How to be a happy tenant

With the incredible number of houses to rent in Leeds, there’s plenty of reasons to be happy with your new living situation. However, as is the case with anything, how much enjoyment you get out of your new home depends on a number of things. By following a few simple pieces of advice though, there’s no reason that everyone can’t love their new home.

Here’s a rundown of the five most important things you’ll need to take into account to make sure that you’re a happy tenant.

Make sure the price is right

This one may seem a touch self-explanatory, but as a Leeds letting agent, we’re aware of just how overwhelming the amount of choice can be. So, first and foremost, you’ll want to take stock of all the important things you need to take into account before signing any tenancy agreement.

First off, there’s price: what’s your budget?

Make sure to also take into account your bills and expenses, including travel if that’s necessary. Another important factor here is whether you’re going it alone or moving into a house share, which will cut costs considerably. If you do opt to live with other people, you’ll also need to work out how you’ll be splitting the rent and bills. Does it make sense to go for a property with bills included for instance?

Take a look at everything and make sure that, after you’ve paid your way, you’ve still got a reasonable amount to live on. After all, few things are likely to cause those new home blues more than an empty bank account.

Get the location right

This one does also factor into cost, as naturally some areas will be more affluent than others. Happily, this is one area where Leeds really excels, with plenty of properties close to the city centre at decent prices.

However, if you do want to go a little further out, then Leeds generally has excellent transport links. Just double check that you can get to where you need to go without too much trouble. Finding yourself in a lovely home but having a brutal commute? That’s likely to make for a pretty unhappy tenant.

Don’t let housemate disputes get out of hand

Often when people move into a shared accommodation – particularly if it’s the first time living with other people that aren’t family members – they make friends that will last them a lifetime. Their living situation is filled with fun and great memories. However, sometimes – even amongst housemates that get along – things can get heated and often escalate quickly, leaving your new home with an unpleasantly tense atmosphere and unhappy tenants all around.

Usually most issues between housemates can be solved with good communication and having the necessary talks as early as possible. For example, don’t leave a discussion about a certain bill, say, the TV license for instance, until someone comes knocking on the door. It’s best to have a talk about how these things should be settled long before it gets to that point.

Open communication can also help settle issues regarding chores, grocery shopping and so on before they end up affecting relations between housemates. By simply being open and honest with your co-inhabitants, you’ll usually find things can be settled before they even become an issue.

Clean up after yourself

The fact is that, when you’re living with other people, you have to be a little more courteous than you might be when living on your own. For example, say you had a bowl of cereal: maybe you think you’ll wash it up later and you forget about it. All of a sudden, that bowl is underneath a small mountain of dishes because everyone has had the same idea and now an argument has broken out.

To keep the peace, it’s best to just keep on top of household chores. That way, you’ll create a more relaxed home environment, avoiding any unnecessary fall-outs, messy mountains or unhappy tenants.

Report issues any as soon as possible

This seems like a no brainer, but often small problems can be ignored until they turn into much bigger issues. So, if there’s anything wrong with the property at all, such as a faulty boiler or a leaky windowsill, no matter how minor, report it to your landlord or letting agent as soon as possible. That way, the problem can get fixed quickly and you can avoid it becoming any worse than need be.