I have been living in a rented flat for almost seven years now, and I really do come to think of it as "home". Sadly, I know that at some stage I will have to be a grown up and think about buying somewhere!
I've tried so hard to make my flat my sanctuary, and I have made some lovely memories there. I thought for people who are maybe looking to move out from their parents, or just weighing up the pros and cons of renting, then this may be of some help to you.
1) IT ISN'T YOURS
Stating the obvious here, all the while you rent your home is never yours. To be honest, this is one of the only downsides (for me at least) about renting. Some people feel as if you are "throwing your money away" and "you might as well get a wad a £50 notes and burn them". For me, it has proved to be a great way of gaining my own independence (I left home at 21) and finding my feet. I have had A LOT of growing up to do in that time. It also gives you a feel for what owning a home would be like, with a lot less of the commitment of getting a mortgage.
2) IF ANYTHING BREAKS - CALL THE LANDLORD!
The best thing by far, is that if my boiler decides to pack up (which it has done on several occasions, and ALWAYS during the Winter- how inconsiderate!) I just let the landlord know, and they will usually get it sorted within a few days at the latest. If I owned my own home and needed a replacement boiler, I could be looking at up to £1000!
3) JUST ASK
If you don't ask, you don't get. Our bathroom was originally carpeted- who thought that was a good idea I will never know, especially as the flats were only built in 2005! This combined with the fact that we don't have a window to let the steam escape, and you have a recipe for disaster a mildewy carpet! After at least 4 years of a damp carpet patched with green (that makes it sound a lot worse than it was, but it definitely wasn't ideal!) I asked the landlord if they could tile the floor instead, and a few weeks later, they did- and I didn't have to foot the bill which was even better! Maybe we've been lucky, but from my experience so far, landlords want you to keep the flat looking fresh and clean, so don't be afraid to point out that a wall needs a fresh coat of paint, or the carpet may need replacing. After all, it is in their interests to "keep you sweet" so that you don't move elsewhere!
4) YOU CAN'T RENOVATE
Another obvious one, as the property is not yours, and if like me you are in a block of flats, then you can't just decide that you want to knock a wall down here, and add a door there... as I mentioned earlier, my bathroom doesn't have a window, and instead has a measly extractor fan which may as well not be there as the bathroom still gets extremely damp. On days where I'm frantically scrubbing at spots of mould on the ceiling, I wish I had even just a small window to let in fresh air, and a chance for the steam to escape.
5) RENTED ACCOMMODATION IS USUALLY MORE SECURE
By this I mean that they tend to have more security in place, such as CCTV cameras, parking attendants and door entry codes. My flat is within a gated complex and visitors have to buzz you to be let in, so there is that peace of mind knowing that people can't just wander in.
These seven years have absolutely flown by, and I know that when the time eventually comes for myself and my partner to start looking at our "forever" home, I will be so sad to leave this little place.
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