There are so many Real Estate agents in the UK, you will often find many on the same street or within walking distance in some areas. There are a few ways in which you can find one, and it is important that you find one with a sound reputation and that values a high standard in the properties they are letting or selling. As there are many, it is not hard to find one of this calibre.
Check out these websites for more information
http://www.ukrealestatedirectory.com/
http://www.hotproperty.co.uk/
Renting
There are also many tenancy laws that would be helpful to be aware of, as there are usually standard rules about bond payments, rent, and other tenant expectations.
For more information on what the basic rules of tenancy visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/index.htm or
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/housing/tenancy_agreements.htm
Make sure that your tenancy agreement with the Real Estate Agent is thorough and meets the criteria of the Government Rulings of Tenancy.
It is against the law for an agency to ask for payment for:-
- putting your name on its list or taking your details
- providing a list of properties available for renting
- a deposit which will be returned if no suitable accommodation is found.
Where possible, you should use an agency which has signed up to the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS). Agencies belonging to this scheme have agreed to follow a set of standards which include a complaints procedure.
If you are offered accommodation by an agency, you should inspect the property before accepting it and ensure you have full details about:-
- the terms of the tenancy agreement
- the amount of rent you will have to pay, and whether it includes any services, fuel and water charges
- how much rent you will have to pay in advance
- whether you will have to pay a premium and/or a security deposit and, if so, how much -
- whether the property has a mortgage. You can lose your accommodation if the property is repossessed due to the landlord's failure to keep up mortgage payments
- the name and address of the landlord
- in Scotland, whether the landlord is registered. All private landlords in Scotland should be registered with the local authority.
For more advice go to http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
