Renting from Estate Agents

• Posted by tenancy solved July 4, 2017 - Filed in Landlords - #landlord  #Renting  #  #estate agent  #housing  #tenancy agreement  #flat for rent  #house for rent  #accommodation for rent  #apartments  #empty accommodations  - 1,054 views

  

   

  • Most people rely on estate agents for help when wanting to rent a property. It gives them a measure of safety through a legal contract and a guarantee of getting a good accommodation. But choosing an estate agent comes at a price. It may be safer, but it does not guarantee perfect agreements. The reason is that, most estate agents work on behalf of their clients, the landlords. The funny side of all this is that when you go to an estate agent, they are required to perform a check on you. The annoying part is that you are charged by them to perform a check on you. They never tell you: “Well, we did a check on your potential landlord to see if he is fit to be a good landlord.;

   

  • Like any business, they want to make a profit. As soon as you sign that contract, you don’t know if you are dealing with an honest landlord who is correct and looks after his investment, or a slum landlord who doesn’t care for his/her tenants and unlike an honest landlord, is always seeking to triple his/her investment. Until problems start to appear, you don’t know who you are dealing with.

  Checklist

   

  • When choosing an estate agent, make sure that you look for a reputable one. They may be more expensive, but is it worth more than having a peace of mind?

   

  • If you have a lower budget and are looking for a bargain, it should not stop you from asking the right questions. People worry about the state of the accommodation as well as the rental price. They forget that the landlord is the first person in the process who should be investigated. They can turn out to be the best, and they can also be your worst nightmare. Either way, estate agents should have details of the property as well as the landlord they are dealing with. You can either have a beautiful accommodation but a landlord who is a nightmare to deal with, or an average-looking accommodation but a landlord that fits the description of a butler, responding promptly to your every need. So, your choice of property should be based on what your needs are.

   

  • Make sure that you look around for the best agency fee as some can be a complete rip off.

   

  • Make sure that you read and understand the role of the estate agent in running the property on top of reading and understanding the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement. Estate agents either charge the landlord for fees on rent collection or for management purposes. This knowledge will help you direct your issues to the right people.

   

  • Make sure you have the emergency contact information of your landlord or estate agent if you need urgent help with your property. On some occasions, calling 999 is not the solution. They may refer you to your landlord, i.e. if you lock yourself out, calling 999 will not solve your problem, unless it is a life-threatening situation. But if you have a good relationship with your landlord, they may come out on good will and open the door for you. It will save you money which you would have otherwise spent on getting a lock smith, as well as helping you avoid an embarrassing situation.
  

  by: tenancy solved uploaded July 4, 2017