Without knowing your rights and obligations, renters in London are an easy target for rogue landlords and agents. This tenancy guide will help prepare you!

This document will explain thoroughly what landlords and tenants need to know and do in order to correctly end relations. London is home to the most vicious property renting industry in the world. Almost half of the capital’s population lives on rent.

A landlord and all the agencies and services they hire will always look towards the best interest of the property, which is their source of income. Naturally, the best interest of the property will almost certainly require investments, constant renovation and refreshment of the interior.

This guide is prepared with breakdowns of the most crucial and important parts to the tenancy and the subjects that are most often cases of disputes and legal issues.

Upon agreeing to rent a property, a tenant would have to give the landlord or a letting agent a security deposit, in case they cause damage to the property, return it into an unsuitable state, or in any way deter from the tenancy agreement.  If the condition of the property is fine, the tenant should receive the full or part of the deposit back.

With the Housing Act of 2004, all assured shorthold tenancies (AST) have introduced tenancy deposit protection. This is a service provided by a third party organization. The landlord is required to submit it to such an organization for safe keeping.

After the tenancy has ended, the protection scheme will return the money to its legitimate recipient. The receiver is determined either by agreement between both parties, or a court order. That way, there is no chance for anyone to claim the deposit, based on their personal judgement.

This information, and everything written in the contract is the deciding factor on whether a tenant would get the money back. That said, a tenant should be absolutely thorough with reading, memorising and keeping a copy of everything in regards to legal regulations, contracts and tenancy agreements!

If the landlord doesn’t supply this information, or it’s unclear, it’s advisable the tenant asks until having absolute clarity on the matter. After receiving the information, it’s a best practice to contact the deposit protection scheme and make sure everything is set and received on their end. Regarding the type of deposit scheme, there are a few:

Custodial Scheme

This scheme requires the landlord to submit the entire sum of the deposit to the organization. They will hold custody of it until the tenancy ends and both parties agree on the deposit. They will not release it until the tenant and landlord have sorted out any possible dispute over the money, or until they receive a court order to transfer the money.

Insurance-based Scheme

The second scheme is one where the landlord keeps the entire deposit, but pays insurance to the TDP service. When the tenancy ends the landlord has 10 days to return the deposit to the tenant. If there are any claims towards the deposit, the landlord needs to pay the tenant the amount that is not in dispute and pay the rest to the TDP, until there is a resolution or a court order.

At the moment the tenant gets the keys for the property, it’s advisable to invite the landlord to make an initial inspection. This will assign a documented state of the property at the time it is received.

The tenant can do it with a camera and a sheet of paper, taking photos of every questionable part of the apartment along with written comments on the paper. However, for this to valid, the tenant needs either get the landlord’s (or his representative’s) signature and approval of this documentation.

This inventory check is often automatically issued by the landlord or letting agency. If so, a tenant should request a copy of the documents and pictures with signatures of either landlord or letting agent.

This very helpful checklist can any newbie with the documentation of the inventory.
Note: The above checklist is for unfurnished type of accommodation. For a furnished type, an additional inventory list must be supplied by the landlord when you check in.

If any of those are lacking upon viewing, a tenant has the right to ask the landlord about them.

Reasons to Lose Security Deposit

In order to protect the security deposit, a tenant should always try to maintain good order in your property. Also, refer frequently to the tenancy agreement to make sure the tenant is not doing anything against the contract.

Wear and tear is the deterioration of objects over their natural course of exploitation and also the most common reason for disputes over the tenancy deposit. While direct damage, hygiene and other breaches of the contract are easy to examine and judge, wear and tear is hard to distinguish from actual damage.

All of these factors and maybe more will contribute to the estimation of the wear and tear and if it’s accumulated over the natural use of the given item, or if it’s due lack of maintenance and care. That estimation is conducted by a chosen adjudicator from the tenancy deposit protection service or the court of law. They will examine all existing evidence, both of the tenant and of the landlord, as well contacting any involved party in the dispute and acquiring their statements and evidence (if such exist).

The check in and check out inventory reports, accompanied by photographic or video materials will be the strongest evidence for the investigation, as they are benchmarks for the state of the property that are approved by both disputing parties.

The adjudicator will determine whether the given item is usable, needs repair or complete replacement as well determine what part of the cost should be attributed to the tenant and thus be deducted from their deposit.

The formula works for the general estimation, but the above list of factors will additionally manipulate the result, so don’t expect the calculator to do the job for everybody, let alone satisfy all parties.

Can a tenant break the tenancy agreement?

For example, if there is a not pet clause to the apartment, but the tenant wants to live with one, the way to do so is to ask in writing. Only after the tenant has a signed document from the landlord, he is allowed to move in with the pet. Otherwise, the tenant is breaking the lease and will be subjected to punishment, part of which might be a denial of deposit or even expulsion.

Documents about a tenant’s affairs with the landlord, letting agent and any other party that has had official business with the property during the tenancy needs to be kept safe and organized.

The repair responsibilities are usually defined within the tenancy agreement. There should be a detailed list of items under the responsibility of the landlord and one for the tenant as well. A tenant should not sign the lease, if such a clause is not included and agreed upon.

However, even if there is no discussion about repairs and the documents are already signed, there are duties enforced by the law. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985

In the section regarding the landlord’s responsibility, there should be written if the tenant can or cannot execute repairs on their own. Many times, the landlords do not permit their tenants to execute repairs without their explicit agreement.

Typically, small repairs and maintenance such as replacing broken light bulbs, power sockets and similar small jobs are okay and sometimes even necessarily performed by the tenant, but it’s advisable to check up with the landlord when signing the lease to determine those in advance.

If a tenant arranges repairs on their own, without permission, they risk losing the deposit, and / or having to pay additionally for professional handymen to redo the work as to guarantee it will do no damage to the property.

When repairs are due, the landlord should be contacted straight away. For more severe problems, or potential health risks, like faulty electrical wiring, damaged water pipes, broken windows and such, communication should be immediate.

If repairs are still due, or the tenant has not received an answer from the landlord, inform your local council about the problem.

The two are not related and the fact the landlord doesn’t carry out their responsibilities, doesn’t give the tenant amenity to do the same. Rather, the tenant should turn to the local council for advice to seek compensation for the troubles, as well as force the landlord to carry out the needed repairs.

Unfortunately, not all problems will be fixed the minute they are reported. While the tenant has the right to expect timely intervention in critical moments, smaller or even cosmetic jobs are not a priority and can take time.

The landlord has a right of access to the property in cases of emergencies like fire, flooding, electrical problems and other major treat to the property and the occupants.

In such cases, they can even bypass a tenant’s permission. Landlords are also allowed to have their own keys to the property, regardless if the tenant changed the locks or not. However, any non-urgent entry, such as inspection, minor repairs or others, must be done with the cooperation of the tenants and a minimum of 24 hour notice before hand.

