Searching for a rental property online

Why search online?

Over the past 10 years the internet has boomed with websites allowing you to search for a property or even just a room in a house or flat. The internet can have many obvious advantages, but before you start your search it’s important to think through some key questions.

For example, think about how much room you actually need versus how much you 'would like to have'. When buying a property, people typically buy as much space and rooms as they can afford. When renting it's different, you don't really want to be paying each month for space that you are not using. 

This is especially the case if you want to get on the housing ladder in the future – if you can rent a room rather than a whole property, all your bills may be included, and your rental costs could be half that of a full property. The money you save could then be put to one side to build your deposit.

Your property search criteria

It may sound obvious, but you also need to consider where you really want to live. How important is it for you to get to work/college on foot? Do you need to be near public transport – and if you are travelling first thing in the morning or late at night, is the area safe and well lit? 

If you have a car, a parking space could be vital – and this kind of detail is important to know before you start to look for a property.

The property rental market

Consider how busy the market is. For example, are the local letting agents desperate for tenants to fill their landlord's properties or do they have too many tenants and not enough properties to let? 

If you can find a good area that has lots of properties to rent, it means you can take your time choosing the right property and probably offer to rent at less than the price quoted.

However, if you are constantly 'chasing' properties as the local tenant demand is high, then it's important to make sure you always turn up on time for viewings and have references and reservation fees ready. You could even have your own credit report ready to show prospective landlords/letting agents that you are well organised and can afford the property! These measures will help identify you as a desirable tenant.

Where to look

There are various websites that you can use to search online. Some are specific to renting whole properties, such as:

rightmove
fish4homes
findaproperty
primelocation

While others are more likely to concentrate on renting a room such as:

spareroom
gumtree

Some websites are specific to certain types of people renting, such as accommodationforstudents or high-specification serviced apartments such as apartmentservice.

Online lettings

One problem with online lettings can be the speed of the market. When demand is high and rooms or properties are moving quickly, many may not even reach the internet because they're let before the agents have had time to advertise. For this reason, it's important to also check:

• local letting agents
• any accommodation agencies, especially if you are a student, nurse or work for a large company that helps people find homes/rooms for rent
• local newspapers and specialist publications such as Hot Property, Loot and Daltons Weekly
• advertisements in local supermarkets or post offices/newsagents.
• notice boards at work/college/university.

If you receive state benefits and are struggling to afford a property or room yourself, you may receive help from your local authority or housing association. Visit your local authority website and housingcorp.

For more comprehensive checklists and questions about letting a property, buy the Which? Renting and Letting book, by Kate Faulkner or see our useful renting and letting guides such as viewing a rental property and understanding tenancy deposit protection.