landlord is, even if it’s being managed by a letting agent on their behalf. So there’s no harm in searching online to check them. And if the property is being managed by an agent, ensure they are members of the key professional organisations such as ARLA, The Property Ombudsman and the National Approved Letting Scheme.
11. Does the property have a current Energy Performance Certificate?
An Energy Performance Certificate or EPC is a document that records how energy efficient a rented property is, or in other words how well insulated it is.
The EPC is one of three items that, if a tenant is not given them before moving in, can make it more difficult for a landlord to evict the tenant from their home. The other two are a Gas Safety Certificate and a booklet called ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England'.
Remember, CreditLadder can help you improve your credit score.
CreditLadder can improve your credit position by reporting your rent payments. CreditLadder is the first way to improve your credit score and position across all three of the main Credit Reference Agencies in the UK, namely Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Building up a high credit score has a lot of benefits, including helping you access finance at better rates - this can also help save you money. CreditLadder also runs a free mortgage application service in partnership with Tembo which will tell you how much you could borrow.
Remember the content provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be considered as advice.