For lodging, the rules don’t apply. The landlord can go in and out the room at their free will, especially when they provide services such as cleaning, laundry, ironing and etc.

Examples include entering unannounced and with no apparent reason; in irregular times of the day such as early morning, late in the night, or when you’re out and don’t know somebody is coming. If you find yourself at such a point and can’t speak directly with the landlord, contact your nearest Citizen Advice Bureau.

There are two types of tenancies in regard to time frames and rental periods:

What is a Fixed Term Tenancy?

In a fixed term tenancy, the tenant is in possession of the property for a pre-set period of time – usually 6, 12 or 24 months. The time period for which the property is leased is written within the tenancy agreement and usually stays as it is.

The tenant is obliged to rent the property for the entire period, unless they don’t come to an agreement with the landlord to change the tenancy period.

If you rent the property with other people, they also need to agree to vacate the premises. Usually, they can sign a new contract with the landlord and rent the property anew after you leave.

What is a Periodic Tenancy?

Periodic tenancies run in rent periods (usually a month-to-month basis, but can vary). When a rent period ends, you’re usually asked to pay for the next one. It’s usually a good idea to end a periodic tenancy right at the end / start of the rental period, because rent calculations and documentation is easier to handle on both sides.

To end a periodic tenancy, the tenant must submit an official request to end the tenancy. The paper must be handed at least 28 days before leaving. It’s a good practice to submit the end of tenancy request when you pay your last rent, thus a month before you leave.

In a joint tenancy, one notice to end the tenancy will end it for all tenants.

So, be extremely careful when filing for end of tenancy and always make sure the procedure is valid and you have properly ended the contract.

With an assured shorthold tenancy, it’s relatively easy to get evicted. However, even eviction needs to follow rules and procedures in order to be valid before the court. How and when a tenant can get evicted depends on the type of tenancy. The reasons a landlord would want to evict, are generally the same ones that apply for taking the deposit.

What is a Section 21 Eviction Notice?

The common way of expulsion is getting served the Section 21 Notice, a.k.a. Assured Shorthold Ground. The notices gives the tenant two months of time to find a new place to live, transfer all their accounts and subscriptions and leave peacefully. After the end date of the notice is up, the landlord can summon the court and force you to vacate the property by law.

Eviction notice for Fixed Term Tenancies

In addition or instead of the Section 21 Notice, you may also get served with a “notice seeking possession”. This will generally happen when the landlord wants to end the tenancy before the fixed term. The tenant may be served either only after there are legitimate reasons for eviction. These reasons are reviewed by court and only with their permission can the eviction happen.

Eviction notice for Periodic Tenancies

The landlord must provide a written notice with the grounds for the eviction when they apply for it. If there is a “break clause” in the lease, that might not be necessary. The notice must have a fixed amount of time – 2 weeks or 2 months, depending on the grounds for eviction.

If you or any member of the house display anti-social behaviour, the notice can become effective immediately. The notice is valid for one year after being served. It can be executed at any given time until the period of the notice ends. After that, the landlord needs to apply for a new one before evicting you.

Once the landlord has served the notice, they can apply before the court for a possession order. If you still haven’t left before that time, they can evict you forcefully, or court orders.

Remember to ask about tenancy cleaning. A lot of landlords let their new tenants in a freshly, professionally cleaned home and require for them to do the same when they leave. London has the most developed cleaning industry in the world and there are more companies per capita there, than anywhere else in the world. You can also use the provider your landlord is using, but only after you know it’s in your best interest.

A few things to keep in mind when hiring a cleaning company:

• Always request to see the checklist of the job. It’s important to do so, because then you can compare it against the inventory report checklist you already have or made yourself. That way you can make sure you’re getting everything you need from the service you’re paying for.
• Read reviews about the company. If you don’t have a friend or family that can give you a customer review of the company, check the ones on the Internet. Usually, when you search around the website, you’ll find business registrations, who are open for other users to comment on and leave a review.
• Seek for a guarantee on the website. A company that offers any kind of guarantee for their work is a reliable one. The most common one is a 48 hour guarantee after the clean. This is also the best time to invite the landlord for inspection.

If the case happens to require some work or cleaning resulting from the tenant’s maintenance efforts, they are to be paid by the tenant’s deposit, the tenant has a right to request the billing information and make the maths about how much the tenant will get back after the deduction.

Only after agreeing on the work, prices and contractors, should the tenant then contact the TDP and allow them to transfer some of the money to the landlord.

This is done in the organization that holds the money. It’s free of charge, but it needs both parties to agree on the same thing for the resolution to proceed and everyone to get their share of the bond. The tenant will be asked for evidence that supports their claim and this is where those photographs and descriptions come into play.

The TDP will release the deposit after a resolution has come to light. For further help, the tenant can contact a legal adviser, the local citizen advice bureau, or a shelter organization in the location. Now, there are cases where the TDP service provider cannot help either because the tenant doesn’t know who they are, or because the landlord has never protected the money from the start.

At the end of your tenancy, contact the landlord about the deposit. If you feel you are in your right to demand the sum or at least part of it, communicate this to them and wait for their response. If you haven’t received the initial information about the TDP service, ask them about that as well.

While you wait for the answer, you can check the following websites to see if you have a registration in any of the

Those are the three biggest TDP service providers in the UK. If you do not find yourself in neither, it’s likely your deposit has not entered a protection scheme at all. You can also try this deposit protection checker, if you’re not sure what kind of tenancy you have.

At this point, it’s time to go through your documentation. If you haven’t followed the previous advice, collect everything you have on your tenancy and the property during your stay. Also, print every digital document, email, chat and other communication you might have with parties involved with your tenancy.

Then, you can send a “Before court action” to the landlord with claims to the full deposit. Since they haven’t protected the money, the tenant has full right to request the entire sum, even though there might be some need for refreshing the apartment, or going through some minor damage. If the landlord doesn’t come back in a 10 day period, contact a legal advisor and proceed with a court claim.

If you have all your proof and have done no considerable damage or negative effect on the property, the court can rule up to three times the deposit sum in your favour.

Useful Links:

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This is the law, and anything that diverts from it is invalid and illegal.
• Private renting. These are a helpful information center regarding government regulations on the private renting sector.
• Advice Guide. It contains vast amounts of information on every topic regarding your relationship with the community around you.
• Shelter. This organization focuses on dealing with housing problems of all kinds.
• Tenant’s Voice. Tenant’s Voice is one of the largest UK tenant communities.
• Landlord Law Blog. A website created and managed by Tessa Shepperson – one of the best lawyers in the field of landlord and tenant law.
• London And Property. Extensive guides on many aspects of buying and renting properties.

Move out cleaning is nothing outside of the ordinary. You go and lick the flat clean. The only difference is this happens when you’re leaving your rented property. Tenants move often. Whether it is for cheaper prices, a new job, problems with the landlord, or even eviction…Most tenants move every few years. Chances are you’ll be moving at least a few times, and “Should I hire a cleaner?” is a question often asked.

