Taking a house on rent might look a very simple work on the surface. However, several key aspects have to be carefully considered before renting a home. Here, we present a few important guidelines in home renting in UK, so that all the risks in house on let are avoided.

• It is always advisable to contact an authorised house-letting agent in renting a house, because such a person will be familiar with all the intricacies of home rentals and will be able to guide you properly.

• Inform the letting agent in clear terms about the type of house that you are looking for and your budget for the same. It is better if you also plainly specify other related items like furnished or unfurnished, the period of the rental, possible rental extension after expiry of that period, the advance deposit amount for the house, etc.

• Get a confirmation on the fees and other charges of the letting agent to avoid any ambiguity later.

• All the communications with the letting agent and the landlord must be in writing. Preserve copies of them for future reference.

• Keep your expectations with reasonable limits. If you have any doubt on the responsibilities and obligations in the agreement, seek written clarification from the letting agent or the landlord.

• Go through the tenancy agreement carefully. If you do not understand any term or clause, do not sign the agreement without asking questions to make matters clear to you.

• Remember that the landlord is bound to guarantee the adherence to the safety regulations. These will include fire safety for furniture and other furnishings, safety measures for electrical appliances and house wiring, safety of gas appliances and gas supply. Insist on obtaining copies of the related papers submitted to the authorities.

• Review the existing insurance policies of the property and its contents. Certain insurance programs might not cover properties given for rent or might place some restrictions on the cover.

• Though the insurance of the property and its contents are the responsibility of the landlord, you only will have to insure your possessions. If you have an existing insurance, then you should inform your insurer about the new rent agreement. Failure of doing this might invalidate claims later on.

• Along with the tenancy agreement, you should also obtain a schedule of condition/inventory document, with details of all the fittings and fixtures and their present condition, along with the property details. The costs involved in preparing such a document are normally shared by the tenant and landlord.

• The tenancy document should be prepared after careful negotiation of all the terms and conditions involved in the tenancy. The clauses should be balanced and fair to both parties. Terms that violate legal or statutory rights and responsibilities of UK citisens should not be included. Such clauses will be invalidated by courts of law, in case of dispute and the courts can even penalise both the landlord and the tenant for framing them.

• The normal tenancy agreement used in UK is the “Assured Shorthold” or AST framed under the 1988 Housing Act, amended in 1996. The letting agents will have ‘in-house’ agreements that are standard and comprehensive. They could form the basis for preparing the tenancy agreement and adding any specific extra clauses or terms.

• The deposit amount paid to the landlord is about 4 to 6 weeks rent in most cases. The tenancy agreement should be clear on who will be holding the deposit, whether any interest will be paid on the amount, how the deposit can be used in case of disputes and the timescale, as well as the end of the tenancy procedures that should be adopted. In several instances, it is usual for the letting agent to hold a tenancy bond until the tenancy is completed. The agent will sign a Tenancy Deposit Scheme or TDS, which can be easily referred to a third party adjudication in case of disputes or stalemates at the end of tenancy.

These are but a few broad guidelines for the tenant in entering into a tenancy agreement for renting a house. You can discuss with our experts for further details on all the aspects of home rentals.