Flats For Rent London

Service tax on renting – Mixed use of property

By

Dinesh Kumar Agrawal, Grad. CWA, ACA

(Former Assistant Commissioner of Excise and Customs)

Recently service tax has been levied on the income earned from renting of immovable property for business or commercial purposes. In terms of Section 65(105)(zzzz) of the Finance Act, 1994 as amended by the Finance Act, 2007 ‘renting of immovable property’ includes renting, letting, leasing, licensing, or other similar arrangements of immovable property for use in the course of furtherance of business or commerce. ‘For use in the course or furtherance of business or commerce’ includes use of immovable property as factories, office buildings, warehouses, theatres, exhibition halls and multiple-use buildings.

Immovable property intra alia, includes a building but excludes building used solely for residential purposes and buildings used for the purposes of accommodation, including hotels, hostels, boarding houses, holiday accommodation, tents, camping facilities.

As per explanation 2 of the Section 65(105)(zzzz) of the Finance Act, an immovable property partly for use in the course of furtherance of business or commerce and partly for residential purposes will be deemed to be immovable property for use in the course of furtherance of business or commerce.

The term business and commerce has not been defined in the Finance Act. We use many words like trade, business, commerce, profession, occupation, employment etc to signify ones means of livelihood. In fact, Article 19(f) of the Constitution of India guarantees rights practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business any where in India. Therefore, it appears that profession and business are two different terms conveying two different meanings. Generally term ‘profession’ is associated with special knowledge, special privileges and special responsibilities. Profession of doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, engineers are well known. On the other hand, one associate word ‘business’ with occupation other than profession and employment.

It is a settled principle that in the absence of any statutory definition in the governing act, it is permissible to refer to dictionary meaning as held by the apex courts in the case of Star Paper Mills Ltd. v. Collector of Central Excise, [1989 (4) SCC 724].

Webster Comprehensive Dictionary defines business as 1. A pursuit or occupation; trade; profession; calling 2 Commercial affairs 3 A matter or affairs 4 Interest; concern; duty 5 A commercial enterprise or establishment 6 Those details other than and exclusive of dialog, by which actors portray their parts interpret a play 7 the state of being busy. Further, as per the dictionary, interalia, art, a vocation barter, calling, commerce, concern, craft, duty, employment, handicraft, industry, job, labor, occupation, profession, trade, trading, traffic, vocation, work are synonyms of business.

From the above, it is amply clear that term ‘businesses is comprehensive term and include ‘profession’ also within its ambit. A large number of professionals, in addition to office, use their residence or part of residence for their profession. Some professionals do not have any office and they entirely operate from their residence. Moreover, a large number of small and very small entrepreneurs uses their residence for manufacture and storage of merchandise and operates therefrom. Many housewives carry business of making and selling papad, masala, pickles etc. from their residence.

‘For use in the course of furtherance of business or commerce’ is a very broad term and again required to be interpreted liberally. A meeting with a perspective/existing client or customer in the residence can be considered as use of the residence in the course of furtherance of business or commerce. Nevertheless, manufacture of merchandise or storage thereof in the residence or use of residence as office-cum-residence is definitely a use of residence in the course of furtherance of business or commerce. Therefore, in view of the definition given above, such residence will be considered as immovable property used in the course of furtherance of business or commerce.

Therefore, the question arises as to whether use of residential property rented out for the purpose of residence but used by the tenant for business or commerce also will be subject to service tax or not, and if yes, who will be liable to pay tax?

It will be easier to understand the problem if we first discuss about persons liable to pay tax and then discuss about liability to pay.

In terms of section 68 of the Finance Act, service provider is liable to pay service tax on the amount of rent received by him. In the present case, service provider may be a government, municipal corporation or owner/landlord of the immovable property. The liability to pay service tax by the service recipient has been provided only in a few cases like goods transport agency service and renting of immovable property is not one of them. Therefore, in any eventuality, recipient of rental income remains liable to pay tax and the revenue department cannot ask the tenant to pay service tax.

Service tax is levied on the service provided on of renting of immovable property for use in the course or furtherance of business or commerce. In other words, renting of immovable property for residence is not taxable. Various courts including Hon’ble Supreme Court on many occasions has interpreted ‘for use in’ to mean that alternate use is not restrictive so far as goods are capable of being used for the intended purpose. But in the present case, actual use of the property has also been stipulated and therefore, irrespective of the fact as to whether residential property has been rented out exclusively for the purpose of residence, if same is also found to be used by the tenant for business or commerce, it will be subject to tax.

Now the real issue is whether it is in the realm of possibility and feasible to tax such property subject to tax?

Leave and licensing or tenancy or lease agreements are governed by the Contracts Act and if the agreement does not contain any specific provision about liability for service tax, the service provider has to pay service tax from his own pocket. In terms of Section 67(2) of the Finance Act, where the rent charged by a service provider is inclusive of service tax payable, the value of renting service shall be such amount as, with the addition of tax payable, is equal to the gross amount charged.