What is End of Tenancy Cleaning?

When it’s time end your tenancy and move out, you want to get back those couple of thousand pounds you put in as a security deposit. To do that, you need to make sure the property is left in a reasonable condition, compared to the check-in inventory. Now, there are two ways to do that – either you clean it yourself (for which you will need some end of tenancy cleaning tips) or you hire professionals to do it for you. Let’s see which one is better.

The tenant that moves in after you will require a perfect clean property. But, it’s your mess, so it’s your responsibility to do it. If you don’t, the landlord will call their preferred company, have them do a full round on the property and charge it out of your deposit.

It’s usually not so bad if they do, because they can’t take more than what the bill says. Otherwise, you can raise a dispute in the deposit protection service. However, charging you for the cleaning can also give them the grounds to charge you for something else, that they might have not disputed.

Thus, in the end you can lose quite a bit of your money, because you didn’t take care of things. This is where a professional cleaning service comes handy. A cleaner can finish the job with a guarantee for getting your deposit back. Plus it saves you a lot of time and effort.

So, Should I Hire A Cleaner?

Of course, you’re not obligated to hire professional cleaning help, but it’s worth to estimate your options.

First of all, the landlord would want the condition of the property no worse than on your first day. To achieve this, you need at least a day delegated on cleaning and nothing else. The most helpful thing you can get is this cleaning checklist.

Did you click on the link?

Did you at least read the info poster on the top?

Yes, more than ninety steps to fully clean every square inch of your property. A lot of them re-occur in every room. And, be sure, your landlord might still find a problem with it after you’re done. So, getting a guarantee for cleanliness and deposit return, can get a lot of weight off your shoulders.

While you are perfectly able to clean your property, you shouldn’t consider this as an isolated scenario. Don’t forget that you have an entire life to live, while attending to a hundred cleaning tasks. And of course, you’re moving. You need to physically move all your belongings, handle subscriptions, change addresses, contact utility companies, change doctors, schools… the list is endless.

Good thing about this is, that you can combine cleaning and moving by one company and get a discount, while also ensuring your deposit money back.

Paying for something can save you money! You might have not realised it, but if you’re still arguing with yourself on whether you should hire a cleaning company or not, then, you probably can afford it.

If you can afford to pay somebody for a cleaning job, then you most likely earn more than the average cleaner. If you do some extra hours on the job, or do a freelance gig for the same amount of time you’d put into cleaning a rented property, you will earn more than you would pay for a professional cleaner, who will also do a much better and efficient job than you will.

If you feel your (future) cleaner is not getting what they deserve, try acting nice. Make them a gesture of appreciation – a flower, a gift card, or a tip to show you care for them and their service. Even the smallest token can brighten a worker’s day. In fact here are 26 things you can do to make their work and life better.

It’s not the jobs that are unethical, it’s the attitude, usually.

Past owners or renters have been reported to leave utmost bizarre belongings to the newcomers. It’s frequent to find questionable items in an old house, like adult magazines, family heirlooms and memorabilia, but there have been more than a handful of cases and reports that state discoveries of inexplicable contents.

There are cases where lucky newcomers find valuables like gold, silver, cash or even art for million pounds. Other tenants or property owners find disgusting and horrifying items that stay in their nightmares for years.

Men and women who work in the property industry like renovation specialists, handymen, movers, tenancy cleaners , often have tales to share about what they’ve found and seen in people’s homes. These are some of their stories.

1. An Ancient Well

Colin Steer – a Plymouth Englishman owned his home for almost twenty years, before discovering an ancient well in his living room. If you’ve experienced a variety of homes and rentals, you’d know, each one has it’s own little twitch. A weird bump here, a curved wall there, a room with no 90 degree angles and so on.

That’s probably the reason Steer never went about to see why the area under the sofa had dug in a bit over the years.

Some years ago, the home-owner decided to replace some floor joints and doing so, uncovered a brick shaft filled with landmass. His curiosity made him dig a bit, only to find out the shaft continued pretty far below the construction. His wife made him seal it back, due to little children running around in the house. So, he cleaned the mess and continued his life as if there was nothing irregular with his living room.

However, when Colin Steer retired, and you know how newly retired people always look for something to keep themselves busy, his desire to know what lied on the bottom of the brick construction sparked an insatiable curiosity.

So, he started to excavate his couch footing area. He and a friend of his dug through 33ft of dirt and soil, until they reached the bottom of a 17th century well. Not only that, but during the process, they found a rusted metal sword lodged in between the bricks. Steer’s research of the building and land, led him to believe it belonged to a peasant, due to the method of craftsmanship.

Well, (pun intended) his wife might not be the happiest person in the world, but Colin himself is thrilled by this discovery and since has turned the well into a core feature of his living room interior design. He installed lights and a trap door to accommodate the newly found feature of his home.

2. A Chapel

When Pat and Diane Farla moved into their new home – a detached Victorian house, the only weird thing was a metal grid on the floor inside the home. It was bizarre at start, but it can have many explanations – flood protection, storage space, or something else, so the family didn’t worry about it at all.

However, one day, after some cheerful celebration of Good Friday, accompanied by quite some drinks, the Shropshire folk, decided they just had to know what lied bellow the plate. When they lifted it up, there was a hole only big enough for the younger members of the family to squeeze through.

After they did, Gareth and Matthew ended up in a dark open space with a lot of stale air inside. When they brought some light in, they realised it was by any chance an underground chapel, built in secretly.

Some research of the land points out the buildings dates back 230 years – in the 1700’s. Back then, being a Catholic was deemed a crime and the found guilty were brutally prosecuted. The fallen cross is the only indication of this hypothesis, however, it fits perfectly with the age of the construction.

Weirdly enough, such hideouts were used by a special division of the military back in WWII. It’s said Churchil himself elected a small group of soldiers, which were to hide in such spaces, if by any chance Germany won the war and established rule over Great Britain. These troops were to then sabotage by any means possible the Nazi rule.

Deemed cowards back when everybody was fighting on the front-lines, these soldiers were probably the bravest of all, taking in consideration they would be effectively mice in a trap if what they were preparing for ever came true.

3. Bottles With Human Waste

In 2009, in Greenwich, England, a particularly nasty surprise was uncovered in the walls of an old home. A bottle full of urine, nail clippings and hair was excavated out of the walls of an unfortunate homeowner.

The contents of the bottle identify it as a “witch-bottle”, dating back to the 17 century, again. Apparently the sixteen hundreds were just as wacky as the sixteens of teenagers.

Since witchcraft was still a hot topic during that time, so were anti-curse recipes. The particular one where you make your wife pee in a jar and then add her nails and hair to the concoction later sealing it into the lovely masonry of your newly-built homes was conducted when in doubt of a curse over the family, or the wife being a witch.

