Property Search 
Report maintenance Bristol rental property – How to bag your next home
Whether you’re renting for the first time or looking for your next temporary home, the process of renting a property can be tricky to navigate. Here at The Letting Game, we are here for our tenants as much as we are our landlords.
Our experts give their best advice to get yourself the perfect Bristol rental property, so read on for some of our top tips.
Where to start?
The best piece of advice we can give is to get yourself prepared. There are a few pieces of information a letting agent, or landlord will need to proceed with your tenancy, including documents that confirm your identity, immigration status (if you’re a non-UK-Citizen you’ll require a right to rent code), credit history and possibly employment status. The sooner you have these documents sorted, the easier the application should be for you when you find your Bristol rental property.
£££ Budget and deposits
When you’re looking at your affordability, it can be tricky to work out your monthly budget, especially when you consider bills etc. Industry standards require you to earn 2.5 x the monthly rent to be able to secure your chosen property. Depending on the deficit of your earnings, the managing agent of the landlord may ask for a Guarantor to be put in place. This person will earn the required amount and will be responsible for paying the rent if you are unable to.
You will be required to pay 1 week’s rent in advance to secure your property. Since the tenancy fee ban came into effect in June 2019, there is a cap on the deposit that tenants are required to pay at the start of the tenancy. If the total annual rent is less than £50,000, the maximum deposit is 5 weeks’ rent. If the annual rent is £50,000 or above, the maximum deposit is 6 weeks’ rent.
Finding your home
Once you’ve worked out your budget, with so many options available across our city with regards to property types and locations, the best thing to do is think about what sort of property best suits your needs and lifestyle. For example:
- Do you have a lot of furniture? If so, unfurnished is for you!
- Do you have a car and need parking?
- Is a garden a must?
- Would you prefer city living or country life?
These, along with your budget and ideal location should help you whittle down your search criteria!
When you find ‘the one’
You’ve found it, your temporary dream pad. So what’s next? This is where that preparation comes in useful, the Bristol rental market can be fast-paced, so once you’ve found your home be prepared to make an offer quickly. We have a handy application form on our website, so once you’ve viewed it and decided to make an offer, it couldn’t be easier. Once your offer is accepted, you, along with any other tenants and guarantors will need to go through referencing, as well as provide ID documents. This can take up to two weeks.
Once you pass referencing, the countdown is on! If you’re renting a Letting Game property, you’ll be invited to our office to collect your keys before heading to your new home to get settled!
Our top tips
- Ask questions if the information isn’t clear.
- Get your documents and information prepared before you start viewing.
- Follow us on Instagram and set alerts for a first look at all of our properties before they go to market!
