Property Advice

Sharing your home with a stranger can be the start of a beautiful friendship, or a nightmare from start to finish. It’s not as simple as just finding someone to share your bills – your personalities need to match, too. You might not want to rent your spare room to a party animal if you favour quiet nights in front of the TV, so here are some tips which help you vet potential roommates until you find the one who will fit into your life perfectly.

The first thing you'll need to do when storing your belongings is compile a list of the items that you plan to store. Will you need packing materials? Access outside the reception hours of the storage facility? How will you get your stuff there? Most storage facilities will be able to recommend a local van hire company. Finally check what security the facility has and make sure it is sufficient to keep your property safe. Don’t just dump your valuable stuff anywhere, make sure it’s the right place, clean, tidy above all safe!

Many landlords keep things like beds or spare sofas etc, just in case. So if you need to secure them safely, it’s worth having somewhere to keep them that’s safe, dry and free of damp and mould! Read this checklist as all storage areas are not the same, so it’s worth making sure you have the right place to keep your fixtures, fittings and furniture.

Is your tenancy an 'Assured Shorthold Tenancy'? If so, your tenant’s deposit has to be protected in a government approved scheme. If you are a tenant, you should check that the deposit has been protected by your landlord or agent within 30 days of starting the tenancy. They should give you specific information such as a copy of the government’s ‘How to Rent’ guide and copies of certificates, or you may not be able to evict them. By protecting a deposit in one of these schemes it means that an impartial adjudicator will sort any disputes at the end of the tenancy and work out how much and if any money needs to be deducted from the tenant’s deposit.

Renting out a room in your house can be a useful way of securing some extra income, whether you need just for some extra cash or intend to use the money to help with mortgage payments. You can earn up to £7,500 tax free from renting rooms in your home. There are few decisions you will need to make though before advertising any rooms.. Are you including all bills in the rent? How much will you charge for rent? You will also need to check if the property becomes an HMO if renting to more than two tenants. There are still legals you have to abide by and things like having an annual gas safety check is a must and protecting deposits you take in a government licensed scheme is essential or your tenants can sue you! Finally, it's important to make sure you secure the right landlord insurance, just in case! Read our guide and articles to help you know if renting a room is the right thing for you.

Proper research is vital when deciding on the property you want to rent, you'll need to find a balance between what you like and what you can afford. Clearly the rental costs will be an important factor but you will also need to consider the agents/landlords fees, deposit and living costs. Ask to see the necessary safety certificates such as Gas, and the Energy Performance Certificate and if they are a good landlord/agent, they will also have an electrical safety certificate. Ensure you know which deposit scheme the landlord will be using and get your tenancy agreement checked over by a qualified legal expert, only sign it when you are clear on your rights and responsibilities. Don’t forget you’ll need contents insurance and to organise your change of address.