Tenants guide to finding a new rental property.
Right, bear with me on this one. I know it may seem like the type of blog which should be in a ‘’adulting for dummies’’ book. But in the current property market demand for rental properties is
huge and well-outstripping supply. So, in this blog, I am going to offer some tips for tenants on their rental property search.
I can’t speak for all agents; I can only speak for how we work at Bright Star Lettings. But I can pass on things that I have heard time and time again from other potential tenants when they are viewing properties with us.
Rental Property Demand
As I mentioned there is a huge demand for every property we advertise, regardless of size, location or property type there is constant demand at present. To give you an idea, we recently had a 2-bedroom flat, it went live on the portals at 4.45 pm and by the next morning, there were around 50 email enquiries for this one property. At Bright Star Lettings, we do our absolute best to reply to everyone but sometimes on occasion, we have been known to miss one. If that is you, please know we are sorry.
Covid considerations at rental property viewings.
At present, we are still working under COVID restrictions so we do limit viewings to small batches. Doing this allows us time to sanitise thoroughly between viewings and ensure we have prepared the property so it is as easy to view as possible without touching too many areas. We do make an effort to try and open up the property as much as possible this is firstly to increase airflow and secondly to reduce the need for touching surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches. All of which is to help protect you to the best of our ability. This is likely to continue for some time so please be respectful of the need for small viewing sizes and please try to avoid touching surfaces when you are viewing.
Many agents don’t appear to be working in the same way as us, I was told by one viewer that he was number 40 on the list of viewers for a property! I simply don’t feel that is fair on the prospective tenants or the landlord. Having smaller viewings both reduces any COVID risk and reduces wasted time for both tenants and agents.
Honesty is the best policy
When you talk to an agent be honest and open, we appreciate that. At the time it may not seem like a good idea but if you got as far as referencing and something shows up then it doesn’t help anyone. Worst case you lose the property and you have wasted your time, our time and landlord. Best case the landlord will be wary of any information as you have already lied/omitted information about your circumstances. Neither of these is positive for you or the landlord.
The same goes for dropping little nuggets into conversations at the viewing. I never forget showing someone a beautiful apartment where it was quite clearly advertised as ‘no pets’, due to restrictions in the building, and the viewer asked if it would be a problem for him to have his German Shephard!
At Bright Star Lettings we pride ourselves on our personal touch, so if you are open and honest about your situation, we will do our best to support you in finding a property. Being honest allows us to ensure we are putting you forward for a property that will suit you with a landlord who will match your needs.
Adverts are there to be read
That leads me on to my next quibble. Please read adverts properly before enquiring. There is often key information about the suitability of the property for certain tenant situations. The most
common ‘’did not read the advert’’ question we get is the calls from people looking for a ground floor property, when in the advert for the property they are calling about it quite clearly states that the property is the first or second floor. I know the property might look perfect but if access is a priority please read the description carefully.
My second point to this section is about pets. In the media at present, a lot is being talked about allowing pets. At present no legislation has been fully passed and therefore as letting agents we don’t yet know what will or won’t be covered under this new legislation. Due to this, it is not as simple as any landlord with any property must take pets. Please respect that some properties simply cannot accept them, often due to a wider suitability issue or building agreement with the landlord. For example, taking pets is still going to be a big issue within flats and shared properties.
Help yourself to get that rental property
Remember that agents are there to help Landlords choose the best applicant for the property so help yourself, be polite to the letting agent and communicate with them as promptly as possible. For example, if you can’t get to the viewing let someone know, don’t just forget!
How you interact with letting agents and your respect or lack of when communication will have a big impact on our impression of you which will also impact the impression the landlord has of you.
What’s in a Landlord’s head for the ideal tenant is one of life’s great mysteries and they are all different. Our personal approach with our landlords often means we have some understanding of what makes up the ideal tenant for them but we can’t tell if you match that if you don’t communicate with us. We know it can be frustrating sometimes, especially at the moment when demand for properties is so much higher than supply. But we are doing our best, and being rude or shouting at us won’t help you get a property any quicker.