With thanks to the usual crew: Ricky, Toon, Tearnet, Matt and of course GeorgeinGozo and scubaboy I have reproduced a hints and tips list compiled by them. It could prove useful to anyone wanting to rent property.
1 always rent for a short period first to ensure you know more about the area, services and neighbours before committing yourself.
2 visit the area for external noises at varying times of day and night
3 check out parking restrictions.
4 if you have pets makes sure the landlord will allow them, some will some won't but some will accept it on the offer of payment of a further damages/cleaning deposit
5 if sunshine is important to you then try to get a south facing property...it can pay dividends in winter and cut your bills for heating quite considerably. Does it get plenty of natural light?
6 penthouses are fine but they are as a general rule very cold/damp in winter and too hot in summer. Assess the number of exposed external walls exposed to adverse weather conditions
7 make sure you have a lift in the block – hauling gas bottles and shopping up several flights of stairs is not fun as you get older
8 Check for air vents and fully opening windows – are there any signs of black damp, humidity and or condensation – feel the bedding etc.
9 does it have insect screens on opening windows and doors
10 does it have fans and or air con or at least fully opening windows to get a through draught
11 check out comfort of furniture, sofas chairs and beds.
12 are the appliances eco-friendly units power efficient units - same with lighting
13 is there a time-switch on the water heaters - it may seem trivial but itÂ’s worth fitting one
14 remember ground floor and mid floor apartments will suffer from a level of noise from units above, especially where young children are located
15 check if the rent includes charges for communal costs for lighting, lift and maintenance, and regular cleaning. If you are lucky enough to have access to a pool check that out too. If not then check what the costs are likely to be
16 is there an emergency lighting system in place for stair wells and lift shafts as power cuts are normal and have been known to last 9 hours or more and the stair wells are dark. If not makes sure you have access to your own emergency light for the flat and a good torch - check the batteries!
17 if you have your own belongings and furniture assess whether you will need a lifter and whether you can get it through the windows and or doors and is there space for the lifter unit to stand – also note a permit will be required usually available from the local council offices at about 2-3euros
18 is there any outdoor space available to you to use privately or shared, if so identify it.
19 is there enough electrical power sockets
20 gas cooking (oven and hob) is much cheaper to operate than electric
21 check out all your lighting features
22 always do an inventory and get it checked thoroughly and note any damages or anything missing – get it agreed.
23 check the water pressure as it can be very low and poor service for showers - check the taste of the water.
24 check the water tanks for the security of the lids – make sure they are wired down as insect larva can get in. also check the toilets for flushing
25 TV phone and internet connections – check what’s available – satellite systems check if can you have one, can one be fitted, can it be installed easily will you need permission to have one
26 check for refuse collections how often and on what days
27 check out how the bills for utilities will be presented to you
28 do a consumption check when you arrive check the start readings and say after a normal week of consumption check it again and then do a calculation on the ARMs website this will give you a good idea what you are using and the likely costs (and a comparison for 0 consumers and actual number of consumers).
29 make sure you are named on the bills as named registered consumers on the account holder/owners bills, or get your bills in your own name - if you donÂ’t you are likely to have problems later and will undoubtedly end up paying more than you should . NB check the number of consumers on the actual bill from ARMs if its ZERO you may be being overcharged
30 ensure you get a copy of the two pages bill from ARMs and not just a handwritten or spreadsheet based extract compiled by the landlord
31 ensure you have a record of the rent paid and utility payments – a rent book is a good idea. Most landlords prefer to be paid cash...NB sometimes (but not always) it’s to avoid declaring income for tax.
32 keep your bills and records of payments, this may help you later if you eventually have a problem
TIP FOR RENTERS-never ever sign a contract for your lease unless you know for sure and have it written into your rental agreement that you will only pay the rates appropriate to registered consumers and that you will be allowed to be on the bills as suchÂ…Â…Â….no agreement then walk away (there are over 50000 empty properties at any one time) and find a landlord who is willing to allow you your EU rights - IF YOUR BILLS FROM ARMS STATE 0 (ZERO) CONSUMERS YOU MAY BE BEING OVERCHARGED....... DONT BE
many landlords charge monthly and a little over the average just in case - but the important thing is that you get the bills calculated at the correct rates... the good ones do it right and donÂ’t have an objection to their tenants going on the bills and re-imburse the tenant or put you in credit...if you've overpaid - itÂ’s always best to recalculate it every six months and adjust accordingly if you pay it every month.
Always be suspicious if they object to you going on the bills!
Another tip to watch out for - always inspect your water tanks...for security of the fittings as once the water is passed the meter itÂ’s your problem to pay for leaked water...and as the tanks are usually out of sight on the roof - you could have a leak and not know it - another reason to check consumptions regularly and investigate any major fluctuations.
As an idea on consumption and yes I know everyone is different - our consumptions have remained fairly stable and we have every gadget going - when there were just two of us at about 4.5 electricity units per person per day and even now there are three of us itÂ’s the same. as for water well when there was two of us it was about 150-170 litres total a day...and now there is three of us its about 200-250 litres total per day.....mind you "her indoors" does 1-2 washes most days
we used 5-6 fans every day all day and night during the summer - for air con you can bet on about 50-60c an hr. per AC unit usage...ours arenÂ’t ancient but probably about 5-6 yrs. old - newer more efficient ones are a little bit cheaper to run....you must also be aware that once you start using air con (whether it be for air con heat or dehumidifying) you will more than likely exceed the ECO allowances and as such any discounts you have gained over the year will be lost and every unit will be charged at full rate....even if you only exceed your allowances by just ONE unit - for us itÂ’s a very fine balancing act. We run very close to our max ECO allowances even with eco bulbs, time switches, water saving devices on the showers, high ratings on appliances, etc.
Note - the consumptions quoted above in the earlier post are ours and are roughly the eco allowances per day.
approx. 9 units of elec per day (total two people)
approx. 14.5 units of elec per day (total for three people)
assuming you have applied to be registered consumers
TIP - if you havenÂ’t got new water saving flush toilets fill a 1 litre bottle up with water and place it in the cistern....also to save water in the shower head replace the rubber washer between the hose and the head with a same size washer but with smaller hole....make one yourself if you can find one.
The normal hole size is similar to that of the size of a pencil - replace it with a washer with a hole the size of a matchstick. It does work.
TIP - never ever pay an estimated bill - they are often heavily over estimated - you are not obliged too - you may wish to make a contribution towards the bill by way of the meter service charges as thatÂ’s all you are obliged to pay against the estimated bills. you do have 5 days in which to give them the correct readings and as such they have time to amend and submit the new bill.....
and as much as they were meant to pay 6% interest on "in-credit" accounts it has never happened to my knowledge and is highly unlikely to.
TIP - to deter mosquitoes as we have had lots of them this year - try putting out a bowl of cloves in each room. Not the crushed ones - the whole ones.
If they still bother you at night put your fan on low and place it so it blows towards your head (mosquitoes attracted to your breath)- but they cannot fly well if at all when in a breeze....
