Nine rental myths debunked by property experts

Property rental experts Essential Living say that while there are many benefits to renting, it can be a challenging world to navigate.

To help empower tenants to make informed decisions, they have debunked nine common myths about renting:

1. Renting is always more expensive than buying

Renting being more expensive than buying is a common belief but often the reality is that the cost-effectiveness of renting versus buying heavily depends on several different factors. This includes anything from the current housing market to your location and how long you plan on living in that area. 

Remember that the cost of buying a home isn’t just about the mortgage; it includes other expenses like property taxes, building insurance and maintenance, as well as selling costs further down the line – and these things soon start to add up.

If you’re renting, you don’t have to worry about any of those costs and instead are only responsible for your monthly rent. You also won’t need to save up the tens of thousands of pounds needed for a house deposit.

2. Renting means that you are throwing money down the drain

While it might seem that paying rent doesn’t get you anything in the long run, this perspective overlooks the many benefits that renting can have for some people. For instance, it provides flexibility, doesn’t tie up your money in a property and frees you from the costs and responsibilities of home ownership.

Gone are the days where people get a life-long job in their hometown and buy a house nearby. Today, people tend to change jobs every few years and renting allows the flexibility to relocate as and when it’s necessary. For many, the financial cost of renting is worth the freedom to move around the country as they please.

3. Landlords must give 24-hours notice before entering the property

It’s a common misconception that landlords always have to give 24 hours notice before entering their property which is being occupied by a tenant. 

Despite the Housing Act 1988 stipulating that tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment in the property, a landlord may wish to gain access to the house to fulfil obligations such as ensuring gas safety and electrical inspection are carried out. They may also wish to access the property to conduct viewings for when the current tenant moves out.

While a landlord must provide written notice at least 24 hours’ prior to these visits, they are allowed to access the property in extreme situations such as an emergency, like a fire, a strong smell of gas or water flowing from the property. Outside of these circumstances however, a tenant is within their right to refuse entry unless a written notice is provided.

4. Pets are not allowed

Many landlords have restrictions on pets, but it’s not a hard and fast rule that you can’t have pets in a rental property. Each landlord can set their own rules and some can be quite accommodating. However, tenant’s should get written consent from their landlord if they wish to keep pets at their property.

Current government plans for rental reforms suggest that soon all tenants will be able to keep a pet in their property if they get written consent from their landlord. If a landlord refuses, and the tenant thinks it’s unreasonable, they will be able to challenge the decision through the courts or a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.

Owning a cat or dog in a flat does require some additional considerations, especially as space may be limited. We advise putting a consistent daily walking and toileting routine in place and pushing furniture against the walls to maximise floor space for your pet to roam around more freely.

5. Rent prices are non-negotiable

Many people believe that the rental price listed is set in stone, but this isn’t always the case. It’s often possible to negotiate the rent, particularly if you have good references, a steady income and are willing to commit to a longer lease. 

With rent prices fluctuating and changing on a monthly basis, letting agents don’t always get the price right, so sometimes you might find that your slightly lower offer gets accepted and saves you some money.

6. You can’t decorate or make changes

Many people think that as a renter, they have no freedom to decorate or make changes to their home. While it’s true that significant modifications usually require the landlord’s permission, many landlords are open to reasonable changes, especially if they will improve the property.

Even if a landlord isn’t fully supportive of your choice of wall colour for instance, they’ll often be willing to let you carry out the decorating as long as you return things to the way they were when you eventually move out.

However, with so many design-conscious renters these days, there’s a booming market for renter-friendly decor that doesn’t cause permanent changes or damage to your apartment, such as stick-on tiles or sticky hooks for hanging art. Always check your tenancy agreement or get written permission from your landlord if you wish to decorate first.

7. A landlord can keep your deposit without reason

Landlords can only make deductions from the deposit for specific reasons like unpaid rent or costs for repairing any damage beyond normal wear and tear. Deductions from the deposit are to compensate a landlord for an expense. For this reason, if your landlord has made a claim to a portion of your deposit, always make sure you ask for a full breakdown along with pictures of the damage, as well as any receipts for the work being done. 

Deposits should also be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme, ensuring a fair process for both parties. If your landlord has not done this and provided proof after you’ve moved in, you can apply to your local county court who can order them to either repay it to you or to deposit it into a TDP scheme. The court may also order the landlord to pay you up to three times the deposit.

8. Landlords can increase the rent whenever they want

While landlords can raise the rent, they cannot do so indiscriminately. Most tenancy agreements specify when and how the rent can be increased. For periodic tenancies, landlords must provide appropriate notice and the increase must be fair and realistic (in line with the local market). 

For a fixed-term tenancy, you must agree in order for your landlord to increase your rent mid-tenancy. Otherwise, the rent can only be increased once your tenancy ends.

9. Renting doesn’t affect your credit score

While traditionally this was the case, since 2017, credit agencies can include rent payment histories when calculating credit scores. Paying rent on time can therefore help to build up a good credit score. 

To enable this, tenants can sign up with a partner of The Rental Exchange, an organisation who can verify your regular rent payments and add them to your credit report, enabling you to build a positive credit history and get approved for loans in future.