Over 200 of these bottles were discovered to this day, but this is the only artifact still encapsulated in the cutting-edge cork tap of the old times. Scientists have had a go at it, only to identify that the woman who produced the body excess was a smoker, based on the pee and somebody of high social status, based on the clean, flawless manicure.

Further research points out to a record from the Old Bailey Court of 1682. According to the document, a man was advised by the Spitalfields apothecary to create the anti-witch talisman, due to beliefs of witchcraft in the face of his beloved. Since his wife obviously didn’t bother to clean up the place, I’d much rather the option of divorce than anti-witchcraft, but those were the times.

4. Old, Used Razor Blades

Some anonymous homeowners decided to renovate their new home – an old house. When they started to demolish one of the walls, what fell on the ground beside rubble and bricks were a couple of handfuls of used razor blades.

Before you engage in a psychotic sadistic fantasy, all of it turned more dumb than freaky.

There used to be an old medicine cabinet with a razor disposal slot (I guess it was useful back in the day). It turned out to empty itself in the cavity between the walls, rather than the rubbish bin, thus the unlikely discovery.

Yeah, you can sleep calm, The Shaving Man is not coming to kill you. Regardless, It could have still injured somebody careless enough to work with no protection.

5. The Snake House

The snake house is actually accurate to it’s name. When a family bought their dream home – a five room house in Idaho, the Sessions thought they’re set for life. What they found when they moved in, however, resembled more of a nightmare. The entire house, including the space between the walls was infested with snakes. At first it was only a few, so the family members simply threw them away, further from the house.

In time, they realised it wasn’t just a couple of garter snakes, but thousands and thousands of them. There were so many that the smelly mucous they excrete found it’s way into the tap water and the showers as well. They could be heard at night slithering into every crevice of the building. When Mr. And Mrs. Sessions bought the house, they signed a document noting the snake problem, but were assured by the agent it was nothing more than a story from the previous occupants, in order to get out of their mortgage.

One day, they watched a similar couple talk on the television about having the same problem. Minutes after, the Sessions found out the people they were watching were actually the previous owners of their property.

After living for a couple of months in these hellish circumstances, the family moved out of their 180 thousand dollar purchase and filed for bankruptcy.

6. Bleeding Walls

Imagine the following:

You move in to your brand new home.  You’ve settled everything, ready for your new life. And then, the walls start oozing with some brown sticky goo. If you guessed a horror movie, you think right, but you’re actually wrong.

Debbie Hill – a new home owner from Colorado, experienced the exact same scenario.

Rather than doing the sane thing and calling an exorcist to exterminate the demons hiding behind the masonry, Debbie opted for a handyman. He inspected her home and found out that it was not unnatural phenomenon, but rather honey that was bleeding from her home.

So the entire story unfolds like so:

The poor woman was stuck with a bee infestation amassing up to 60 thousand bees in her wall. They produced an enormous amount of honey, which started dripping when the summer came about and temperatures rose.

The case is not as terrifying as it seemed at first, however, the repair bill that she faced, must be enough to take here soul into the underworld.

7. 400 -year-old Head

And old, retired tax-collector wound up with an interesting discovery in his attic. 84-year-old Jaques Bellanger possessed the skull of old King Henri IV in his long unattended attic for more than half a century.

During the 18 century French Revolution the grave of the celebrated king was ransacked and his mummified head, departed from the rest of the body, disappeared along with it’s new masters. Later, in the early years of the 20th century, it was displayed in an auction and purchased by a lovely French couple with an extravagant taste. Fifty years later Bellanger bought it off for what’s now worth a hundred dollars and stashed it next to the box of magazines, grandma’s sewing machine and the dragon heart he obtained the previous years.

Joke aside, it took a nine month research, conducted by forensic analytics to identify the head as a belonging to the late King Henri IV. DNA was not present to set in stone the discovery, but over 30 other factors, including historical injuries, convinced the scientists about the artifacts origins.

Bellanger later donated the head to Henri IV’s descendant – Prince Louis de Bourbon, who expressed his gratitude in front of the media.

The tax-collector himself did not make a media appearance, nor stated his contact or address, in order to keep clean from unwanted attention, as he is in an advanced age.

8. Cats

Following the notion of a 400-year-old mummies, the remains of a cat were found in the masonry of a 17th century cottage, which was going through a renovation process. The animal was very carefully treated, for all of its claws and teeth still remain intact. It’s very recognisable shape and larger than the normal domestic cat we’re used to seeing today.

Historical records state that the process of burying a cat’s body in the walls of a house was a popular practice to ward off evil spirits back in the day… Just like the piss bottle.

The property’s owner plans to put it right where it belongs – in the construction, when the renovation is completed. He’s stated he wants to preserve the village’s history, part of it is the strange ritual that led to the discovery.

He is also certain that the cat does it’s job, as no witches have been seen anywhere near the village, except…the wives maybe…

9. Babies

This will probably the most frightening chapter, so if you’re weak hearted, I suggest to skip it. For the same reason, I won’t include any graphical content.

In 1850, a couple from Paris was accused of a horrid murder. When the body of a baby tumbled out of the walls of their apartment, the French couple were arrested and put before trial. They were later cleared of all charges, due to a revolutionary technique, tested by the medical examiners. The physician who was in charge of analyzing the body used insects to determine the time of death, which wasn’t anywhere near incriminating the couple. This marked the first time entomology was used in a criminal investigation.

The latest such case was in 2007 when, in Toronto, the remains of a baby were found under the attic floor of a home going through renovation. Robert Kinghorn was carrying out a renovation procedure for the new neighbours, which bought their property less than a month before the discovery.

While in the attic, he lifted the wooden beams to discover something wrapped in a floral blanket and newspapers from 1925. When he took a closer look, he realised the horrifying truth behind the packaging – a mummified baby was standing in his arms.

The family of five, including three children, the youngest of which was about the size of the mummy was shocked and at the same time blessed none of the children made the discovery themselves.

As for the cause of death and situation around it, the investigation wound up in a ditch, since no details could be extracted from the body or the historical land records.

I grow fearsome of owning an apartment now, seeing how many of these actually occurred in the UK. London is more scary than you think. Living on rent instantly seems like a far more comfortable alternative that buying a keys to a infant cemetery.

10. Grandma

Forgotten storage units with unpaid rent often wind up sold at auctions. There are even people who find it their jobs to search for such auctions, bid on the contents of the containers and make a profit of the discovered items. If you’ve watched Discovery’s “Auction Hunter, you know what I’m talking about.

So, after one of their containers was left unpaid for years, the employees of U-Store Self Storage in Florida, contacted the renter and told them their belongings will be sold at a similar auction.

The woman, renting the storage unit, then came out with a huge surprise:

“My mother told me on her death bed that Grandma is in the storage unit. You can’t sell our stuff…”

When the employee checked the container, they found a blue coffin. Police later determined the corpse inside had been dead since 1995 and was fully prepared and processed for a proper funeral.

