General Costs of Renting a property

When renting a property you should consider all of the following costs in order to work out how much you can realistically afford to spend on a property. If you are unsure about your budget, please feel free to speak to a member of our Lettings Team, we’ll be happy to help.

On-going costs

Rent
The rent will be due each calendar month on the same date e.g. if you moved into the property on the 2nd of a month, your rent will be due on the 2nd of each month thereafter. The rent will not include gas, electricity or council tax.

The rent will vary depending on size, location, and standard of property, so you must be realistic about your budget and your requirements.

Council Tax/Rates
As a tenant, you are responsible for the Council Tax on a property. Each property is banded, and Council Tax can vary between £80 and £300 per month. If you will be the only person occupying the property you can apply to the council for a discount on your yearly Council Tax bill, full time students may also apply to the Council for an exemption. It is essential that you check this cost before applying for a property. We suggest you check the band of a property with the council directly on 0131 469 5218.

Gas and electricity
As a tenant you are responsible for the gas and electricity bills. Generally you will be billed on a quarterly basis and the amount will depend upon the usage of the gas and electricity within the property. For further details give one of the main providers a call (Scottish Hydro on 0800 980 2472) or check the details on the Energy Performance Certificate for the property.

Telephone bill
Please allow for a quarterly line rental charge plus the cost of the calls you make.

One-off rental costs

Deposit
You must pay a deposit for any property you are renting. As your letting agent we will make sure that your deposit is transferred to the government Tenancy Deposit Scheme and kept safe.  You will receive a certificate from our scheme telling you your deposit is safe.

In regards to making sure you get your full deposit back we provide you with instructions on how to ensure this with your move-in pack.

TV license
If you intend using a television in the property, it’s your responsibility as the tenant to obtain a valid TV license. The forms are usually sent to the property if no current TV license exists. Alternatively, you can apply on-line at www.tvlicensing.co.uk or pick up a form from a post office.

Telephone connection / Broadband
In most cases there will be telephone points throughout the property but it is your responsibility to get connected. You will need to call BT or Virgin Media and organise for them to visit the property.

Call BT on 0800 800 150 or Virgin Media on 0800 840 7777 for more information.

If you wish to have broadband installed you will need to speak to your Property Manager. This installation can sometimes mean alterations to the property so we simply need to obtain agreement from your Landlord.