For property to rent in Edinburgh, there are two options available. Either one can deal with a private landlord or a letting agent.
To deal with a private landlord, there is a procedure to be followed. This procedure can sometimes be problematic. This is so because in this case one has to deal with a complete stranger, arrange meetings with him and most importantly trust him with the property. One should go for an authentic landlord because otherwise trusting any landlord can cause enormous losses because they are unregulated and are not part of a professional trade body or any trade association.
Dealing with a property or letting agent is entirely different from dealing with a landlord. In this sort of dealing, letting agents charge for providing their services but at the same time they offer great peace of mind as well as security.
Some property agents are associated and registered with bodies as in Association of Residential Letting Agents. These bodies have code of ethics and practice that is endowed upon its members and they have to follow them. National Approved Letting Scheme, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the National Association of Estate Agents are the other professional bodies.After the dealing with the landlord or a letting agent has been done, the next step is the viewing of the property. This is done after all the properties have been thoroughly examined and those that have appealed the most are decided. If one is dealing with a landlord he has to arrange the visit with him. On the other hand, if the dealing is done through a letting agent, then he will arrange a viewing of the property.
While viewing the property one should keep his eyes open and view and examine the property thoroughly and critically from inside and outside.One should check the windows, roofs, pipes etc. to examine whether the property has been well maintained or not. Insulations should be checked too as in whether the property is well insulated or not because this will heavily affect the bills later on. The tenant should acquire a gas safety certificate along with operating instructions for electrical appliances from the landlord. Working of taps, flushes, bath and shower should be checked too by running them to see if they are in working position or not. Storage space should be kept in mind too as it is an important factor too. One should pay special head towards the security of the property and this can be done by examining the locks on all entry doors and windows.
The type of the neighborhood should be checked and for that one should look up for parks and gardens in the nearby area. The neighborhood should have good ambience. Talking to a neighbor will provide one with the valuable information not only about the area but also the landlord. Besides all these factors, the most important factor is proximity to work or university. There should be a suitable vehicle space and transport links. Shops, restaurants and night life etc. should be nearby. Only after inspecting all these factors, one should decide whether to go for property to rent in Edinburgh.