Letting Agents - It's VERY different here !

redmik wrote:

Hi Toonarmy. You and some others are very well experienced and placed to give advice on renting long term properties.
Any advice you and others could give us would be very welcome.
Perhaps you would post a bullet list of things to look out for?
Lynn and I would very much appreciate that and I'm sure others would too.
The point about a separate meter per property is also a very good one and one that I had not previously thought of checking, thanks Darkman but I too would not be too assured simply by a landlord's say so. It's going to cost him about E500 per apartment. I hope I am wrong.

HERE YE GO YOU MUST HAVE BEEN READING MY MIND REDMIK -  i prepared this the other day and was gonna put more in but hey ho here it is

I thought it might be handy for newbies to the rock to watch out for certain things when renting property here..I have compiled this list(mainly borne out of personal experiences over the last 4 years) as a means of offering some level of protection for new ex pats on the rock

Please feel free to add to the list or thread with things that you have experienced and maybe a moderator may like to make it a sticky at some stage.

1    always rent for a short period first to ensure you know more about the area, services and neighbours before committing yourself.
2    visit the area for external noises at varying times of day and night
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 exposed to adverse weather conditions
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 it 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.
12    are the appliances eco friendly units power efficient units - same with lighting
13    is there a time-switch on the water heaters - it may seem trivial but its worth fitting one
14    remember ground floor and mid floor apartments will suffer from a level of noise from units above, especially where young children are located
15    check if the rent includes charges for communal costs for lighting, lift and maintenance, and regular cleaning. 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
16    is there an emergency lighting system in place for stair wells and lift shafts as power cuts are normal and have been know to last 9 hours or more and the stair wells are dark..if not makes sure you have access to your own emergency light for the flat and a good torch - check the batteries!
17     if you have your own belongings and furniture assess whether you will need a lifter     and whether you can get it through the windows and or doors and is there space for the lifter unit     to stand – also note a permit will be required usually available     from the local council offices at about 2-3euros
18    is there any outdoor space available to you to use privately or shared, if so identify it.
19    is there enough electrical power sockets
20    gas cooking (oven and hob) is much cheaper to operate than electric
21    check out all your lighting features
22     always do an inventory and get it checked thoroughly and note any damages or anything missing – get it agreed.
23    check the water pressure as it can be very low and poor service for showers  - check the taste of the water.
24    check the water tanks for the security of the lids – make sure they are wired down as insect larva can get in. also check the toilets for flushing
25    tv phone and internet connections – check whats available – satellite systems check if can you have one, can one be fitted, can it be installed easily will you need permission to have     one
26    check for refuse collections how often and on what days
27    check out how the bills for utilities will be presented to you
28    do a consumption check when you arrive check the start reaidngs and say after a normal week of consumption check it again and then do a calculation on the ARMs website https://www.smartutilities.com.mt this wil give you a good idea what you are using and the likely costs (and a comparison for 0 consumers and actual number of consumers).
29    make sure you are named on the bills as named registered consumers on the account holder/owners bills, or get your bills in your own name - if you dont you are likely to have problems later and will undoubtedly end up paying more than you should    . NB check the number of consumers on the actual bill from ARMs if its     ZERO you may be being overcharged
30    ensure you get a copy of the two pages bill from ARMs and not just a handwritten or spreadsheet based extract compiled by the landlord
31    ensure you have a record of the rent paid and utility payments – a rent book is a good idea. Most landlords prefer to be paid cash...NB sometimes (but not always) its to avoid declaring income for tax.
32      keep your bills and records of payments, this may help you later if you eventually have a problem
33      check whether you supply is single or three phase as the meter charges are more expensive (treble)

redmik wrote:

Toon you're a star! Thanks.

glad to be of assistance - we try - as does everyone on here - sometimes our views differ slightly but we are all here to help and advise by experience. Not all experiences are good nor bad but they do need to be published for balance.

toonarmy9752 wrote:

heres an interesting topic in the papers this morning and associated to the thread and its handy to know about once you are living here

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdet … paying-tax

Interesting article, but it is from 2010.

Basically, what can we do if the landlord don't want to let us be registered as resident for water/electricity bills ?

Is there a way to do something on our own then ?

redmik wrote:

Toon, I hope you don't mind but I have posted your list on another forum for the benefit of others thinking of moving.

no not at all anything to help newbies find their way and not get caught out.