If you are searching for a rental home, you better have the right approach. Finding a suitable place to live is never easy. There are things many things that you need to take under consideration before you can make a decision.
The first and foremost point of consideration is your budget. The budget should be realistic and based on your regular earning. The locality of the house is also important as the cost often varies with that. You must also consider the distance of the house from your workplace. Determine how much you will have to travel to go to work and then come back. Another vital point to consider is the locality. You need to know the nature of the place – the crime rate, number of residents etc. Without proper research you may end up in a problematic area. If you own a vehicle then make sure you have ample parking space. Also, if the area is crime prone then your car insurance may become affected as well. Therefore you must consider it too.
Before renting a place you should always ensure that the structure of the building is in the right condition, and the place is clean enough not to be unhygienic. Easy availability of Gas and electricity is a big factor. Apart from that the boiler needs to work, the drainage system should be in the right condition and if the house is furnished then the furniture should be intact. Also there are several small points like whether the door bell is working, the hot water supply is proper, the central heating system is actually heating, the carpets are clean, the garden is well maintained and the doors and windows open and close properly.
If you are a land owner then your concerns are different. Know all the legal aspects of giving your house up for rent what are the laws and what formalities you need to complete. Even a small irregularity can cause you harassment. Not all tenants are good, honest people. A person interested in renting your home may very well have a record of crime, and could still be a part of illegal and criminal activities. Letting your home to a tenant like this without doing any background research can lead you to trouble as law enforcement agents may carry out raids which will prove to be embarrassing and troublesome for the property owner.
Therefore one should always be safe and check the background of the person who has come to rent your property. Screening and verifying of your tenant before signing the tenancy agreement and handing over the keys is always recommended. A large number of tenants default their monthly rent payments due to a variety of reasons. A homeowner will become very frustrated if the tenant does not pay the rent on time. You can check the credit card ratings of the tenant before allowing him in. Checking out the credit history gives an idea about how the person is with timely payments.
The Author is a Real Estate Professional in Berkshire. Adams Estates offers homes to rent reading.