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New to renting

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  • 19-01-2012 3:26pm
    #1
    pmcd22
    Closed Accounts Posts: 133 ✭✭


    I was just looking through the sticky there and wondering what i should ask when going to check out renting accommodation. The sticky provided a checklist link dating back to 2004 and does not open anyway.

    So as a new guy looking to rent and wouldn't really have a clue in what to ask. Can someone give me some important questions that needs to be asked or things needed to be checked or just some simple tips when renting like my brother just told me that take pictures of things that be already damaged in the house with your didgital camera with the date applied when you move in, cause when you move out the landlord may accuse you of these damages and keep the deposit.

    Heating is another area i need to research. im used to open fire and range. I heard storage heaters meant to be the worst of all. Then followed by oil where the best option is gas?

    if you have anylinks to these questions already. please send them on. Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    TwoLeftFeet
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭TwoLeftFeet


    I became a first time renter early last year and here are a few things I picked up along the way. Photocopy every document, ask for receipts for EVERYTHING, if you were not into asking for or keeping receipts before, then you need to do this now. You need to back up everything with paperwork. Every document has to be signed and dated so a landlord or manager cannot accuse you of trying to pull a fast one. Get a folder, preferably one with sections that have all the letters of the alphabet on them, any documents starting with the letter A goes into the section marked A, any documents starting with the letter B goes into the section marked B and so on. This is so useful when you need to find documents quickly. Take charge of paying your own electricity and gas bills, don't let a landlord or manager do this for you or don't let them 'persuade' you to let them take care of it for you. Get a rent book or rent sheet which shows how much you owe and how much you have paid every week or month. Good idea to photograph everything in the apartment like you said in your post, look around windows for damp and mold growing, paint flaking off walls, stand at windows and see if you can feel the wind coming in even though the window is closed. Flush the toilet to make sure it is working and if you are asked what do you do when the smoke alarm goes off, the answer is, open all the windows in the house/apartment and stand under the alarm flapping a tea towel or small bath towel under it until it either goes off, or your arms get tired, lol. If you are cooking, keep the kitchen door closed and use the extractor fan (most of them are useless) or if you are lucky enough to have a window in your kitchen, open it.


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