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UK Rental Procedures and Precautions
Immigrating from Hong Kong to living in the UK is unfamiliar. Not knowing the UK's rental procedures and rules may lead to months of trouble finding a suitable place, and even getting involved in a fraud case. So today I'm going to teach you 9 steps to rent a house smartly in the UK.
- Choose the right rental platform
- Screening conditions (rent, crime rate, energy efficiency rating, municipal tax classification, water quality)
- House Viewing
- Submit Request Send Offer
- Background check
- Confirmation Contract Confirmation
- Set up all billing utilities (drinking water, electricity, gas, city taxes, internet)
- House Moving
- Inventory check
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1. Choose the right rental platform
First, you must find a reliable platform to rent a house. The most common classification in the UK is:RightmovewithZoopla. You only need to fill in your rental conditions to find a unit that meets your requirements. Some units will also indicate their Energy Efficiency Rating, Council Tax Band, etc. (detailed in step 2), all of which are closely related to expenses other than rent. It's very important to find the right agency. I tried looking at the unit alone in London before, but why was the last place I reached completely different from the unit promoted on the platform. Other than that, the agent was also very rude, so I hope I can sign up directly.
If you want to share a room with someone else, Spareroom is also a great choice. Unlike the previous two platforms, most of this platform are directly posted by owners or roommates. One of the most important factors in sharing a rental is maintaining a good relationship with your flatmates, so most of these platforms will ask you to share your background, interests, lifestyle, etc.
2. Filter conditions
rents
Many immigrants from Hong Kong to the UK have been out of work for a while. Even if your savings are sufficient to cover rent, the certification process may be difficult. If you don't have a job, you need at least proof that your deposit holds your monthly rent x30. If you already have a work contract, for example my monthly rent is 2K, and my salary is 30K per year, my deposit is at least (2K*30) - 30K = 30K deposit. What's more, even if you can prove that you have enough savings even if you don't have a job, many agencies will ask you to reserve your rent or find a local resident in the UK to act as a guarantor - if you submit your rent late, the agency will go directly to your sponsor to collect the fee.
Crime rate
You can use it if you want to find a safer communitythis websiteCheck the community's crime rate, and each crime (such as racial discrimination, house theft, sexual harassment, etc.) will be explained in detail. The crime rate is calculated by compiling publicly available police force data, social media signals, and submitting FOI requests with local police departments to establish the most complete crime and safety information in the region. Although overall, the UK is very inclusive, but individual regions can also be hostile to Asians, so you need to be careful.
Energy Efficiency (EPC) Rating
The EPC Rating represents the energy efficiency index of a house. The grade from A to the lowest G is closely related to your energy costs (electricity, gas). A higher grade (such as A) indicates that the house has a higher energy efficiency index and lower monthly energy costs. The British Government stipulates that every house must be grade E or above to qualify, and it is prohibited to rent out any house with grade F or G. Many of the new houses have a better structure and have a good warming effect in winter, so the ratings will naturally be higher. You can pass throughGovernment websiteCheck the house's energy efficiency index and the validity period of the energy efficiency certificate Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) (valid for 10 years for each assessment).
Council Tax Band by municipal tax class
Council Tax is an annual fee you need to pay to the city government to fund local services, including police and fire, garbage collection and recycling, transportation services, environmental health, administration, etc. Depending on the size and valuation of the house, every UK house has a municipal tax classification, ranging from Band A, where the minimum fee is paid, to Band H, which pays the most multi-year fee. You can pass throughGovernment websiteCheck which municipal tax class the house falls into, then check the annual fee charged by your city government through the Local Authority link in the search results.
Water Quality (Soft and Hard Water) Water Quality (Soft/Hard Water)
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After natural rain comes into contact with the ground, it changes from soft water to hard water. Soft water contains fewer minerals, while hard water contains more minerals. Soft and hard water has advantages and disadvantages. Soft water tastes better, but too soft water is corrosive, and proper minerals in hard water can prevent cardiovascular disease. Of course, there are many rumors that washing hair with hard water can cause hair loss. You can pass throughthis websiteCheck if the water in your house is hard water or soft water. If your house is in the “Very Hard Water” area, it is recommended to install a water filter in your home.
3. House Viewing
Although most units provide the option to email or send a message, it is recommendedCall directly to make an appointmentA visit is better. We sent many messages at the time and got no replies. When the last message was sent, many people had already called and received replies. Currently, many agencies offer the option of online visits, but it is better to visit with your own parents. In addition to being able to feel the atmosphere of the community, you can also observe the conditions and smells inside the house more closely. Most importantly, in subsequent background checks, the agent may omit the step of going to Office to check the certificate yourself because the parents overlooked you.
