Part ONE
Thought it might be handy for newbies to this sizeable rock and also those who have been here for a while to have a “list of things to watch out for” when renting or owning or purchasing property here..I have compiled this list(mainly borne out of personal experiences over the last 6 years) as a means of offering some level of protection for both new and old ex pats alike. Please note the following : All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only we make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information in this document and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis., and is provided in good faith.
Please feel free to message me with things that you have experienced something that may not be listed here and we will add it. By the way they are not in any particular order just as they occurred. Hope it helps to protect you a little more than not having it at all.
the information contained in this document must not be seen or taken as legal advice
1 always rent for a short period first to ensure you know more about the area, services and neighbours before committing yourself. Once you move in take photos before and when you move out - the landlord may try and make claims against you and may want new for old.
2 visit the area for external noises at varying times of day and night.. Barking and howling dogs is common as is noisy full blown ful flow car exhausts..!!
3 check out parking restrictions
4 if you have pets makes sure the landlord will allow them, some will some wont 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 - exposure to adverse weather conditions is a major factor in dampening any property
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 the property 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, especially springs and squeakyness....there are various designs of sprung beds some are extremely noisy LOL
12 are the appliances eco friendly units, power efficient units - same with lighting – check your electrics to make sure they are wired to you and nobody else as well – this is an old trick… turn all your power and water off and see if the meters are still going…sounds extreme but believe me it happens more than you think. Make sure you are on the correct tariff as a resident. Get it in writing dont leave it to a verbal agreement even if the estate agent makes comments make sure that's in the contract too. Dont leave anything to chance, if it has an impact on your budget then make sure its clear and fully disclosed.
13 is there a time-switch on the water heaters or can you get one fitted – do you have a separate water heater for the kitchen sink – it saves a lot, meaning that the main boiler doesnt need to be on all day just to give hot water for washing dishes - If you are lucky you may well have a solar panel install that will provide you with hot water for free while the suns out and then some
14 remember ground floor and mid floor apartments will suffer from a level of noise from units above, especially where young children are located. If next to a busy road the higher you are the less noise will be evident. Check out the neighbours, are they families, young ones oldies do they own or rent...believe me it makes a difference Check out the location.. ..is it an area prone to flooding.
15 check if the rent includes charges for communal costs for lighting, lifts including maintenance, rubbish taxes if appropriate and also regular cleaning of communal areas. 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 as pools may have to have licences and need to be treated regularly with chemicals overnight to keep the water clean and disease free as well as slime and algae free.
16 is there an emergency lighting system in place for stair wells and lift shafts as power cuts are normal and climbing stairs is not recommended in the dark – get some good torches (rechargeable ones and batteries) and keep a supply of candles handy. 4-10 hours power cuts are infrequent but they do happen. Make sure you know where the fuse boxes are and the main switches etc. Also check out whether the area is prone to water shortages and water cut offs.
17 if you have your own belongings and furniture assess whether you will need a lifter and whether you can get all items through the windows and or doors and is there space for the lifter unit to stand on the road – also note a permit may be required usually available from the local council offices – there may be a small charge. Note also if the lifter has to stand in a bus stop or on a pedestrian crossing then you may also need to get permission from transport authorities..especially if on a main road.
