Pitfalls of Private Renting You Should Know About

If you are out there to find great homes London, the costs involved in renting a property is not the only thing you should be concerned about. Before committing to any tenancy agreement, you should at least be aware of the possible problems that may occur. This way, you can be better prepared to deal with them. 

What happens if you fail to pay the rent?

It is your responsibility to pay the rent on time. If you fail, you should also not ignore your rent arrears as this is grounds for your eviction and you can also lose your deposit because of this. Your landlord will have the right to get an order from the court to make you pay.

Under what circumstances can you be evicted?

You can be evicted from your rental home if you have broken the terms of the agreement you signed with your landlord. Being unable to pay your rent is another reason you could be evicted.

How can your landlord get the money you owe him?

It doesn’t matter whether you are evicted or not, your landlord will have a way to get the money from you. First, your landlord may ask to speak to you so you could both come up with an agreement as to how you will pay your rent.

Another action your landlord may take is the legal way. Landlords can apply to the court anytime for money judgment. This is often referred to as a county court judgment. Here, the court will set how much you should pay your landlord and how your payment mode should be. You will be given 14 days to respond to such a claim. You should then be prepared to pay court costs if you lose.

Do you understand everything in your tenancy agreement?

If you have a fixed contract, that means you have a fixed commitment. In most cases, tenants are made to sign a contract that commits them for at least 6 months or a year. Should you decide to leave before the end of your tenancy agreement, you are still required to pay the rent.

In some contracts, there is a ‘break clause’. This part of the agreement gives a tenant the option of giving notice to leave prior to the end of the fixed term. If your agreement does not contain this clause, you should talk to your landlord if you want to leave the property early.

What is my home worth?

Before entering any tenancy agreement, make sure you understand everything in it. You should also choose a property that you can afford. You can use ratedrents to learn about the average rental rates in various parts of the UK.