4. Submit Request Send Offer
If the unit is of good quality, there may be disputes between several people interested in renting the house. In this time, I need to try my best to show my enthusiasm with the owner. My last offer required me to fill in our occupation, income, ideal rental period, break clause (when can we cancel the rent prematurely), my relationship with another tenant, have we ever lived together, and why would I want to stay here. Like a job report, after going through the first round of screening, the agent may tell you the final number of offers, giving you a little time to consider whether you need to update the offer. For me, it's just a mental game, requiring us to guess the next steps of other tenants, the owners' preferences, etc.
5. Background check
Basically, background checks include your personal information, residency, proof of income or deposit, criminal records, etc. If only one person can provide proof of income, it is recommended to indicate to the agent that person is the main tenant Lead Tenant, otherwise check the other tenants' proof of income.
6. Confirmation Contract Confirmation
Based on my own experiences in the past and sharing with friends, agencies in the UK often make mistakes, so check every version clearly. I myself have run into the wrong name, my original address, and the date the lease started. Moreover, this information, which is thought to be the most basic, has been revised several times before it has been improved. I'll use it myselfAdobe AcrobatLet's compare the content breakdown of the version so I can immediately see what he changed. Even if the second version fixes the errors in the first version, the third version can undo the errors in the first version. BritishLand RegistryYou are allowed to pay £3 to check the name of the owner. Although this is the agent's responsibility, it's just one more reassurance after checking it yourself.
7. Set up all billing utilities
drinking water
Go tothis websiteFind your drinking water supplier, then go to the supplier's website to set up an account and fill in your Post Code and personal information to complete the application.
gas
Go tothis websiteFind your gas supplier, then go to the supplier's website to set up an account and fill in your Post Code and personal information to complete the application. Currently using mine EDF link, then you can get £50 Cashback!
Electricity (required to be set after moving)
Unlike drinking water and gas, electricity in the UK is divided into operators and suppliers. Suppliers buy electricity from operators and then resell it to us. After moving, you'll receive your account number to set up an electricity account. If you want to know your supplier in advance or haven't received a letter, you first need to gothis websiteFind your power operator, then go to your operator's official website to find your power provider (similarthis website). When setting up an account, you can select a variable rate with a floating price or a fixed rate with a fixed price. A floating price means you pay based on the current price of each power supply, while a fixed price indicates that you lock in the price of each power supply. When you expect your electricity bill to continue to rise, a fixed price will be a better option.
Municipal tax account
Based on the aboveLink by municipal tax levelGo to your city government website and fill in your Post Code and personal details to complete the application. The Government will provide us with regular municipal tax reimbursement, and the following persons can also apply for municipal tax relief:
- Full-time students
- A person living alone (or the only adult in the home)
- Low-income people/people receiving social benefits
- People with disabilities
- military
Internet Wifi
The most common internet providers in the UK are Virgin Media and BT. If you don't want to use the online plan used by the previous tenant, you can go to the official website and choose the plan that's right for you. Also, be aware that the replacement supplier may incur additional installation costs. We are using Virgin Media, except that it's cheaper than BT and currently use mine Virgin Media connection, you can get even more £50 Cashback! Also, we use VOXI, a subsidiary of the British telecommunications company Vodafone. In addition to being able to use social media data indefinitely, we also have Wi-Fi connectivity within the London MTR station. Currently using mine VOXI connectionYou can get it £20 Cashback!
8. House Moving
Finally, it was the most anticipated moving day! Unless you can carry luggage or have a car at home, most people will choose a moving company. I used it the last time I movedAnyvanTen large pieces of luggage (including the suitcase) only cost £130, usually two and a half hours in total. We didn't fill in the exact size of each bag, which increased the final price. Remember to check the number of bags, otherwise you'll have to change the story later (even if you reduce the amount of luggage), and you'll have to pay more! The driver needs to check the information when he arrives, so someone must wait at the destination before he arrives (we usually board the train after delivering our luggage to the van). And after the driver helped us remove our luggage, depending on whether we had a lift or not, he would at most help us carry our luggage up the floor (unless extra money was added).
9. Inventory check
A storage inspection report will usually be sent to you before your lease starts, detailing the condition of all furniture and items in the house (at least 50 pages). Our warehouse inspection is carried out on the first day of our lease, and staff will guide us to the unit's water meters and electricity meters. The staff who checked our unit showed that since she had no parents living here, the contents of the report only showed what she could see with the naked eye. Therefore, after receiving the inventory inspection report, we further check whether all matters (such as wall wear and cleanliness), as well as any functional issues (such as shower leaks, insufficient water pressure, etc.) are listed in the inspection report, and then send our additional materials to the Agency. After the Agency has updated the report, both we and the owner will need to sign the document. We also videotaped the condition of all the furniture before we officially checked in to avoid any disputes later.
Conclusion
Hope this article helps you, happy renting! If I've missed any information or have any difficult questions about renting a home in the UK, feel free to contact me!
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