The existing provision makes revenue department omnipresent and subjects at the mercy of revenue officers. The treatment of residential property as commercial property based on actual use or mis-use by the tenants and consequential demand on the landlord will be highly subjective and needs urgent attention of the law makers. It will be better if the property is taxed based on the classification of immovable property by the local bodies like municipal corporations, municipalities etc. instead of leaving on the interpretation of revenue officials whose ingenuity will surpass all the imaginable limits.

(Author may be contacted at dinesh@khaitanco.com or mail2dka@gmail.com)

You’ve probably heard this before: if you’re making a monthly rent payment, as opposed to a monthly mortgage payment, you’re essentially throwing your money away. Well, as common as the saying is, it’s not necessarily true – in many situations, it’s actually much more advantageous to rent an apartment rather than own a home. Here’s why:

It’s Easy

Compared to owning a home, living in an apartment rental is incredibly easy. Why do the work yourself when you can enjoy the following benefits:

·        Dedicated property and maintenance staff to call if anything goes wrong

·        No back-breaking snow shoveling, lawn maintenance or pool/sauna care

·        One single monthly rent cheque usually pays for everything (instead of several separate bills and fees when you own a house or a condo)

You Get More for Your Money

Believe it or not, you can usually rent an apartment or house for much less than the cost of buying it – especially if you live in a larger city. And if you want to be right downtown, renting is almost always more affordable than owning a condo (and you get a lot more living space, as well, as downtown apartments are usually much larger than downtown condos).

As well, apartment renters don’t have to come up with the thousands of dollars in down payments, closing costs and fees for things such as building inspections, legal counsel, land transfer taxes and insurance.

And this doesn’t even factor in the cost of borrowing – in the first five years of ownership, most mortgage payments are applied only to the interest, not the capital. This is money that you won’t get back when you sell your home (and you’ll still have all the hassles and extra costs of putting your house on the market).

That Tax Break is Not Guaranteed

Getting a big tax break is supposed to be one of the greatest advantages of owning a home – but you can’t always rely on getting this break. If your annual mortgage interest payment, plus any other deductions you are entitled to, isn’t greater than your standard tax deductions, you will not receive any tax benefit from owning a house.

If you rent an apartment, however, you’ll always receive some form of tax relief, as a large portion of your rent is tax deductible every year.

Maximum Flexibility

Renting provides an enormous amount of flexibility. You can pack up and leave immediately at the end of your lease (which can be monthly or yearly, whatever best suits your lifestyle) – there’s no waiting to sell and no agonizing about the housing market before you move. For many people, the freedom to live where you want and when you want is a huge benefit that simply cannot be overlooked.

Minimum Risk

For homeowners, the stakes are enormously high should their finances crumble. When they can’t pay the mortgage, the lender has great leverage – the house and all the equity invested in it could be in jeopardy. That’s not to say there aren’t consequences if a tenant can’t pay the rent – but the financial devastation that comes with losing your home is far greater than being evicted from your apartment.

In addition, there are several social service programs that are run by all levels of government to help people in need pay their rent so they won’t be evicted. Are the banks as lenient or supportive when it comes time to pay the mortgage?

Ultimately, making the decision to either rent an apartment or buy a home involves much more than simply comparing rental rates, mortgage payments, lease lengths and tax breaks. It’s a combination of all of the personal circumstances happening in your life – both now and several years down the road.

