Tips for viewing a home to rent

Look around every room in the property. Make sure you have time to check every room.

Some landlords and agents rush viewings if there are problems they do not want you to see. Take someone with you to help look and write things down.

If you see problems, check they will be fixed before you move in. Ask the landlord to put this in writing before you sign a tenancy agreement.

Things to check inside

Look for:

Damp and mould

Look for peeling or bubbling paint, newly painted areas and damp patches or condensation. Touch the walls around windows and new paint to see if they feel damp or soft.

Pests

Look in cupboards, around boilers and under sinks for signs of pests and vermin.

Leaks from baths, showers, radiators or pipes

Run taps to check that the water drains without blocking or leaking.

Gaps and holes

Check floors and around windows, doors, pipes and skirting boards. Pests get in through gaps.

Also make sure that extractor fans work and the windows and doors open and shut properly.

Things to check outside

Make sure the outside of the property is in good condition.

Look for:

• loose roof tiles

• leaking pipes and gutters

• crumbling brickwork or rotting wood

• holes and gaps in the walls and around windows and doors

Shared areas

Ask who looks after shared areas such as gardens, stairwells and lifts.

Write any problems down and check they will be fixed before you move in. Make a note of what the landlord or letting agent says.

Gas safety checks

Everything that uses gas must be checked every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

This can be things like:

• the boiler

• the cooker and oven

• heaters

Ask the landlord or letting agent when the last check was done.

They must give you a copy of the most recent gas safety certificate before you move in.

There must be carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a gas boiler or wood burning stove.

Electrical safety checks

Your landlord should have an electrical safety check done at least every 5 years.

You should be given a copy of the report before you move in.

Fire safety

Check that there is a working smoke alarm on each floor. Also check the fire escape routes and ask the landlord or letting agent about fire safety.

Heating, furniture and appliances

Check what sort of heating the property has. Ask how much the bills are.

Ask if any furniture or appliances come with the property.

For example, a:

• cooker

• fridge

• freezer

• washing machine

Check if your landlord will repair or replace them if they go wrong.

If you plan to use your own furniture, check it will fit. Ask the landlord if they will remove any furniture you do not need before you move in.

Find out about the landlord

Find out how to contact your landlord in case of emergencies.

If an agent manages the property, check they are a member of a redress scheme.

Check the costs of renting

Rent is your biggest monthly payment. You usually pay rent in advance and a tenancy deposit before you sign a tenancy agreement.

With bills like gas, electricity, water and council tax, ask:

• how much they're likely to be

• if bills are part of the rent

Check how long the contract is

Many tenancies start as fixed term contracts, often for 6 or 12 months.

Ask if the landlord will renew your tenancy when your fixed term ends, or if it will roll over into a periodic tenancy.

Read and check everything in the tenancy agreement before you sign.

Repairs

Ask who to contact if you need to report repairs.

Find out about a landlord's responsibility for repairs.

If the landlord or agent treats you badly

Make notes if you think the landlord or agent is rude or does not answer your questions. Write it down if you think they treat you worse or differently from other people.

For example, if they:

• make comments about your nationality, name, or English skills

• says things about your disability, gender, sexuality or ethnic group that make you uncomfortable

In London, you can report a rogue landlord or agent on the London Assembly website.

You do not have to give your name but it can help local councils look into the problem if you do.

In any part of England, you can:

• contact the Equality Advisory & Support Service (EASS)

• complain to the letting agent about bad treatment

• complain to a redress scheme

All letting agents must belong to a redress scheme which looks into complaints about agents.

You usually have to raise the problem with the agent before you can complain to their redress scheme.

But you could ask the redress scheme about this if your experience has been so bad that you do not think you can deal with the agent yourself.