The questions to ask before signing a London tenancy

A viewing is twenty minutes, mostly spent looking at rooms. Almost everything that determines what living somewhere is actually like goes unmentioned unless you ask.

None of the below is confrontational and none of it is unusual. Agents answer these questions routinely. People just do not ask them.

About the building

What is the heating, and is it communal? Electric-only heating is usually the most expensive way to heat a flat. Communal systems mean a fixed charge whether you use it or not.

Solid wall or cavity? Anything London-built before the 1930s is likely solid wall, which loses heat considerably faster. Combined with the EPC rating and its recommendations page, this tells you most of what you need about running costs — more on why the building matters more than the tariff.

What is above and below? A mid-floor flat between heated neighbours is cheap to heat. A top floor under an uninsulated roof is not. Also: a flat above a pub, a takeaway or a shop with early deliveries is a different proposition at 6am.

Can I see a recent energy bill? The most reliable evidence available, and often shared if you ask.

What is the broadband situation? Ask what the current occupier has, with whom, and whether the building has full fibre. Availability varies street by street and sometimes flat by flat — the reasons are worth understanding — and it is the one thing you cannot fix after signing.

About the money

What is the total to move in, and when is each part due? Deposit, first month, any holding deposit. The deposit is capped at five weeks' rent for annual rents under £50,000.

Which deposit protection scheme, and when will it be registered? It must be protected within 30 days. Ask which scheme — a landlord who cannot name one is a warning.

Are there any fees? The Tenant Fees Act banned most. If you are being asked for admin, referencing or inventory fees, something is wrong.

What is not included? Council tax band, water, whether any bills are included, service charge for anything communal.

Council tax is worth a moment: the band is a property of the property, but the amount charged for that band is set by the borough, and the difference across London is not trivial. The same band costs different amounts in Wandsworth, Camden and Croydon. Look up the actual figure for the actual band rather than assuming it is similar to where you live now.

How and when does rent increase? What the contract says about increases at renewal, and whether there is a fixed term.

About the tenancy

What length, and is there a break clause? A twelve-month fixed term with no break clause means twelve months, and getting out early means finding a replacement tenant or paying regardless.

What happens at the end? Rolling periodic, or a new fixed term with a renewal fee to the landlord?

Who manages it — the agent or the landlord? This determines who you call when the boiler fails on a Friday night, and how quickly it gets fixed. A landlord living abroad with a lettings-only agent is the slowest configuration.

How are repairs reported, and what is the response time? Ask for the process, not a reassurance.

Can I redecorate, and do I have to undo it? Also pets, if relevant. Get any yes in writing.

About the check-in and check-out

Is there a professional inventory, and will I get a copy? Then read it against the property before signing it, note everything it has missed, and photograph everything on day one with timestamps.

What are the check-out cleaning requirements? Some contracts specify professional cleaning; some cannot, post-Tenant Fees Act. Know which before you move in, not the week you leave.

What was deducted from the previous tenant's deposit? An unusual question, and a revealing one.

About the area

Most of this you can look up rather than ask, and looking it up is more reliable than an agent's description.

Crime, transport, schools and green space for every borough are on the borough pages, each figure ranked against the other 32. But be careful about resolution: a borough figure covers somewhere very large, and the useful comparison is between addresses, not boroughs — which is the whole argument in comparing two London areas.

The two questions worth asking a human:

What is the noise like? Ask specifically about the road, the neighbours and anything nearby that operates at night.

Why is the current tenant leaving? Occasionally you get a genuinely useful answer.

The short version

Ask about the heating, the broadband, the deposit scheme, the break clause and who fixes things. Photograph everything on day one. Walk it at night.

Five minutes of questions against a year of living there.

Check the area before the viewing

One 1-10 score for any London postcode — crime, transport, schools and green space, down to the street rather than the borough.

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