Property Renting Checklist
Category Tenant Advice
Before you begin your search for a property to rent, you should create a checklist. This list will be your guide to assessing the premises, to finding out your responsibilities and will help you decide if the property is right for you. If you take the time to follow this checklist, you should be in a position to make a more informed decision.
- Property Condition & Amenities
You may want to incorporate in to your checklist requirements or questions related to the property's condition and what you require. This should include wall conditions, bathroom conditions, kitchen conditions and appliance conditions if they are included in the lease agreement. Take a good look at the flooring; carpets should be clean, wood floors should be free of deep scratches, or, if damage or unsuitable condition is present in the property, this should be noted on a lease report.
You will also need to ask yourself how many bedrooms and bathrooms you will need as well as whether you require an entertainment space. If you are after a swimming pool, do you require the pool to be secured by a fence or a net? Do you prefer open-plan living? Is it important that you have a single-level property or are you able to accommodate stairs?
- Garden
Do you need a garden? If you do, what size and does the garden need to be secured? Should the garden have level land and are you looking for a large area of grass for, say, kids to play? Is it important to you that the garden flows from the living/entertainment areas or will be acceptable if the garden is behind the home?
- Parking Facilities
Do you need a parking? How many? If you have specific items to be parked, like a caravan, trailer or boat, you will need to incorporate this in to your checklist as well as ascertain whether this will be allowed in terms of the lease agreement, or, in the case of a complex, in terms of the body corporate rules.
- Pets
If you are planning to rent and you have pets, you must incorporate your needs and wants in to your checklist, ascertaining whether pets are allowed, how many, what kind and under what circumstances.
- Other Amenities
You may have specific needs for additional amenities as part of your lease agreement such as wifi, security and alarm systems, baby gates, CCTV cameras, gas installation for your gas stove or, say, a ramp for wheelchair access. You will need to find out whether the property in question is able to cater for these needs or whether the landlord would be prepared to allow you to include such installation to the property. This would need to be done by a carefully recorded agreement as part of the lease agreement or a separate addendum to the lease agreement.
Remember that this checklist is intended to help you to find the perfect property to rent and won't constitute a property inspection or inspection report for the purposes of the lease agreement and securities for the both the landlord and tenant as it relates to the condition of the property on occupation and vacation of the property.
Wakefields' team of professional rental property specialists are here to assist you with all your letting questions and queries. It is time to rent the #WakefieldsWay
Email rentals@wakefields.co.za
Author: Wakefields Real Estate