Instead of soil, however, poor old granny, was buried in old, needless junk. We’ve all watched hoarders, but this is absolutely the most gruesome case of all.

As for now, better check your own houses for some creepies and if you have to – move out of the house as quickly as possible.

The landlord/tenant relationship doesn’t have to be rock-solid and unchangeable through your whole stay. The terms and conditions of your tenancy can be flexible enough as long as both parties are satisfied. Here are a few tips on how to negotiate rent with landlord and find the sacred Goldilocks Zone.

How to Negotiate Rent with Landlord

Upon moving in, you can agree on the primary number your new landlord decides on, or you can offer a more suitable one for you, before you get it in writing.

• Talk in person. A face to face confrontation is both a sign of respect and confidence. Never conduct negotiations by phone, text, or chat.
• Look your best. People find it easier to trust others, who wear nice clothes, have neat hair, good personal hygiene, and of course – talk well. Maintain the right amount of eye contact, talk with the right tone of voice, be friendly, clear and state with confidence what you want and why you think you deserve it.
• Compare with other properties. You can make a comparison with the properties in the area and discuss why you believe the rent should be reduced. A landlord simply wants a tenant, and if there is a possibility to lose a good looking tenant to a neighbour, they might consider your offer.
• Do not demand too much. Try to be reasonable and don’t inconvenience your possible landlord. After all, you’re not the only one looking for a property.
• Guarantee your financial state. Make sure you have a well-paying job and provide proof that you have a bank account. This will guarantee you’re able to meet your monthly rent.
• Prove you’re worth it. If you were on good terms with your previous landlord and if he was registered in the National Landlord Association (NLA) or another rental organisation, ask him to say a few good words for you to your current one. A guarantor is your best way to assure a compromise right from the start.

This kind of feat is not among everyone’s strengths, plus you are talking to a person you just met, who doesn’t know you and will have difficulty to trust you. So, if you don’t have that priceless gift to convince people easily, it might be best to leave this negotiation for later in time.

How to Negotiate Rent Increase

If you got your rent raised for any reason, you can do something about it. It’s important to go over things calmly.

• Know your rights. You have signed a tenancy agreement for 6 or 12 months. During that time a landlord cannot change the price of the rent. They have the right to do it after the period is over, for which you should receive a 1 month notice for the increase.
• Address the problem. Is there a particular reason why your rent got increased? If you did any damage to the property or anything else that might suggest you’re a handful as a tenant, you better calculate what you can do about it. Then use it for negotiation.
• Talk in person. Your landlord might already have a negative impression about you. You need to make eye contact while negotiating.
• Offer a compromise. Find what the landlord might need help with, or what could be done to fix whatever damage you might have caused. Be sure to get it in the tenancy agreement for the next period.
• Notify the Rent Assessment Committee. If you believe the increase is unfair, you have to submit your case as soon as you get your notice (here’s more info). Bear in mind, however, they will put a legal maximum of the rent the landlord will be allowed to ask of you and it might turn up to be even higher than his primal increase.

If everything fails, and you won’t be able to afford the new rent, you may turn to a number of charities to review your options, such as Citizens Advice Bureau.

How to Ask Your Landlord to Reduce the Rent

When you’re nearing the end of the period of your tenancy, you will have to sign a new contract if you intend to keep using the same property. This is the time to ask for a rent that suits you better.

• Make sure you demonstrated you’re a good tenant. It’s not a good idea to ask of anything if your landlord has no good impressions of you. If they have a positive experience with your tenancy, you could have a good chance for success.
• Negotiate for other things. Make your landlord used to having regular talks with you. This way, when the time comes to ask for a rent reduction, it won’t come as a too big of a surprise.
• Talk in person. Even if you’re on the best terms ever, not confronting your negotiator face to face, will most probably result in a decline of the offer. There are official letters you can use, but they only serve to put more space between you. The landlord has the right to charge however they want for their own property, and a friendly encounter can do a lot more to change his mind.
• Extend your tenancy. Your landlord would have an easier time to reduce your rent if you assure him you will be staying for a long time. A good proof would be that you go from a 6 month tenancy agreement to a 12 month one. Provide a calculated proof that lower rent is a good investment for both of you.
• Be reasonable. Don’t go overboard with the decrease. Ask for something manageable for both parties.
• Don’t forget to get it in writing. Sign your tenancy agreement with the new terms and conditions. If you don’t have them written, your negotiation might as well have not happened.

Generally, make sure you and your landlord stay on good terms until the time comes to move out. This way, you can rest assured your security deposit money is returned. Provided, you do an end of tenancy clean of course.

The end of your tenancy period is coming and among all the preparations of moving out, dealing with your new place of dwelling and possibly a new job, you’re thinking you will have to send a termination of tenancy notice letter. And for that, you might need an end of tenancy letter template.

• Template From Landlord to Tenant
• Template From Tenant to Landlord

Terminating a tenancy often comes hand in hand with moving. The tenant will have to look for another place to live and vacate the current property. Bot not before the long list of moving tasks has been completed. One of the required tasks is a complete tenancy cleaning of the rented property which one can do himself or with help from experienced cleaners.
DIY tenancy cleaning is a hard thing to do, even with a guidance from professionals, so we always recommend using a professional service that guarantees your bond back.

If you’re a landlord, you probably want to prepare your tenant for eviction, or simply present a written notice for the end of your tenancy agreement.

Here you can find the right way to formulate your letter.

Termination Of Tenancy Letter Contents

Mandatory elements in an end of tenancy letter template for both tenants and landlords are:

• Name of landlord;
• Name of tenant;
• Address of the property (including country);
• Date of notice;
• Date of leaving the property;
• Content of your declaration in sentences.

End of Tenancy Letter Template From Landlord to Tenant

As a landlord, you may send an eviction notice to your tenant two months before the end of the tenancy period (Section 21); or in the case of a breached clause, you may want to evict your tenant (Section 8) with a 14 day notice before court process.

DOWNLOAD End of Tenancy Letter From Landlord to Tenant

End of Tenancy Letter From Tenant to Landlord

As a tenant, you ARE NOT obligated to send a notice letter if it’s the end of the tenancy period, unless it is specifically required. Then, you have to send your written notice to your landlord one month in advance of the eviction.

DOWNLOAD End of Tenancy Letter From Tenant to Lanldord

It’s easy being a landlord, they say. You just need to own a property and find your “victims”. Well, it’s time we break the evil landlord stereotype and talk about what really is going on in the landlord/tenant relationship, and mainly – business. Here is an answer to the question of how do landlords choose tenants.

How to Attract Tenants

Attracting prospective tenants will bring you an array of possibilities, and for the first step you need to have the freedom of choice. So, here is how to make a rental online listing.

