Renting

[JamesZero]

I know its been done a million times, but I did a search and cant seem to find what I'm looking for!

When looking to rent a place, what are all the costs you have to take into consideration? I'm just trying to work out roughly what the monthly out goings would be and I'm sure I'm missing some bits!

Plus is anything normally included in the rent, or dose it vary from place to place?

Cheers!

[katchika]

Essentials:
Gas
Electric
Council Tax
Water rates

TV Licence (if you have a TV and are planning on watching it)

Optional:
Phone line installation/rental
Internet

Some flats are furnished, some aren't. Ask. Some include certain things in the rent and some don't.

[Fiend_85]

By essential? Do you mean that they should be included in the rent, because that's bollocks.

[sophia]

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[Kermit]

Some other agents charge you an administration fee, around here its typically half of one month's rent + VAT. Estate agents are thieving cunts who should be put against a wall and flayed. The initial bill will also include a month's rent in advance and a month's rent as bond (and its unlikely you'll get the bond back).

Apart from the agent fees and deposit, you'll also need to factor in removal costs (if applicable) and furniture costs (if applicable).

In the long term, the essential bills are energy, water, and council tax, plus food and travel.

[Fiend_85]

wow, I guess renting at Uni is soft and fluffy...

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

Also bear in mind that many (or most?) letting agents charge you a "signing/credit check fee", which is basically an extortionate sum that you give them to fill in a couple of bits of paper and carry out a five minute credit check. In my last flat, the signing fee was about £120 each, and that's non-negotiable, non-returnable; refuse to pay it and you can't live in their flat. Great.

So is this why me and my flatmates were charged £250 each this time last year when we were signing for the house? It was only recently that we discovered this was nonrefundable, they didn't tell us at the time. Can't believe they made a grand out of us 8 months before we even moved in. :no:

[sophia]

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[sophia]

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[RubberSkin]

Take photos of the entire house, inside and out. When we started renting this place, no one came round to check for previous damage so we made a big list and took photos so should we move they can't claim for damage we didn't do.

[sophia]

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[Knee High Stripy Socks]

Wow, £250 is steep. I thought my last one of £120 each was harsh. Is that in addition to your bond? Do you have an paperwork anywhere which acts as a receipt for that amount, and states that it is a non-refundable signing fee?
Yep, we paid £250 each and there is a reciept that says it is non refundable.
This is in addition to the £418 I paid in September as my bond and first month's rent.

[JamesZero]

God, you can tell I've rented a lot of flats eh?

lol, yeah sounds like it!

Cheers for all the advice guys, seems like there is a few bits to think about there. :thumb: