“Make sure you confirm that the agency you’re paying is a part of a licensing organisation and that your monies are protected.”
for your goods. This should be done so that it is effective upon move in.
Permitting entry You are expected to permit the landlord, contractors or agents access to your home should there be a need. You can however request in your contract that you need to be given 24 hours’ notice in writing (except in cases of emergency) before granting access.
Exterior maintenance The landlord will be responsible for maintenance to the exterior of the structure, but normally the tenant is responsible for maintaining the garden and/or pool. You can however request equipment to do so (if it is not already at the property) or that the landlord provides contractors for this maintenance. Determining who is responsible for payment should be negotiated at the time of the offer.
Business use In the UK, most residential properties will not be zoned for business use. This means that you cannot use the place you are renting as your business address or to entertain clients, but you can work from home.
Sublet Most leases will include a clause that you are not allowed to sublet your property to another tenant.
Check in/Check out Independent, professional inventory clerks carry out detailed inventories at the beginning and end of a tenancy. The check out and check in reports will be compared to determine if the landlord is due any dilapidations. Typically, the landlord covers the cost for check in and the tenant pays for the check out.
Request a copy of your check in report soon after move in and note any items that you feel are not to a good standard and document these in writing to your landlord and agent within the first week. This will protect you from paying damages should these items be noticed upon check out.
Repairs The landlord is responsible for repairs to the property (as long as they are not caused by negligence of the tenant.) Should the issue not be sorted
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quickly, you can request accommodations. For example, if you are without heat, you could ask for temporary heaters to be supplied. You should make sure that, if the property is not liveable, there are provisions in your lease for alternative living arrangements to be supplied by the landlord.
Professional Cleaning Your tenancy agreement will usually state that the property needs to be returned in the same state as it was handed over to you and is cleaned to a professional standard by a company. Should the check out determine that there are issues with the cleanliness of the property, you would be asked to cover the cost of bringing in additional cleaners. You may have agreed with your cleaner to go back and correct any items, but as you are no longer the tenant of the property, the landlord does not have to grant access.
Consider using the landlord’s professional cleaners (which you pay for) and request they be responsible for any cleaning issues at checkout.
Property Management You should find out who will be managing the property: the landlord, a property management company or an estate agent. Developing a good relationship with your property manager will help when there are issues. Remember however that they work for and are paid by the landlord and will have to abide by the landlord’s responses to situations. They will not have unilateral permission to comply with tenant’s requests.
Dilapidations This is one of the trickiest subjects when it comes to letting in London. After check out, the landlord will compare the check out and check in reports and, should there be any damages, will request compensation.
You are entitled to fair wear and tear. Factors considered would be the length of the tenancy, the condition of the property on check in, and whether children were in the home etc. Should there be an issue with an item, you are not responsible for full replacement value. The age, condition and lifespan of the item should be taken into account.
Remember that it is in your best interests to enter into your tenancy with a good relationship with your landlord. Should they feel that the terms of the deal are very much in your favour, you may have resistance throughout the tenancy to any issues that you may have. The reverse situation could also be true. The ideal situation is for both sides to feel that they have been treated fairly and for this good relationship to be continued throughout the tenancy and to its conclusion.
Wendy Pérez is partner and head of Residential Corporate Services at Knight Frank. Her team offers a complimentary, accompanied home search in London and the Home Counties. She can be contacted at
wendyperez@knightfrank.com or on 020 7861 5329.
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