City of Wolverhampton Council, as part of the Homestamp Consortium, is promoting a new 'Check Before You Rent' App to help prospective private sector tenants avoid potential pitfalls.

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The App was officially launched at the West Midlands Private Landlords and Letting Agents Conference, at Banks's Stadium, Walsall.

It has 3 checklists which contain the important questions - including legal requirements - that prospective tenants should be asking landlords when they are considering a rental home.

The areas covered are:

  1. What you need to know before viewing the property - all the questions to ask before viewing a prospective property
  2. What to look out for when viewing the property - you can use the App when viewing a potential home to look for hazards or questions you need to ask
  3. What you should check before you sign any contracts for the property - a checklist of all the areas you need to consider before you sign any contract

The App records information for prospective tenants to review findings and decide if they want to rent. If they feel the property is of concern there is an option to report it to the local authority.

'Check Before You Rent' has been produced in association with West Midlands Making Best Use of Stock (WMBUS) - a public housing partnership group made up of local authorities and housing providers developing the best use of housing stock across the West Midlands.

The App is available as a free download for both Apple and Android devices.

Lesley Williams, City of Wolverhampton Council Private Sector Housing Service Manager and Chair of the Homestamp Consortium, said: "More people than ever are renting property from private landlords.

"A huge amount of work has gone into producing this App, which we hope will help those people looking to rent property and make sure they ask all the right questions.

"This is also a valuable resource for landlords, letting agents and other organisations which may find it a useful tool when letting property.

"Questions have been devised by private sector renting housing experts and cover all the legal aspects and requirements that need to be considered when viewing a property.

"We'd like to thank WMBUS for their support in producing this important App."

  • released: Monday 12 October, 2015