Looking to move into a flat, got some questions???

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jooragi

jooragi

jooragi

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Hi

This is not definite yet, but I am looking to rent a flat soon. It will be my first flat rental and so I am a bit new to this, I have some questions.

Does the landlord put in a telephone line into the flat and makes you to pay for the monthly rent of the BT line during the period you rent the flat out for?

If the flat does not have SKY HD and I want to get it installed. I would have course need to ask the landlords permission. But then would he pay for the installation? I ask this as I don't see why I should pay when after my rental period has ended say 12 month later then someone else who rents that flat is going to benefit from sky on my money. Or do you think if I pay for the installation then my landlord will pay the installation cost back to me when I leave the flat after my 12 month contract?

I am looking rent a 1 bedroom studio flat, with 1 reception room, 1 bathroom. It has private entrance. But there is no security system which is a bummer. As I plan to put some expensive electronics in here such as projector, PS3, 5.1 sound system, desktop PC, notebook, toaster, fryer, kettle, coffee machine etc probably around £3K of equipment. and I would not want this stuff stolen. So do I have to pay for insurance?

Do you know how much it generally costs?

Insurance companies usually say that you have to have a alarm to be installed to take out insurance. If so again do I pay for the system after asking the landlords permission and will he/she payback the money for the alarm system after my 12 month contract?

Are there any security surveillance devices you can get where you line up a camera somewhere, where it faces the front door and you put a magnetic strip on the door handle, when an intruder opens the door when your not there the camera is triggered because of the magnetic strip on the door which then makes the camera start recording footage and audio data to a hard drive and continues recording till the HDD is full ad then automatically switches off. Of course this wouldn't help if the burglar is wearing a mask.

I would love to hear your view on this

much appreciated
 
You need to get some contents insurance - the landlord will insure the building. It's not just your expensive items you have to insure. Say the place burned down - you'd need to replace furniture, clothes, everything. It's not expensive, you can get quotes online. You don't need an alarm, but it might reduce your premium.

No chance of the landlord paying or refunding your Sky installation fees. He might not even want you to put the dish up - you need permission. Besides, I think they offer free installation a lot of the time now.

Your burglar comment is amusing. I think you're worrying too much. You can get motion detection systems if you're that concerned. Not much good if they nick your hard drive. It's not going to stop your stuff from being pinched though
 
Contents insurance is fine without alarm.
Landlord doesn't pay or have to refund you for sky. Its your descision, like it or lump it. You can always take the dish down when you move out.
BT landline, same again, up to you. Fingers crossed you already have a line it and it just needs connecting.
 
jooragi said:
Hi

This is not definite yet, but I am looking to rent a flat soon. It will be my first flat rental and so I am a bit new to this, I have some questions.

Does the landlord put in a telephone line into the flat and makes you to pay for the monthly rent of the BT line during the period you rent the flat out for?

SKIDD: If no line installed, you pay installation. Contract is in your name

If the flat does not have SKY HD and I want to get it installed. I would have course need to ask the landlords permission. But then would he pay for the installation? I ask this as I don't see why I should pay when after my rental period has ended say 12 month later then someone else who rents that flat is going to benefit from sky on my money. Or do you think if I pay for the installation then my landlord will pay the installation cost back to me when I leave the flat after my 12 month contract?

SKIDD: Nope, same as phone line, you pay for installation and contract is with you.

I am looking rent a 1 bedroom studio flat, with 1 reception room, 1 bathroom. It has private entrance. But there is no security system which is a bummer. As I plan to put some expensive electronics in here such as projector, PS3, 5.1 sound system, desktop PC, notebook, toaster, fryer, kettle, coffee machine etc probably around £3K of equipment. and I would not want this stuff stolen. So do I have to pay for insurance?

SKIDD: Yes, you need to cover your belongings with a policy.

Do you know how much it generally costs?

SKIDD: 100 quid ish per annum.

