4 things to consider when renting

Renting for the first time? Worried about missing something? Here a 4 things to remember before you rent...

At one point or another, the majority of us will rent a property, usually at a time in our lives when we’re climbing the career ladder or looking for a place to settle.

And renting does provide a number of advantages over buying. But before you jump into signing a contract to rent a property, there are a few things you should consider.

Research

If you’re renting for the first time you’re going to have to do plenty of research. Even if you’ve found a property within your budget, there are still extra costs to keep in mind. You’ll have to pay for water, electricity, food, parking, agent fees etc.

Many first time renters overlook these costs, and find themselves in for quite a surprise when they finally sign a contract. Make sure you look at the costs of such bills and work those into your budget.

T&Cs

One thing that often catches out renters are the terms and conditions. You need to make sure that you work through them with a fine tooth comb. You’ll want to look out for things like renewal processes, the requirements of your landlord, the maintenance and upkeep of the property, and anything else that could end up catching you out.

If you’re unsure of anything in the terms and conditions then make sure that you ask your agent.

Property maintenance

Before you sign anything you need to know whose obligation the properties maintenance is. If there are issues with the flat, I.E a faulty boiler, shower, or sockets then who is responsible to fix these? You don’t want to be paying for them to be fixed so make sure that the landlord deals with these problems accordingly, or your initial cost is reduced.

Take pictures of everything

Once you’ve moved in, before doing anything else, take pictures of the property. Then, if the landlord says that you broke something during your stay, you can prove that it was actually broken before you arrived.

If you’d like to discuss renting opportunities in Bloemfontein then get in touch with us today.