1. Think up an eye-catching headline. You can write it in all caps – it can draw attention, but it can also annoy people. And, some online platforms do not let you use all caps in the headline for aesthetic purposes. You have space for only one short sentence, so include the best quality of the property – its location, its affordable price, or anything else that makes it stand out before the others.
2. Include high-quality visuals. The headline cannot do anything for you, if you have no photos. People adore visuals, as they give a lot of information in just a glimpse. It won’t hurt to invest in a professional photographer for high quality photos. The more the better. Or, you can go one step further and make a video or two.
3. Give a detailed description. Even if the photos show every single room, describe all the contents of the property with words. The more information you give, the more assured your prospective tenants can be that you have nothing to hide and are a serious owner. The best way to summarise, is by room. Start with name of the room and use bullets to count everything it contains.
4. Ask for professional opinion. You can compare your listing to professional listings on big renting websites, such as Rent-o-meter and Zoopla. Or you can always get in touch with a real estate agent and ask for advice.
5. Promote the listing to the highest-traffic platforms. There are a lot of rental websites where you can make free rental listings. And, all of them have that “promote” button that offers you even more exposure for a one-time fee. In many cases, three buttons are worth it, so don’t be timid to give them a try.

How Do Landlords Choose Tenants

After your listing has attracted a good count of possible tenants, its time you choose the right one.

Here are the most important factors to consider.

1. Meet in person. Choices should be made in person, as you can get as much information of the prospective renters this way.
2. Perform a criminal background check. You do not want to rent your property to a suspicious figure. Be extra wary if a tenant wants to pay a few rents in advance. There might always be a valid reason for this, but in most cases it just means they don’t want inspections. And, this can translate into a secret criminal activity.
3. Check tenant’s financial history. Make sure the tenant can afford the rent price you’re offering. Beware of renters, who are currently unemployed. Ask who will be paying their rent. Run a credit score check.
4. Check tenant’s rental history. This is important for a few reasons. First, you can affirm your information about how much the tenant can afford to pay without getting into financial trouble. You can see how many properties they changed in the past and how long they stayed there (too many properties for a very short tenancy is not usually a good sign). If the tenant offers you references from other landlords, phone said landlords and hear their opinion yourself.
5. Give a comprehensive question form. For more questions, you can give the prospective tenant a clear question form. Here you can ask: Why did they choose this location? Will there be children involved? Does the tenant own a transport vehicle? Are they allergic to certain detergents (in case the tenancy includes regular cleaning service), etc. You can find a lot of examples online.
6. Coordinate carefully when renting to multiple people. When you already have tenants in other rooms, it’s wise to choose a tenant they will have more in common with, in order to avoid future disputes. Choose someone of the same gender, religion, ethnicity and not too much of an age gap.
7. Don’t let desperate people in because you feel sorry for them. There’s always the call of humanity. The bigger the city, the more desperate people you can find. Don’t let your emotions make your choice, use the logical steps above instead.
8. Monitor how happy tenants are. Some landlords will keep track of both how satisfied the users of a website are and also bia interim and post-lease surveys.

What Makes a Good Tenant

No matter how careful a landlord is, renting is a two-side deal, and to be successful, both sides need to be on their best behaviour. So, what do landlords look for in tenants? A good tenant:

1. Pays the rent on time. It should be obvious, but we shall mention it just in case. Paying the rent is the base of this business relationship and should always be done properly.
2. Follows the tenancy agreement properly. The tenancy agreement can set any number of rules and since both sides have signed, both sides should keep to their word. Breaking a clause of the tenancy agreement can often result in a court case.
3. Does not go into disputes with the landlord or other tenants. Business relations are not comfortable, when disputes occur too often. People are different and arguments can always happen, but professional attitude from both sides is needed in order to make the tenancy work.
4. Does not make the environment unsafe. In a big city like London, a lot of things can go unnoticed, despite the careful background checks. A tenant should not in any way be connected to any criminal activity, or endanger the landlord, other tenants, or neighbourhood.
5. Does not disturb the peace. Even without criminal activity, making trouble for others is still unacceptable behaviour.

A landlord should find the Goldilocks Zone and keep a close eye on his tenants, while also not intruding into their personal space too much. You now know how do landlords choose tenants. For more information on tenancy, check out this guide.

If you’re preparing to sell your house, you would want to get the best price possible. At Move Out Mates, we know that for that you have to make it look presentable and inviting. The first impression is the most important for any potential buyer, and here is how you should prepare your house for sale.

How to Prepare Your House for Sale

Answering this question will also answer how to put your house on the market. The most important thing you have to pay attention to is your product for sale. So, make sure it’s in good condition.

1. 1. Guarantee for structure stability. This is broad wording, as stability can mean one to omany things. All in all, buyers would want to know the age of building(s), construction materials it’s made of, and generally, how durable it is. You can answer all their questions by presenting the property deed.

1. 1. Make sure water supply is in working order. Water from the sink should be clear. Not brown, not cloudy, but crystal clear. No fixture should be leaking and warm water should be available. You might need to do a thorough inspection of your pipe system, especially if you haven’t done that in a few years, now.

1. 1. Make sure that electrical grid and power supply work and are safe. Single free wires that go nowhere shouldn’t be hanging around. Everything that needs electricity should work when switched on, especially lighting. If you want your property to make a great first impression, look into having safe sockets only. New parents and couples who intend to buy a house to start a family will definitely remember you.

1. 1. Check the heating system and other fixtures. It’s not a good idea to present a house where electronics and other devices are broken or damaged. While it’s not the deciding point for buyers, it can leave a bad impression and definitely won’t help you sell fast, note property experts HouseBuyers4u.

1. 1. Do a property pest inspection upfront. It goes without saying that no one wants to buy a property infested with vermins, bugs, or other big or small wild animals and pests. You could inspect the house yourself, but it’s best to call a professional and present prospects with written proof by a pro. Guarantees of no pests can only be a plus for you.

1. 1. Clean up the property thoroughly. It’s true potential that buyers don’t pay too much attention to how cleanlin your property is, as they usually buy with the intention of renovation or decorating it themselves. But, cleanliness can always sway those with good taste towards your goal. Here’s a detailed checklist to help you with this.

1. 1. Take care of you back and front yard. Trim bushes, organise flowerbeds, weed, clean exterior, walking areas and patio. Do quick renovations if you have to. The exterior is what makes people enter to see what’s inside. Make it as presentable as it can get. Curious note, artificial grass attracts a lot of potential buyers.

The neighbourhood is another very important point buyers take into account. Sadly, you cannot do anything about it.

How to Clean Your House Fast

When asking someone, how to prepare your house for sale, despite being one of the last thing you have to do, people will usually tell you to just clean it up.

1. 1. De-clutter your property. Count on minimalism. The fewer items you have in each room, the tidier it looks. Throw out rubbish along with anything you or others won’t need. Anything that has no place in your home, but might be of use to friends, family, or charities, is better off given. Of course, sell if in good condition.

1. 1. Remove wallpapers. Even if they are in fine shape, people do not favour wallpapers. Well, maybe they do, but how do you know you will get those people as potential buyers? Property walls should be immaculate. Pure white is best, so the next house owners will have an empty canvas.