Insurance companies usually say that you have to have a alarm to be installed to take out insurance. If so again do I pay for the system after asking the landlords permission and will he/she payback the money for the alarm system after my 12 month contract?

SKIDD: No. You either leave it, or remove it making good any damage caused to property during installation.

Are there any security surveillance devices you can get where you line up a camera somewhere, where it faces the front door and you put a magnetic strip on the door handle, when an intruder opens the door when your not there the camera is triggered because of the magnetic strip on the door which then makes the camera start recording footage and audio data to a hard drive and continues recording till the HDD is full ad then automatically switches off. Of course this wouldn't help if the burglar is wearing a mask.

SKIDD: You would need permission for any alterations to the property.

I would love to hear your view on this

much appreciated
Click to expand...


Answers inline. I'm a landlord.
 
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Yep, you pay for Sky and Phone installation, after all the landlord is under no obligation to pay for your preferred connectivity and entertainment services. You will need permission although most contracts state the landlord will not refuse permission to fit phone/satellite within reason.

Get a good Insurance policy, and don't worry about being broken into, if you're paranoid get a safe, get permission to bolt it down, and wire a NAS box inside for your data! Insurance shouldn’t set you back much, we pay £180pa for 30k cover with bikes as well.
 
Thanks everyone for all the help

Skiddley said:
Answers inline. I'm a landlord.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for answering every question I had asked

My 5.1 sound system I had got about 11 years ago, it's made by Pioneer. Back then it cost me £1,500. Now the system has been discontinued and I don't have the receipt anymore. So when you value these products, does someone from the insurance agency need to come to your house to look at all the goods needing insurance, but do they need to see receipts?

If the sound system is stolen will I get the whole £1,500 back so I can go out and buy another similar priced sound system or lower cost system and keep what's left of the £1,500?

Should you value all your goods for a little more than they are worth to cater in the delivery fee that you paid for the goods. This way if they are stolen I don't have to also lose the delivery amount I paid to get the goods?

If at a later date I wanted to buy more products for the flat. Then do I need to again tell the insurance man from the agency to insure the items. Will he have to come around again to value it?

I take it as well that if I want DSL internet or cable installed, I would have to pay for this and ask permission from the land lord?

Skyrunner

I don't think having a safe bolted down would help, I hear of burglars being very professional these days and they come with the tools to drill the door off and get right to the safe. In some cases they actually unbolt from the floor the safe and have this mini pickup lift which can take the weight of a safe and be easily maneuvered out and into a van.

I thought perhaps getting one of those infra red sensor alarms installed, which you pay a monthly subscription to a security service. Then when you activate the system when you leave the house. The moment a burglar opens the door the sensor makes an alarm go off and the alarm is connected to the security monitoring service who then sends the local police to the property. Would there be any point to this or am I better off with just the insurance?

The reason I say the above is because the kind of flat I am looking to rent isn't the type which is inside a gated development, it's simply like one that sits on top of a shop or in a period conversion with a private entrance which is from stairs from street level. So there's not much security right there?

Any help much appreciated
 
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i think your worrying to much , i live in a flat on the ground floor in chav central and never have any problems, chavs constantly go in and out of next door which i suspect is a drug dealers flat.

no one ever bothers me although ocasionaly ive had someone knock on trying to find the guy next door.

often i just ignore the door so i know when it happens they arent trying to check if someone is in.

cant say anyone has ever tried to rob me yet either and people constantly tell me how "its not safe" " dont go out at night" "you will get beat up"

people are to scared these days i enjoy the odd walk around the estate between 11-3am and i never get any trouble yet people think im crazy , ive lived here for around 6-7 years to.

