So, it has come to the point where you need to move out of home and go and rent your first home. This can be a very fun and exciting milestone in life for most; greater freedom, your own personal space, but there are a few things you need to look out for when renting a place, especially if you are new to it.

Looking for houses to rent can be great fun, going to inspect new places and imagining you living there, but some landlords will take advantage of an inexperienced shopper, sneaking things into lease agreements and overcharging rent is just a small example. I want you to have the smoothest and most enjoyable transition to your first home, so here is the best way to do it.

First of all, you can’t pretend you are not a first time renter as the landlord will often ask for a reference from an owner or real-estate agent from the last place you lived, so you won’t be able to simply act like a seasoned pro. Make sure that you thoroughly read anything before you sign in and do not be afraid to ask for clarification or an explanation of anything in the agreements. Also make sure they do not try and change the price on the spot from anything other than what was advertised. If they do something like this I would advise you take your business elsewhere as they are almost certainly a shady character, and you do not want a shady character for a landlord, trust me.

Secondly, make sure you are going to be protected. Have a good inspection of the house, look for any faulty wiring or areas of neglect, such as leaking taps and those sorts of things. If there are a lot of cases of neglect, it means the landlord probably won’t fulfil their obligation to maintain and repair your house for you, and that’s just going to cause you headache after headache, hassle after hassle. It is also worth asking if they have landlord insurance. If they do not have this, they may not be able to pay you compensation for any injuries you sustain due to neglect to the home by inaction of the landlord to repair things, meaning you could have to foot the bills yourself.

So while moving out for the first time can be a fun adventure, just remember some of the things I have mentioned above and you should be able to keep it just that. Landlords insurance is a big one, and make sure you read anything thoroughly before you sign it. Apart from that, good luck and have a ball.