10 TIPS when Renting from Letting Agents!

Here are a few pieces of advice based upon my own personal experiences when renting an apartment through a letting agency. I hope they will be helpful, in particular, to international students when renting accommodation in the UK.

1. Check for hidden fees

Most letting agencies will charge you a fee to carry out a background credit check. If you are an international student, they will not find much information, so this is a waste of money.

2. Accompany the letting agent when they do their initial inspection of the property

This is not always going to be possible, but ask to be present and take notes and photos as you go round. If the property details in the initial inspection are not accurate, you will be liable at the end of the tenancy for any undocumented damage.

3. Read your contract thoroughly

Make sure you take time to actually READ your contract. If English is not your first language, find someone who does understand it and can help you.

4. Take photos of your property

Either before you move in or on the day you move into the property. – When it comes to getting back your deposit the agency cannot argue with photographic evidence! I should have taken photos at the beginning of my tenancy to prove how dirty the flat was, but did not. It cost me when I left.

5. Check your inventory thoroughly

When I checked my inventory I found that there were 3 items missing that the agency had included IN the inventory! If I had not bothered checking it and the final inspection had noted their absence, I would have been liable for at least £10 per item. This is how they make money!

6. Check everything!

Double check that all the facilities and utilities function properly before you move in: heating, hot water etc. – The last thing you want is a situation I had when I moved in. It was early winter and very cold. There was one electric heater in the whole flat and it did not work. It took three days for it to be repaired! If you are an international student from a warmer climate than the UK, you do not want to find yourself in this type of situation.

7. Keep a record of any issues that occur during your stay

This will help at the end of your tenancy if your agency try to keep your deposit. If they do not adhere to their commitment in the contract, you will have some bargaining power. Take notes of how long it takes for your agency to respond to your enquiry and how long it takes for repairs to be made if you raise any issues.

8. Keep all documents

Keep a file of any correspondence between yourself and your letting agency for reference. Similar to point 4, this will help when you recover your deposit. If you report something and they do not rectify them, they may be in breach of contract.

9. Accompany the letting agent when they do their final inspection of the property

I was charged £100 for a cleaning bill at the end of my tenancy even though I left the flat spotless and cleaner than when I moved in! If I had been there for the final inspection I may have been able to avoid this.

10. Do not rush into a decision

This is potentially the biggest decision and most expensive investment on a study abroad experience, so you need to make sure it is the right accommodation for you. You will find plenty of comfortable and well-priced hostels on our website and it is worth paying for an extra couple of nights in a hostel to save you rushing into a decision that you may end up regretting. Some agents will press for a quick decision and say things like “you better act now or it'll be gone tomorrow!" Do not be rushed.