people watch panorama to much or read to many newspapers
 
As far as insurance companies go, no-one comes out and checks, its not as if you are insuring a £100000 painting! Normally you tell them about things over a certain limit. Remember that a pc consists of a monitor, base unit and peripherals, they are seperate units. You dont value every single item, if anything happens, you put in a claim, you tell them what was stolen (or damaged) and the approximate value. As far as the Pioneer surround goes, it doesnt matter that it is EOL, you will not get a surround system that costs £1500 unless its the same spec. i.e. Just because you bought the first 40" plasma at £10 000, doesnt mean you will get the same price of TV, it just means you get another 40" plasma.
Incredibly paranoid about the safe. Unless they think you have something of that value, they most certainly will not be bothered or go to that much trouble to nick it. Unless you are going to be living in a very affluent neighbourhood and have an Aston Martin outside, then its doubtful that you will be broken into by that class of theif. Most of them do it to pay for their smack habit!
 
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ah many thanks for your answers

PhillyDee, so if I bought a 40" samsung TV for £700 and if it was stolen a year later and now that same model was reduced to £450 would the insurance company give me £450 to buy that model or would it be £700 they would give me?

With the EOL Pioneer of £1,500 the insurer would pay me the amount of a same spec system which could now cost like £400, have I got this right?
 
jooragi said:
ah many thanks for your answers

PhillyDee, so if I bought a 40" samsung TV for £700 and if it was stolen a year later and now that same model was reduced to £450 would the insurance company give me £450 to buy that model or would it be £700 they would give me?

With the EOL Pioneer of £1,500 the insurer would pay me the amount of a same spec system which could now cost like £400, have I got this right?
Click to expand...

If you this worried about being robbed, dont take your stuff.
 
jooragi said:
Does the landlord put in a telephone line into the flat and makes you to pay for the monthly rent of the BT line during the period you rent the flat out for?
Click to expand...
No, your responsibility and your 12month contract.


jooragi said:
I would have course need to ask the landlords permission. But then would he pay for the installation?
Click to expand...
No, your responsibility and your 12month contract.

jooragi said:
Or do you think if I pay for the installation then my landlord will pay the installation cost back to me when I leave the flat after my 12 month contract?
Click to expand...
No, your responsibility and your 12month contract.


jooragi said:
So do I have to pay for insurance?
Click to expand...
If you want insurance you pay for it.

jooragi said:
Insurance companies usually say that you have to have a alarm to be installed to take out insurance. If so again do I pay for the system after asking the landlords permission and will he/she payback the money for the alarm system after my 12 month contract?
Click to expand...
Most insurance companies do not need an alarm, an alarm just lowers premium. You can ask the landlord, but expect them to say nay for paying for it.

Most insurances are based on a set value ox x-thousand and as such you do not need to tell insurance company when you buy new stuff. However they usually say you need to tell them and add the item if it is over x-hundred.

And stop worrying so much, far far to paranoid. Also remember sky dishes can not be used on a large number of homes. Basically if the street does not have any sky dishes then it is probably against planning permisi0n to install them. If you see sky dishes then you wont have a problem.
 
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vonhelmet said:
Insure that toaster for sure.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I lold at this. :D


You sure are paranoid about being broken into.
Almost to the point of looking like you are trying to work out how to engineer one.!

Household insurance will be about £10 a month and all you need to supply the insurance company is the TOTAL amount of cover required, not individual items.
Unless of course you have the original Mona Lisa on the wall!

Thieves will be coming equipped with a screw driver not a bloody fork lift truck to nick your safe!
 
Sometimes even insurance companies give you a catalogue (argos style) and you're told to pick the replacements you want from it.

And it sounds like you're wanting to spend more on the security system than you £3k worth of goods. Here's a tip:
Put the £3.5k you'll security into a bank account, don't touch it and if something happens you'll have £3.5k to spend on buying new stuff!


And also a sound system worth £1.5k leaving £1.5k for the rest of the stuff you listed makes it sound like everything else isnt that valuable.
 
1.5k sound system is hardly valuable either... :D

5k of it sitting in my lounge, uninsured and that is getting rather "old now".
Still rattles the windows though when Tiesto is playing :D

oops sorry my e-peen just flopped out. :o

<zip>
 
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