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Date & Time

You may want to move in as soon as possible. Assuming that the previous occupant has moved out the landlord will probably be very happy for you to move in as soon as possible. Otherwise decide upon a mutually convenient date and time.

Reservation

First you must reserve the property to prevent the landlord from renting the property out to another prospective renter. To reserve the property, the landlord or letting agent will almost certainly require an immediate up-front payment. If you are dealing directly with the landlord he may ask for a part of the deposit. He will probably accept either cash or a cheque. If you are dealing with an agent he will most likely ask for an administrative charge. He will probably accept cash, a cheque or payment by a card such as VISA.

Remember, if you change your mind after viewing and reserving a property, you will almost certainly lose all, or part, of any money paid up to that point. So, be absolutely sure that you have made the right decision before you part with the money.

References

Before going ahead the landlord or agent will almost certainly require certain written references from you.

Learn more about references

Having learned more about references you should know what is likely to be required in your particular situation. Be prepared before attending the viewing to avoid disappointment later.

Tenancy Agreement

At some point you will be asked to sign a contract called a tenancy agreement. This will usually take place at a later meeting with the landlord or agent, either at the property, or, in the case of an agent, at the agency office.

Learn more about tenancy agreements

It is important that you understand what you are signing when you sign a tenancy agreement. Once signed the contract is legally binding and there is no going back. If you feel unsure about this step you should obtain the advice of a solicitor.

Inventory

At some point you will be asked to sign an inventory inventory. This will usually take place at a later meeting with the landlord or agent, either at the property, or, in the case of an agent, at the agency office.

Learn more about inventories

Having covered the more daunting technical aspects of setting up the tenancy we can move on to the final stage - "handing over the money".

Payments - Deposit & First Rent Payment

The following payments will be made after your references have been checked. For this reason these payments will be made at a later meeting with the landlord or agent, either at the property, or, in the case of an agent, at the agency office. The deposit is a one-off payment, made before the tenancy starts. You may have already paid part of the deposit. See, the section - Reservation - above. In this case you will be asked to pay the balance. Otherwise you will be asked to pay the complete deposit. If you are dealing directly with the landlord he will ask for payment by either cash or a cheque. If you are dealing with an agent he will most likely also ask for an administrative charge. He will probably accept cash, a cheque or payment by a card such as VISA.

Written Receipt

It is extremely important to obtain a written receipt from the landlord or agent for any payments made, especially cash payments. The following information should be written on the receipt. The date, the amount paid, and details of what exactly has been paid for. Is it a deposit? Is it advance rent payment and if so for how long (eg: 1 month) and starting from what date (usually the move in date)? The following information should also be included on the receipt - the date, the landlord or agent's name & address, the address of the property being rented.

Regular Rent Payment - how & when is it to be paid?

Regular rent payment will almost certainly be made on a "monthly in advance" basis. This will be clearly stated in the tenancy agreement. The landlord or agent will most likely insist that the regular monthly rent payments are made by banker's standing order. This involves completing a relatively simple paper form called a standing order mandate. Once this has been done and the mandate has been posted to your bank, all rent payments after the first month will be made completely automatically.

Some landlords may prefer to collect cash payments from you every month rather than using a standing order. This method is messy, insecure and unreliable and frequently results in accidental, or deliberate, non-payments or late payments. For these reasons avoid this method if possible.

Keys

When will you receive the keys? Usually the landlord or agent will hand over the keys on the actual moving in date, and only when all up-front payments have been made and all paperwork has been completed. For this reason it is essential that not only the moving in date, but also the moving in time, is agreed between you and the landlord or agent.

You are now ready to read some general advice about moving in to your new home.

DATE & TIME
RESERVATION
REFERENCES
TENANCY AGREEMENT
INVENTORY
DEPOSIT & FIRST RENT PAYMENT
WRITTEN RECEIPT
REGULAR RENT PAYMENT
KEYS

Insist on a
Written Receipt !!!

Help & Advice for
Foreign Students
International Students
Foreign Workers !!!