{"id":126417,"date":"2026-09-23T12:21:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T12:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citylets.co.uk\/blog\/?p=126417"},"modified":"2026-09-23T12:21:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T12:21:47","slug":"helpful-questions-to-ask-at-a-rental-viewing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citylets.co.uk\/blog\/helpful-questions-to-ask-at-a-rental-viewing\/","title":{"rendered":"Helpful Questions to ask at a Rental Viewing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most tenants arrive at a viewing with a mental checklist of the obvious things: is the kitchen big enough, how far is the bus stop, does the boiler look like it has been maintained this century. Those questions are worth asking. But the ones that determine whether a tenancy goes smoothly tend not to come up until after the paperwork is signed.<\/p>\n

Below are the questions that tend to get skipped, and why each one matters more than it sounds.<\/p>\n

Is the property fully managed or let-only?<\/h2>\n

A fully managed property means the agency handles repairs, inspections and day-to-day issues throughout the tenancy. Let-only means the agency found you, checked your references and will now step back entirely. After that, every repair request, every question about the lease and every complaint goes directly to the owner. It is good to know who is managing the property and if it\u2019s a private landlord, when you will be able to meet them.<\/p>\n

Who specifically do I contact for repairs, and how?<\/h2>\n

Even in a fully managed let, \u201ccontact the agency\u201d is not always a complete answer. What you want to know is the specific route: a named email address, a phone number, a portal login or an out-of-hours line. Before a viewing, it can be useful to check how the agency provides contact and maintenance information, particularly for situations where an urgent repair needs to be reported.<\/p>\n

When checking an agency\u2019s website, look for clear information on how to report repairs and who to contact in an emergency, alongside a phone number or email address where appropriate. A well-maintained website can play an important role in making this information easily accessible, with reliable web hosting<\/a> helping businesses keep their online information available and up to date.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Has the property been checked against the repairing standard?<\/h2>\n

In Scotland, landlords have a legal obligation to carry out a pre-tenancy inspection and confirm the property meets the repairing standard before a tenancy begins. This is not the same as asking whether the property is in good condition; it is asking whether someone has checked it against a specific statutory checklist that covers heating, electrics, smoke alarms and water supply.<\/p>\n

The mygov.scot repairs page<\/a> sets out what the standard requires and what tenants can do if something is not right after they move in, including applying to the First-tier Tribunal. Asking at the viewing signals that you know this obligation exists.<\/p>\n

What were the utility bills like last year?<\/h2>\n

Asking whether council tax is included is fine, but asking what the previous tenant paid for gas and electricity between October and March is far more useful for budgeting. An agent who manages the property will often know; an owner letting it privately may have the bills to hand. If they do not know, ask whether you can contact the previous tenant’s energy supplier for historical usage data.<\/p>\n

The EPC rating gives you a structural picture of how efficient the building is.<\/p>\n

Is the landlord registered?<\/h2>\n

In Scotland, private landlords are legally required to register. The registration number should appear on the advert; if it does not, the phrase “landlord registration pending” should. Either way, the landlord register<\/a> is public and searchable by postcode, and an entry records contact details for both the owner and any agent.<\/p>\n

What most tenants do not know is that the register also shows whether there are any outstanding Repairing Standards Enforcement Orders (RSEOs) for the property. An RSEO means the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) has determined that the property does not meet the Repairing Standard and has ordered the landlord to carry out specified work. If there is one against the property you are viewing, that is worth knowing before you view, rather than after you move in.<\/p>\n

What is the notice period in both directions?<\/h2>\n

For tenancies starting on or after 1 December 2017, you will be on a Private Residential Tenancy. As a tenant, you need to give 28 days’ notice to leave. As for the notice a landlord must give you, that varies depending on both how long you have lived there and which of the 18 grounds for eviction they are relying on, with some grounds requiring 84 days for longer tenancies and others fixed at 28 regardless of length. Understanding that there is a legal framework around this before you sign tells you how settled you can reasonably expect to feel.<\/p>\n

Can I redecorate, and what counts as ‘returning it to its original condition’?<\/h2>\n

Every list includes the question of whether you can put up shelves or paint a wall. Almost none explains that this question has a second half which matters more: if the landlord says yes, get in writing exactly what “returning it to its original condition” means before you lift a brush.<\/p>\n

A tenant who painted a magnolia bedroom a deep green and was told verbally it was fine, then faced a deduction for professional repainting at the end of the tenancy, had a very expensive dispute on their hands. Verbal permission is almost impossible to enforce. Written permission with an agreed standard removes the ambiguity entirely.<\/p>\n

What is the parking situation like at 6pm on a weekday?<\/h2>\n

The brochure may say parking is available nearby, or that there is a residents’ permit zone, or that a space comes with the property. None of those answers tells you what parking is like when you come home from work.<\/p>\n

This is one of the questions where looking rather than asking pays off. If you can view the property mid-evening rather than mid-morning, do. If you are viewing during the day, ask what the permit situation is and whether existing residents find it manageable. The agent who shows you round may not know, but a quick walk around the block at a different time of day will.<\/p>\n

Is there anything planned for the building in the next year?<\/h2>\n

In a tenement, this question is more pointed than in a standalone property. Common repairs, a roof replacement or a stair upgrade can mean access issues, noise and scaffolding for weeks.<\/p>\n

For buildings managed through a factoring company, ask who the factor is and whether there are any planned works on the schedule.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most tenants arrive at a viewing with a mental checklist of the obvious things: is the kitchen big enough, how far is the bus stop, does the boiler look like it has been maintained this century. Those questions are worth asking. But the ones that determine whether a tenancy goes smoothly tend not to come …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":126418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-management","property-management"],"yoast_head":"\r\nHelpful Questions to ask at a Rental Viewing - Citylets blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Quick run down of useful questions to ask a landlord or letting agent when viewing a property.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citylets.co.uk\/blog\/helpful-questions-to-ask-at-a-rental-viewing\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Helpful Questions to ask at a Rental Viewing - 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