18 is there any outdoor space available for you to use privately or shared, if so identify it, and make it your own if you can. Check also washing line availability and your allocated roof space
19 is there enough electrical power sockets, and are they where you need them to be – any burn marks on electrical points get them checked and changed. Check security of sockets and if they all work the way they should
20 gas cooking (oven and hob) is much cheaper to operate than electric – it is common place to have gas hob and electric oven...on remote complexes its common to have just electric appliances, try one of the small (12L /17L) round bench top halogen ovens, theyre very economical and work well – we use ours every day
21 check out all your lighting features. Especially the lights over the kitchen surfaces and oven hoods, see if you can change the bulbs etc for energy efficient ones..they pay for themselves over time - take them with you when you leave (its one of the first things i do)
22 always do an inventory and get it checked thoroughly and note any damages or anything missing – get it agreed, dont just leave it to chance. It will be painful if you do – dont accept the landlords “it'll be ok dont worry about it – DO worry about it as it may come back to bite you) take photos – especially watch for furniture that is veneered as this often lifts due to the humidity levels
23 check the water pressure as it can be very low and poor service for showers, if its low ask the landlord to fit a pump they are not too expensive and theyre cheap to run but make such a big difference
24 check the water tanks for the security of the lids – make sure they are wired down as insect larva can get in. taste the water. also check the toilets for flushing, identify if they have half and full flush functions. We can suffer from very high winds and the tank lids can fly off. Although to be fair havent seen many of this tyoe here they all seem to be cylindircal tanks so far
25 tv phone and internet connections – check whats available – check if the satellite channels you wish to view can be received - many british channels cannot be received here. Check if you can you can have one, can one be fitted, have you got the space, can it be installed easily, are there existing cable runs – if not where can the cables go. will you need permission to have one. Will others require service too. Internet tv (iptv) is easier to get for uk live tv, sport, movies, tv series, catchup, music, radio, weather, news etc etc etc and very cheap, there are free options and subscription options available and you would only need a decent internet service of about 4mbps... They will include SD & HD quality channels via sites like www.filmon.com. Or try this http://www.ntv.mx?r=dr don't take the local services as theyre usually poor out of date services…and you will be bored with whats on offer within 3 months. Try it on your laptop - or get an android box install xbmc and install the addons asscociated with it.. its superb viewing and free or subscription
26 check for refuse collections how often and on what days and at what times you can put the rubbish out as there can be restrictions – thus awkward.. Disposal of bigger household items can be arranged with the local council just phone them – Recycling points are in most villages so find out where they are if its important to you.. you may be fined if you get caught putting your rubbish out before the allotted times or disposing of it in an irresponsible way
27 check out how the bills for utilities are calculated, how and when they will be presented to you. Ask to see a recent one – dont be fobbed off that a recent one is not available – ask to see one - the landlord will have one.
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 utility suppliers website ....this will give you a good idea what you are using and the likely costs. Remember the elec bills come every 2 months and may be a little late - maybe 3 weeks or more...and often are due onthe day of arrival at your door.lol.. this can happen with Cyta too.
29 make sure you are named on the bills - go to the EAK and get the electricity account changed into your own name immediately - €100 deposit passport and lease is all you need... - then do the same with the water account
30 ensure you get a copy of the bills
31 ensure you have a record of the rent paid and utility payments – a rent book is a good idea. Some andlords may want to be paid cash...NB sometimes (but not always) its to avoid declaring income for tax., but thats not your concern
32 keep your bills and records of payments, pay the bills yourself by a traceable method..this may help you later if you eventually have a problem.
33 anything that the new renter finds by way of repairs, broken items missing items after you have signed and say within one week of the let - make sure you tell the landlord at the earliest possible time but dont wait for a week or more, tell them straight away dont prepare a long list and wait...do it as these are found, its better for you – it may be a pest to the landlord but it is better for you. Keep on at them too as you will find you will not be top priority..its just the way it is...
34 Tax evading landlords are still highly evident - there is not a lot you can do currently (short of telling the tax man - not recommended due to serious legal and potentially violent repurcussions). Talking to your landlord – try and negotiate, be civil and courteous but firm.
35 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... check your meters regularly. Make sure your landlord isnt connected to your supplies..believe me it does happen and you would be surprised how often....and many tenants dont even know its happenning until its too late... the good landlords do things right and dont have an objection to their tenants going on the bills or re-imburse the tenant or put you in credit...if you've overpaid - its always best to recalculate it every three to six months and adjust accordingly if you pay it every month.
36 always inspect your water tanks...for security of the fittings as once the water is passed the meter its 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.
