What Can You Expect As A Short Lease Tenant?

4 September 2019


Short lease flats generally offer accommodation for anything from a few weeks to six months and are popular with both tenants and landlords. They can offer freedom of movement for the tenant and high rental turnover for the landlord.

But, what can you expect as a short lease tenant?

If you are looking for short-term flats to lease, particularly through a leasing agent, it's important to remember that you will still need to go through the usual process of viewing, referencing and identity checks. As with any other types of tenants, you are able to sign up with leasing agents to find your ideal property. However, you do need to check the property details carefully to ensure that the landlord accepts, or caters for short term tenants.

In terms of the property, you should expect the same level of safety, privacy and maintenance as a long term tenant. A locksmith, like Precision Locksmiths, should change the keys before your arrival to ensure the previous tenant does not have access.

However, those flats that are geared towards short stays are more likely to be fully furnished and in some cases, the rent will be inclusive of at least the majority of bills. While utilities may be included, you may need to deal with Council Tax yourself.

Some short leases are only available at specific times of the year. These may be a holiday spot during the summer season and short residential stays during the offseason. Similarly, many student landlords provide multi-occupancy short leases during the summer months when students go home from university.


Property Viewing Checklist

Short lease apartments should be viewed before you decide whether to go ahead with a tenancy agreement. However, viewing the property is not just about deciding whether you like it. You also need to check that it is suitable for you to live in. Follow this checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything important.

When you arrive for your viewing, make sure you arrive in plenty of time and spend any extra time looking around the local area, or at least the street the property is in. Gauge what it is going to be like to live in that specific area. Also, make sure that you spend time looking at the exterior of the property. Look for potential leaks, problems with gutters, and broken roof tiles. If you are looking at short lease apartments, ask the landlord who is responsible for the exterior of the building and communal areas such as lifts and stairways. It is important to know who will carry out any repairs to these areas.

Once inside the property, look to see if there are any signs that there have been problems with water leaks from other apartments or any other similar issues. Check that the lights and taps work and it is a good idea to check the type of security that is in place in terms of windows and door locks. Also, ask whether there is an alarm and when the locks were last changed. Don’t forget to ask to see copies of gas and electrical safety certificates. Request copies of the EPC for the home so you can gauge the running costs of the apartment.
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