Key points
- Check the owner's identity proof against a tax receipt or society letter in the same name.
- Never pay a deposit before seeing the home and meeting the owner or their named agent.
- Register a lease longer than eleven months and write down deposit, notice period and maintenance.
- Photograph every room and meter reading on move-in day and pay rent by bank transfer.
Confirm who you are dealing with
To rent a house safely, ask to see the owner's identity proof and a tax receipt or society letter in the same name as the agreement.
Never pay a deposit before you have seen the home in person and met the owner or their named agent.
Get the agreement right
Register a lease longer than eleven months. An unregistered long lease is weak protection if there is a dispute.
Write down the deposit amount, the notice period, who pays the maintenance, and the condition the home is returned in.
Protect the deposit
Photograph every room, fitting and meter reading on the day you move in, and email the set to the owner so it is dated.
Pay rent by bank transfer. A paper trail settles most arguments before they start.