Advice For Tenants / Advice For Landlords

Whether you want to rent as a stop-gap between buying and selling, or considering renting a home on a longer-term basis, our guide will tell you all you need to know about being a tenant.

Choosing the right area

First you must choose the area you want to, and can afford to, live in. If you have a family, you may want to consider schools in specific areas. If you are in Scotland, visit www.scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk for help finding a school. For England, the Office for Standards in Education's (Ofsted) website at, www.ofsted.gov.uk provides information on all local primary and secondary schools and reports on nurseries, pupil referral units, as well as special schools, independent schools and post-16 education providers.

Consider transport links

You should consider transport links carefully too, especially if your main means of transport is public transport. You will find all you need to know about transport links by visiting the local council's website in your area.

Landlords responsibilities

Once you have chosen an area and found your property, there are a few things you need to know. Your landlord is responsible for making the property fit for habitation. In doing so, he or she must make sure that water, electricity and gas supplies, and sanitation units, are in working order and ensure that the property is free from damp. The property must also have adequate heating, lighting and ventilation. If the property is furnished, the landlord must ensure that those furnishings meet the fire resistance standards and that all gas appliances and installations are maintained in good order and that an annual safety check is carried out by someone who is registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).

Tenants responsibilities

In turn, as a tenant, you are responsible for paying the rent as agreed and taking proper care of the property bills for gas, electricity, telephone, council tax, water and sewerage charges.

For a wide selection of properties for rent, go to our property search section