37 As a general rule on consumptions and yes i know everyone is different - our consumptions have remained fairly stable over the last 6 years and we have every economy gadget going - when there was just two of us at about 4.5 electricity units per person per day and even now there is three of us its the same. as for water... well when there was two of us it was about 150-170 litres total per day...and now there are three of us its about 200-250 litres total per day.....mind you "her indoors" does 1-2 clothes washes most days - obviously that depnds on your usages habits and appliances - mainly whether you use AC or not as theyre big consumers
38 Running Air Con is expensive - we used 5-6 fans every day all day and night during the summer these are considerably more affordable to run - for air con you can rely on about 50-60c per hr per AC unit usage...ours arent ancient but probably about 5-6 yrs old - the newer more efficient invertor types are a little bit cheaper to run
NB 9000-12000btu AC units (usually bedrooms) use about 1-1.5 units per hr - 24000btu units (usually combined living litchen diners) use about 3units per hr
39 if you havent 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 a smaller hole....make one yourself if you cant 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.
40 put buckets under the extract outlet of the Air con and use this to refill the Toilets after use. Or use the water to water your plants or use in the steam iron. You will generate a gallon of water over two hrs or so using air con
41 never ever pay an estimated bill - they are often heavily over estimated - you may not be obliged too - you may wish to make a contribution towards the bill by way of your own caclulations or pay just the meter service charges as thats all you are obliged to pay against the estimated bills. It can be illegal to demand payment against the issue of an estimated bill – a recent court case within the EU proved this – it is clear that the supplier has the responsibility to read the meters regularly and within a reasonable time-frame - dispute the over charges
42 The AEK supplier may try to charge you 4.5% interest on unpaid outstanding bills – so be wary
43 AEK are mandated to supply bills every two months. Some people have experienced late billing. Dont ever fall for the threatening reminder letters, if the bill is wrong – it is wrong – tell them so by putting it in dispute by writing to the supplier- keep copies of all correspondence. If they persist (and this works for repeated estimated billing too) tell them that if you get just one more like it then you will take legal action.
44 its not uncommon for the prepayment of utility bills to landlords (if the bills remain intheir name) - however as bills may not arrive as often as youd like the landlords get the benefit of your money in their bank account and that could be anything up to a year. As the landlords tend to err on the high side - Its good practice to take your own readings and check them with a online calculator tool - this will then give you a more accurate idea as to what you should be paying...but then you must also be sure that you are getting the correct rates charged to you.
45 finalizing / balancing / reconciling bills will depend on when they are supplied!!!!!!! reconcile as early as possible, even if you have to keep pestering them. The last thing anyone wants is a protracted delay and a hefty bill at the end.
46 when taking a let take your meter readings agree them with the estate agent and landlord quote them in the contract and also take photos of all areas of the property to identify condition at start of the letting contract and keep them safe...similarly when leaving a let to move on do the same - and pay particular attention to furniture, services, flooring and fitted units etc, especially where you may have had pets ....its not unusual for massive claims against you after you have long gone and left... its essential to keep these records..I know a number of people this has happened to....and they have ended up in court.... so caveat emptor - i think that means buyer beware. when you have taken the photos of the furniture, condition of walls, shower etc email them to yourself - this provides irrefutable evidence with a date and time and should stop future discussions on when the pictures were taken. . or use a camera with time and date stamp functions. I know it sounds over the top but believe me these things do happen – protect yourself from this
47 to deter mozzies 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 (mozzies are attracted to your breath) - but they cannot fly well if at all when in a breeze....
48 Always take the time to read your contract even the small print, if there are clauses in it you do not like query them and have them removed if you dont like them or have them adjusted / amended to your satisfaction, if there are things you want included get them included. REMEMBER YOU ARE THE AGENTS CLIENT TOO, dont be afraid to ask, and you are paying them for the service make them work for their fees. If the changes required are objected to, then move on to another property, landlord or agent...or even all three. If you dont and just accept them “because hes a nice guy” you may feel the pain when the going gets tough and they both show their true colours.
ASK the awkward questions, PROTECT YOURSELF FROM UNSCRUPULOUS LANDLORDS and AGENTS TOO.
49 always ask for a receipt for the rent and utilities payments or a rent book signed by both of you each time you pay....no rent book or receipt DONT take the let. Do not trust the overly friendly local until you now them really well...and thye have earned your trust ...even then – be wary – things and people change.
50 never ever sign a contract for your lease unless you know for sure that you are 100% happy with its contents and are 100% prepared to be bound by them
FURTHER PART TO THIS WILL FOLLOW -