1. 1. Follow the top to bottom approach. Start dusting and washing from the ceiling down. Then follow with alls and curtains, doors and windows, furniture and flooring. Gravity told us this is the best way.

1. 1. Clean floors and carpets. For hard flooring, you’ll just need a broom and a mop, but carpets need special attention just as we do it with end of tenancy cleaning. Depending on their type, you might need to wash them differently. Some require specific care, others don’t. Make sure you do this a few days priorly, as in some cases they might need hours to dry completely.

1. 1. Eliminate property odours. The best way to do this is by opening all windows and letting the air current through your house do the trick. If your carpets, drapes and upholstery have not absorbed any cigarette smoke, or food odours from before, this will be quite enough. But of course, you can always invest in an air freshener.

How to Inspect for Pests

Pests aren’t something you just don’t notice if you come back from work every day. If there are any, you should know. But, just in case, here is how you can do a fast pest inspection.

1. 1. Inspect walls and floors for cracks and damage. Pests can find a lot of places to hide in your house and they’ll mostly love to make cosy between your walls or under your floor. Even the smallest cracks can serve for their doorway into your house, so be on the look out for that.

1. 1. Check for plumbing leaks. Critters go where there is water and humidity, so make sure to check the bathroom. And, if there’s food on the floor, they will be in their own oasis – so do a really thorough inspection of the kitchen. Under the sink, behind the cupboard, in the cupboards and anywhere that’s dark, humid and possibly wet due to a leakage.

1. 1. Make sure your windows don’t have broken seals. Another evidence for nasty critters getting into your home. Or if they haven’t yet, soon they might. So fix it quickly.

1. 1. Check the garbage. Insects and rodents will first go for your garbage can, whether it is in your house or outside. It’s a good idea to put the one outside as far away from your house as possible. And the one inside can deter unwanted pests if you put lemon or onion peels in it.

1. 1. See the pest. In the end, if you see one of them, you can be sure there’s more. So, it’s a good idea to call an exterminator.

Showing People Round Your House

Once you get potential buyers, you will have to show them around your house. You prepared it well, worked really hard to bring it to its glamour, but of course, you know it’s not the only house on the market. You have to shine even more.

Here is how to show your house for sale.

1. 1. Be friendly. People want to talk to friendly people, regardless the situation, so flash a smile and focus your buyers on the most positive aspects. If the buyers aren’t local, tell them what amenities are nearby. Tell them about your life in here and be personal. People look for quality in a property, but the final decision is usually made by what they feel.

1. 1. Remove personal belongings. There is nothing more distracting for a potential buyer than to see someone else’s family pictures in a property. This way they will have a harder time seeing themselves in it. So, make sure those are away.

1. 1. Remove the pets. If you have any, you better remove the pets and leave them somewhere else at the time of the viewing. Not only would they distract, but they would bring some unwanted odours in there. The only exception is fish – fish are very soothing and create a pleasant atmosphere.

Knowing how to prepare your house for sale will help you a great deal with organising your time properly. Another time saving option, is to rely on professionals at least once in a while. You can hire professional movers, professional end of tenancy cleaners, professional inventory specialists, or any other that can make your day easier.

Renting a place comes with a lot of issues, and the first thing you need to lead a happy life in the rented property is to have a good relationship with your landlord. However, this is a lot easier said than done. Here are the most common problems with landlords tenants encounter.

Problems With Landlords: Money

#1. Problems with the security deposit

At Move Out Mates we know that usually, landlords decide tenants haven’t been responsible enough and don’t deserve their deposit back. That’s why a lot of tenants turn to an end of tenancy cleaning company to guarantee the cleanliness of the property. But even then landlords still find problems.

There are approved tenancy deposit protection schemes where every landlord has to put the deposit within 30 days after receiving it.

So, when the landlord has a problem, the agency can assess it and decide whether they have a point or not. If the landlord’s claim is dismissed and said deposit is not paid back, the tenant can take the landlord to court for compensation.

Other instances of landlord wrongdoing may include significant deductions when the deposit is paid back, which might seem unfair. In this case, the tenant has to check whether the tenancy agreement contains any clause about it and if the deductions are too much. If the landlord still does not see their mistake, the tenant can take them to court.

#2. Problems with housing benefit

People with low income can claim housing benefit – an amount of money that can cover the person’s rent. Very often, there are delays but it is really the landlord’s last concern how you find the rent money, as long as you pay it on time. In the event of a housing benefit delay, the tenant should negotiate with the landlord. After all, delaying rent payment is breaking the tenancy agreement, which is a reason for the landlord to take the tenant to court.

#3. You can’t afford rent

This is a problem because no matter what your reason is, your most important duty is to pay the rent on time. You can always negotiate with the landlord to postpone your next payment for a later date, or maybe break the amount due in two payments. If you reach an agreement, make sure to get it in writing and keep a copy. Also, keep the receipts of each instalment. If your landlord tries to evict you for insufficient payment of rent, these can be your evidence that you kept your part of the contract.

Problems With Landlords: Repair

There are certain repair responsibilities that fall directly on the landlord, even if they’re not mentioned in the tenancy agreement. Those are: problems with the structure of the building (walls, roofs, doors, windows), sanitary fittings, chimneys and ventilation, electrical wiring, gas and fire safety.

It is a tenant’s responsibility to ensure there is no breakage of any kind, maintain the cleanliness of the property and maybe do minor repairs, like changing a light bulb, but those have to be described in the tenancy agreement. Additionally, larger cleaning and maintenance projects such as after builders cleaning can also become a ground for disputes between the sides, so they should be described in the tenancy agreement as well.

There is also the wear and tear clause, which includes the fixtures that are normal to wear off or get broken after being used for a long time. Those have to be assessed by a specialist, who will give each fixture an expiration date, so at the end of the tenancy, if said fixture is damaged, it is not deducted from the deposit. It has run its normal course.

Repair problems for tenants are very common and often the cause of disagreements between tenant and landlord. That’s why it’s most advisable that you have the most detailed tenancy agreement you can make. This way you can always refer to the clauses, and if the landlord still doesn’t want to do what’s asked of him, they can be taken to court.

The best thing you can do for any repair case is, first – notify the landlord of any breakage, even a minor one. And always keep the notifications, even if they’re just a text message. You can use them as evidence if it goes that far and they can serve in court, making the landlord fix the breakage asap or exempt part of the rent.

Problems with Roommates

#1. Conflicts with tenants

Problems with tenants arise very often, unfortunately. Landlords usually try to put people of the same background together. If they have a property with college students as tenants, they offer the free room to another student. They make sure people of the same gender occupy the property, and very often people of the same race, ethnicity, or religion.

