A Money Saver’s Guide to UK Home Rental
You’ve heard all the standard garb when it comes to saving money on your home rental: shop around for a good deal, move to a less expensive area, sublet a room in your home, try and go on housing benefit etc etc. But for those of us who don’t need to be told the glaringly obvious, are there any other solutions? Indeed there are.
Be a Hard Negotiator
Naturally, everyone knows (or should know) that they need to shop around on sites like www.dssmove.co.uk in order to get the best possible deal on rent. What they don’t necessarily realise is that shopping around isn’t just about finding the best house with the lowest rental rates. It’s a start of course, but what is to stop you from haggling the price down? Certainly in the last five years, the explosion in the buy-to-let sector has meant that in a lot of areas the rental market is actually overrun with properties and landlords desperate to get them filled. So remember this when shopping around: you have more power and influence than you might think.
Be Vigilant
Not every landlord is a scumbag, but some will seek the opportunity to exploit you a little, particularly when it comes to returning (or more to the point not returning) your deposit. So to avoid this eventuality, be sure to ask for a fully inventory when you first move in. Check that all of those items do actually exist within the house. It’s also a good idea to make a physical record (photograph) of any distinguishing marks or damage within the property, as a dodgy landlord may very well try and sting you for damage that occurred prior to your tenancy.
Keep the Rent at a Constant
In general, rents are on the increase. But that shouldn’t deter you from asking your landlord to keep the rent at the same lower price should you decide to stay on at the end of your lease. Though they may stand to loose a few quid, most landlords would rather have a tenant they can trust than an unknown who might not even pay their rent on time.
Don’t Pay Over the Odds
As well as the more obvious routes you can take to save money on rent, the above list should provide you with some even more dynamic ways to ensure that you don’t pay over the odds for your home.
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Category: Housing
