Property Rental Search

Even the most well-maintained rental properties can (and will) experience occasional problems, such as a broken-down washing machine or refrigerator. These can range from a minor inconvenience to a major disaster, but either way tenants deserve a rapid response.

Black Brick’s rental property search service will normally favour properties with a professional manager (or property management company) in place, so you can be confident of a prompt and positive response to any incident.

In cases where there is no management company in place, all you can do beforehand is seek assurances that your landlord is present and involved in maintenance and repairs, and make sure you keep daytime and emergency contact details in a safe place (including somewhere you can access them if you cannot access the property itself for any reason).

Ask your landlord any pertinent questions about the property, the terms of your tenancy and any finances involved (e.g. holding deposit, security deposit and monthly rent). This includes getting an inventory of any furniture, appliances and other items included in the property, and the Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme where your deposit will be held in escrow.

Your landlord is required to provide you with certain information. This includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which rates the energy efficiency of the property, a gas safety certificate (if the property has a gas supply) and a current copy of the UK government’s How to Rent checklist for renting properties in England.

Find out more about landlords’ obligations to their tenants in our guide Responsibilities of a Landlord.

Black Brick would always recommend viewing rental properties before signing a legally binding agreement or paying a non-refundable holding deposit. If you arrive and find significant problems with the property, or simply don’t like it, you may have no legal right to cancel the contract or get your holding deposit back.

If you are unable to view the property, Black Brick can visit it on your behalf and provide you with a full report of any causes for concern and the general condition of the property. We can also schedule viewings for a time that suits you, if this means you are able to visit in person.

While it is possible to rent a property ‘sight unseen’, you do so at your own risk. A ‘holding deposit’ to reserve the property is not subject to the same protections as your tenancy deposit, and is usually not refundable under any circumstances.

The choice between furnished and unfurnished depends on what you need from the property, and potentially on how long you intend to occupy it for. Some properties may be described as semi-furnished, which can include basic furnishings like carpets and curtains, along with a varying amount of furniture and appliances.

In general, short-term lets will usually be furnished, as it’s not reasonable to expect tenants to move their own furniture into an empty property for just a few weeks. This is not always the case, so if you’re renting for less than six months, don’t assume everything will be provided.

For long-term lets (six months and over) it’s increasingly likely that the property will be unfurnished, allowing you to move in your own furniture and possessions. This is ideal if you want to put your own personality into the place, but remember to allow for the cost of buying any furniture you need.

If you are renting long term (in other words not a short-let tenancy of just a few weeks, but 6 months or longer) then in addition to the rent you are also liable to pay for council tax and your utility bills. It’s a good idea to find out what these costs are before making an offer so you can factor them into your budget. The Landlord is responsible for paying the service charge and dealing with repairs and maintenance issues.

On short term rentals, the Landlord pays for everything – all utility bills, council tax and service charges. This is one reason why short term rentals are much more expensive than longer term rentals.

Landlords have a legal responsibility to pay back your deposit, but they can claim deductions for reasonable expenses, for example if you leave the property damaged or unclean. For this reason, it’s sensible to document the condition of the property when you move in and again when you move out. A professional inventory clerk can do a “schedule of condition” before your tenancy commences and again at the end, making it very hard for the Landlord to make unsubstantiated claims.

In most cases, your landlord should have put your deposit into a government-approved Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme. This provides some protection, including dispute resolution if your landlord makes any deductions you disagree with.

If your landlord did not protect your deposit via an approved scheme, and refuses to pay it back to you, there are legal options to pursue. You could take your landlord to county court. There is a fee of around £300 which, if successful, you can recover from your landlord too.

As far as possible, it’s best to get your deposit back directly from your landlord (or from the lettings agent or property management company responsible for the premises) and to negotiate any deductions made for cleaning and repairs, rather than going to court.

With Black Brick’s Property Management service, we take responsibility for legal compliance, including responsibilities like transferring deposits into a TDP scheme and paying deposits back to tenants when they move out.

In the event of damage to a rental property or if you leave it in an unclean state, there may be reasonable grounds to make deductions from your deposit – that’s why you pay a deposit in the first place.

But in general, choosing reputable landlords, lettings agents or Black Brick managed properties can all help ensure your deposit is protected and is later paid back in full.

Most rental properties are subject to Assured Shorthold Tenancies, which may have a fixed term (e.g. 6 or 12 months) or a periodic term (e.g. weekly or monthly).

When the tenancy ends, there are several possible next steps. In some cases, you may be expected to move out. In others, unless you or the landlord gives notice, the tenancy may automatically transition to a rolling tenancy with its own notice period.

If you want to renew or extend your tenancy, make sure you have read and understood the terms you agreed to when you moved in. Different contracts have different renewal/extension terms, and complying with those terms can help you to stay in the property.

Keep up with your rent payments, even if your tenancy has expired. Rental arrears can make it easier for your landlord to evict you – if your payments are up to date, you have more rights to remain in the property, even without an agreed tenancy renewal.

Try to compromise with your landlord if there’s a middle-ground option. That could be a 6-month extension to your tenancy, rather than a full 12-month renewal. Or you might accept a rolling tenancy with a reasonable notice period (e.g. 2-3 months).

Black Brick’s Property Management service includes tenant negotiations, so if your property is managed by us, we can discuss potential tenancy renewals with you. We will always work to find an acceptable solution within the agreed terms of your original contract, which treats both landlord and tenant fairly overall.