But, even then tenants disputes occur and often two or more people aren’t able to live with each other. In this case, they take everything to the landlord. The landlord does not have the right to evict people unless there is a valid reason. And if there isn’t, it’s up to the tenants to decide whether they would prefer to end their tenancy early and find a new place, or just ignore each other until the end of the tenancy.

#2. Roommate moves out

Another problem occurs when one or more tenants cut their tenancy short and move out. Then the remaining tenant is required to pay the whole rent. In this case, the tenant should negotiate with the landlord, and if they don’t reach an agreement, the tenant might have to be evicted.

Learn How to Quickly Move Out of The House.

#3. Noisy neighbours

You can negotiate just about anything with the landlord, including cutting your tenancy short for the reason of noisy neighbours. However, bear in mind that this is not a reason valid enough to break a contract and you cannot use it in court if it goes so far. Talk to your landlord and find a solution.

Other Broken Clauses of the Tenancy Agreement

The other most often broken rule is that a landlord must give a 24-hour notice before visiting the property. This is the law, even if it’s not stated in the tenancy agreement. It seems landlords like to do surprise inspections. Sometimes the tenants are inside, sometimes they aren’t. But in both cases, it leaves a black dot on the landlord’s reputation and is a good reason to have them sued.

However, the bad news is, this only applies to tenants with a long-term lease. For those who don’t have that, all they can do is have a talk with the landlord and try to work it out with peaceful negotiations.

The landlord does have a legal reason to enter the property without giving notice in cases of emergency, like a gas leak, flooding, medical emergencies. They also have the right to enter, when in suspicion that the tenant has moved out of the property without announcing or returning the key.

Moving house is stressful, in fact, it’s one of the most stressful events in life. This guide will tell you how to move house efficiently, provide you with an organisation plan and help you bring this chaos to order.

How to Move House

It’s common sense to start with a plan, but if you make it too detailed, you’ll only stress yourself further. So, we’re here to help you find the right balance.

• Make an inventory of all your items. It’s better to start with this about a month before the day of the move. Make a list of everything you own.
• Throw/Give away what you don’t need. Everyone has a few things they don’t need in their house, such as the common electrical items, old furniture, fixtures, etc. And now is the time to get rid of them, either by giving to friends, or having the items recycled. It will make your load lighter.
• Fix documentation. Get all your documents in one place and see which ones you have to update with your new address.
• Pack like a smart person. This is the most mundane part of moving, it can’t get any more boring than this. But, if you start early and learn a few tricks, you can at least do this properly, so you don’t have to worry that something might break along the way. There is also the option to hire professional packers to do this for you.
• Clean the place. You cannot leave the old place in a bad condition. If you intend to sell it later, it needs to be clean. If you’re moving out of a rented place, then your landlord would want you to clean it before returning your security deposit. If you want a guarantee on getting your money back, it’s a good idea to hire end of tenancy cleaners. Just make sure inspection is done in the next 48 hours after the initial clean.
• Organise your transport. Call your friends and family who will help you with their vehicle, as well as for loading and unloading. Make sure to treat them to something nice after that. Or just hire movers. Either way, you need to make sure at least two week prior that you will be having a means of transport on the set date.

Read How To Move Out Quickly Out Of a House.

How to Change Your Address

The sooner the documents get taken care of, the easier to breathe. Good thing there’s the Internet:

• Change your address on your passport. Good news on this one, you don’t need to make any passport changes when changing your address.
• Change your address on you drivers licence. Online, fast and free.
• Change your address with post office. Redirect your mail.
• Change your address for water supplier. Online, fast and free.
• Change your address for gas and electricity supplier. Give at least a 48-hour notice that you’re moving, so they can calculate your final bill. This way you won’t have to pay any more for the old house… which is kind of important.
• Change your address for minor utilities. Internet provider, cable,satellite, newspapers, magazines, etc.

Guide to Packing For a Move

Packing often gets people stuck and frustrated, but knowing a few general things and a few more tiny ones will make a big difference. Main materials are: boxes, bubble wrap, tape and black markers. You can tackle the packing task yourself or let the professional movers do it for you.

1. Pack heavier items in smaller boxes. A heavy item in a big box will only make it tear. The tighter it’s packed, the more secure.
2. Fill gaps in boxes with something soft. You can use bubble wrap, newspapers, cloth and just about any soft material.
3. Pack by room, not by types of items. It’s so much easier to just place every box in the appropriate room.
4. Label the boxes. Every box should have a name. Not just “fragile”, but also, “Kitchen”, “Bedroom” etc. Unpacking will be even easier. Also, use different coloured tape for different things.
5. Cap toiletries with a small piece of stretch wrap. This can prove helpful if you don’t want them to spill on the way.
6. Pack plates vertically. The best way to decrease the chance of breakage. Also, it’s a good idea to place a thin cloth between the plates.
7. Cover furniture with stretch wrap. Stretch wrap is good because it shields your furniture from scratches, and it’s not slippery when handing.

How to Move with Pets

Pets definitely have it hard and here is how you can make the move easy for them.

1. Moving with Dogs. Dogs can take moving badly, and it’s mainly because no one is paying attention to them. So, the best thing you can do is play with them all the way. It’s also important not to change feeding times.
2. Moving with Cats. Cats need a bit more care. First, you better keep them in a closed room while loading the luggage, and you’ll have to keep them locked again while unloading at the new place. Again, do not change feeding times, and make sure the bowl, toys and litter box are always there.
3. Moving with Birds. Similar to cats and dogs, birds will be fine as long as you don’t change the routine – keep the same eating schedule, but make sure not to give too much food during the trip, as the poor bird might end up vomiting it. You’ll need to purchase a new cage designed for car rides, since the regular most probably won’t fit. And, upon arrival, put the bird back in its usual cage.

If you find this troublesome, you can always find a pet care facility to bring your pet, while you move.

Should You Hire Professionals to Help?

Professional companies can help you a lot with cleaning, packing, transport, pet sitting, and just about anything. If you can afford all this, here is what you’ll need to pay attention to when hiring.

Do they have a good website?

If the website provides enough information, you’ll know they’re serious.

Do they offer a satisfaction guarantee?

If they do, then they have probably been in the business for a long time – which is what you’re looking for. Especially with cleaning, every self-respecting company should offer at least 48-hour guarantee of cleanliness.

Do they charge by the service or by the hour?

Both have benefits and drawbacks, and you better ask all your questions about the price estimate. The best thing about it is that real professionals always offer free quotes.

Are they insured?

Move along if the answer is no. You do not want an uninsured company. Also, when it comes to movers, bear in mind that you get full insurance only if you let the technicians do all the job – from packing to loading and unloading. If you did not let them do one or more of their scheduled tasks, you cannot throw on them the responsibility of possible damage.

Do they have a cancellation policy?

Cancellation of the service might happen at any time and you better ask this before you give them the money. Some will keep a part of the paid fee, others will keep it all and the third kind will give you a minimum day cancellation option, prior to which they will give you all your money back.

So, now you know how to move house.

Good Luck!