The first quarter of the year is always a popular time to search for a property, in renting and sales. It’s also a popular time of year for students to be searching for their next property too.
Over the years we’ve seen a change of attitudes when it comes to viewings, with most of our viewers coming with a great set of questions. It’s something we actively encourage viewers to do – ask questions and go away feeling confident about the property (whether or not they want to move in). As a landlord or agent, you shouldn’t be afraid of receiving these questions, and it might just help you feel at ease with the potential tenants depending on your experience.
Here’s a list of some questions we’d recommend you always ask:
- How long is the tenancy agreement? For most professional lets a tenancy agreement will be 6 months, but for student properties it can be 9 months or 51 weeks. Always ask, because it might turn out that the property isn’t suitable for you at all.
- How much is the deposit, and where is it registered? A deposit payment shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but you should ask where it is going to be registered too. In Wales, it’s a legal requirement for all deposits to be registered with a Government approved scheme.
- What exactly is included in the rent? Some properties might have water rates included, or for student properties the rent might include a range of bills. Ask this question again, and make sure the answer is reflected in the tenancy agreement if you decide to go ahead.
- Ask for a draft tenancy agreement – In the majority of cases the tenancy agreement will be a standard template that the landlord or letting agent uses. Feel free to ask for a draft version so you can read before committing to a property.
- Who is responsible for what? Handy question to ask if you’re renting a flat – there’ll be communal areas – communal lawn and stairwells.
- Can you decorate? Depending on the property (student v professional), the landlord might be happy for you to decorate. Ask this at a viewing, because if it’s really important to you then you’ll know straight away.
- What’s the internet like? Don’t get caught out assuming you’ll have fibre broadband, some properties in Ceredigion don’t have it. Always ask!
We hope these questions give you some food for thought, and for landlords and agents, we’d recommend creating a helpful information sheet to hand out during viewings too.