The advertised rent may fit your budget, but parking, utilities and an early-exit charge can change the picture. Before you sign, compare the full agreement with the listing and anything promised at the viewing. If a detail matters to your decision, get it into the agreement or an attachment accepted by both parties.
Confirm the people, property and dates
Check the full legal names of the landlord and every tenant, the address and unit number, and exactly which spaces come with the rental. If you need a parking bay, storage room or shared garden, it should be clearly identified. When a letting agent signs for the landlord, ask what authority the agent has and where to send notices and rent payments.
Check the tenancy start date, handover date and length of the term. A fixed term, a month-to-month arrangement and an automatically renewing agreement can carry different obligations. Find out what happens when the initial term ends, how much notice each party must give and how that notice must be delivered. Local tenancy rules may take precedence over the contract, so check them too.
Work out the full cost, not just the rent
Find the rent amount, due date, accepted payment methods, and any grace period or late-payment terms. Then sort one-time payments from ongoing costs. If you are comparing homes, a short payment list can help:
- Before move-in: holding payment, security deposit, first rent payment, advance rent and any permitted application or administration charges.
- Each month: rent, utilities, internet, parking, building fees and other regular charges.
- At move-out: agreed cleaning obligations, possible damage deductions and charges for leaving early.
Ask who pays for electricity, gas, water, waste collection and internet. Is the charge based on your own meter, a fixed amount or a share of the building bill? Even if utilities are described as “included,” check for usage caps and exceptions. For the deposit, find out how it will be held, when it should be returned and what records must accompany any deductions. Limits and deposit-protection rules vary by location.
Read the rules you will live with
House rules can shape your daily routine. Read the terms on guests, pets, smoking, noise, shared spaces, parking and changes such as painting or putting up shelves. If you work from home, check for restrictions on business activity or use of the address. Ask for any building rules referred to in the lease but not attached to it; you need to see the rules themselves.
If your household manages food sensitivities or follows an exclusion diet, check the kitchen as carefully as the lease. Are the advertised refrigerator, freezer, cooking facilities and food-storage areas included and usable? In a shared kitchen, establish which cupboards and appliances you can use and whether cleaning or access rules apply. This is about whether the home suits your routine, not asking a landlord to assess your dietary needs. Discuss persistent symptoms and changes to your diet with a doctor.
Inspect the property and document its condition
Try to view the exact unit you would rent, rather than relying on photos or a similar unit. Where possible, test taps, the toilet, lights, locks, heating or cooling controls, and supplied appliances. Look for leaks, dampness, pests and damage, then ask how any problems you find will be handled. A viewing will not uncover every fault, but it gives you specific questions to raise in writing before you commit.
Compare the inventory and condition report with what is actually there. Record existing scratches, stains, broken fittings and missing items. Dated photos can help show the condition at handover; submit them through the agreed process and in line with local rules. If repairs have been promised before move-in, get the work and completion date in writing.
Understand repairs, access and responsibilities
Find out how to report routine repairs and urgent problems, whom to contact outside office hours and what upkeep is expected of you. Keeping a home reasonably clean is different from repairing its systems or fixtures. Be wary of wording that makes the tenant responsible for every repair, whatever caused the problem; local law may limit what costs can be passed on.
Read the clauses on landlord or agent entry, including notice and emergency access. Privacy rules differ by jurisdiction, so ask for clarification if the wording is vague. Check whether renter’s insurance is required and what it must cover. Do not assume the landlord’s policy covers your belongings.
Check your options if circumstances change
If you might need to leave before a fixed term ends, read the early-termination clause closely. Check the notice required, possible charges and whether local law requires the landlord to take steps to find another tenant. Look at the rules for adding or removing a housemate, assigning the lease and subletting. Someone willing to take your place does not necessarily release you from liability.
Check how rent increases and other changes to the agreement are handled. The contract may set out when an increase can take effect, how notice must be given and what happens at renewal. Compare that wording with local protections, especially if one party appears able to change charges without a clear process.
Resolve unclear wording before you sign
Read every attachment, including the inventory, building rules and any guarantor agreement. Look for blank spaces, conflicting dates, unexplained fees and references to documents you have not received. If the lease differs from what was agreed, ask for a corrected copy. A verbal promise that a clause “doesn’t apply” offers little reassurance when the signed agreement says otherwise.
Keep the copy signed by all parties, along with payment receipts, the condition report and written messages about promised repairs. If local rules or a clause remain unclear, speak to a local tenant-advice service or qualified legal professional before committing. Just before you sign, compare the amount and date of the first payment with the payment instructions you were given.