If you have made the decision after reading “First time Buyer’s Dilemma: Rent or Buy – Part 1″ that you may be in the market for wanting to buy a home, the next factor to consider is your own financial situation.Ideally, this should be investigated and a plan should be devised before you start looking at homes. This is because it can be exciting to view a home and imagine it as your own but without the finances in place, it could spell heartache. You could miss the opportunity to buy the house as it may take too long to secure financing and the seller will get impatient. Even your realtor cannot always prolong the early stages of the sale for long enough. Also, if you are in a rush there is more chance that you will not choose your terms so wisely. One factor that is a deterrent with financing is bad debt. If you suspect you have a bad credit rating from unpaid or late-paid bills, you will need to take care of this first. Save up and pay off your bills, get a copy of your ‘clear’ credit rating and take it to your local bank.Ask the bank to give you a ’secured’ credit card. This means you deposit say $500 in an account and you cannot spend it; it is security for receiving their credit card. After approximately one year of using the card and paying it regularly each month, your credit risk will be considered viable (and you can probably spend your $500!). Assuming you have an average credit rating and steady employment, you can pursue financing by becoming ‘pre-approved’. These are the magic words to a seller when you are viewing a house, as it means that you already have financing in place. An experienced real estate agent can tell you what you need to know a bout how much monthly repayment is suitable and affordable to you. You also need to know how much this type of repayment will represent in terms of the dollar amount of the loan you can get. The down payment is another important factor, as the more that you deposit on a home, the lower the amount that you are borrowing which means that the less interest you pay back on the loan and the lower the repayment you have to find every month.The monthly costs of your mortgage repayment and your annual house taxes will be added to your usual monthly living expenses of food, power bills, vehicle expenses etc and these combined calculations will determine the affordable price of the property that you will be looking for.Financial institutions usually require a minimum of five per cent down but it can be higher. Another factor that will affect your repayments is the type of mortgage you choose. Often the mortgage with the lower interest rate is more tempting, but this could be a variable rate mortgage, which means it usually fluctuates up and down with the prime rate.This type of deal has caught many people short recently, and demonstrates the advantage of securing a ‘fixed rate’ mortgage. Sometimes a fixed rate mortgage is also called a flat rate mortgage or a locked-in mortgage; this is the safest type of mortgage to secure when you are budgeting your income. Basically, all these terms mean that the interest rate will stay exactly the same for the number of years for which your mortgage is fixed (usually three or five years). This three or five years is called the term and is nothing to do with the amortization rate (usually between 20 and 40 years). So if you borrow mortgage money over a 25 year amortization period and sign up for a three year term with a fixed rate (or locked in rate) this will mean that your monthly repayment will remain the same for three years.No nasty surprises there!The fixed rate mortgage will mean that you can budget to afford the fixed amount of the monthly mortgage expenses, which is good, but you will still need savings for the legal fees, the moving fees and any repairs that are urgent. (Sometimes the only way to afford the first realty investment is by buying a home that needs some tender loving care.) A local real estate agent can direct you to professional experts in the local area. He/she has dealt with notaries, mortgage brokers, lawyers and surveyors in your chosen area and will know who is thorough and speedy etc. Sometimes it is worth asking for a quote to compare prices. For instance, you can ask lawyers and notaries the total conveyance fee for buying a home to the value of ‘X’ amount of dollars (fees are calculated according to the house price).Sometimes there are grants offered by the Government to offer specific incentives for new home owners. For instance certain energy-saving ‘green’ practices will often qualify for a Government refund: i.e. grants are offered in some areas to home-owners who buy a new energy wood stove or an Energy Star appliance.Most mortgage companies will accept a lump sum payment once a year. This means that you can save up and lower your loan amount once a year (usually on the anniversary of the start date of the mortgage). This will mean that you will be paying back less interest and shortening the number of years that it will take to pay off your mortgage loan.It also means that you are accruing more equity in your own home, ready for when you may want to sell up and buy a slightly larger property. With a hot tub!

As we kick on in to 2008 with the excesses of the Christmas and New Year break long forgotten, you no doubt made yourself a few promises as to how things were going to be different this year.
One thing that may have been on your agenda may be to improve your finances. After all, who wouldn’t want to have a better financial situation.
You might be trying to get more overtime at work, or maybe working a second job, and no doubt you considered momentarily reducing your spending on non essential items before you realised that you had too little will power for that to ever become a reality. The trouble is that none of these options sound like much fun in reality so you’ve probably already resigned yourself to more of the same.
If you’re a homeowner, have you ever considered that you might be sitting on a nice little earner? You may not know that the government has a scheme called the ’Rent a Room’
scheme that allows you to rent out a furnished room in your home, for a tax-free amount of up to £4,250 per year. That’s about £6,000 extra per year that you’d have to make as a tax payer at 22% and well over £7,000 extra if you pay tax at the higher rate of 40%. If you can make even £20 per hour on overtime, that’s 300 hours you’d have to work to make £6,000, or 37.5 days if you break it down into 8 hour days.
I imagine that all of a sudden, the prospect of sharing your house seems more appealing. You could also bear in mind that on top of the income that you can receive for renting a room, you can also split bills with your new housemate which will also help to reduce your outgoings.

The Rules:

#1. In Ontario, the law supports the Tenants. The law protects the tenants because they are the poor ones and the landlords are the rich ones. Possession is 90% the law!

#2. The most important goal in renting is to find honest, ethical, responsible tenants. Do not be too anxious to rent out to anyone in order to get the rent income. Often times, landlord do not want to spend the time to search for the reliable renter. Irresponsible renters are very common! And that usually leads your highly valued rental home geting destroyed. Landlords may consider suing their tenant,s but as per rule #1, if the tenant has no money, then there is nothing to sue. You are better off spending your time finding good tenants than spending your time on lawsuits.

#3. Older, experience, mature tenants are better than younger ones. Rich tenants are better than poor ones. Working professionals are better than low end job tenants. Target renter that make more money then the landlords. This way, there won’t be any issues with rent paments. This is just a generalization. Treat everyone with equal opportunity. As long as the renter is honest, ethical and responsible, they should be considered regardless of background.

#4. Fix what is broken and care about your tenants well being. Be a customer oriented landlord.

#5. A Property Manager is a better name than a Landlord. Property Manager sounds more courteous and polite. Landlord sonds too demanding.

#6. Make sure the renter is employed and verify employment. People who don’t work CANNOT pay you. And they will lie about their employment because everyone needs a place to stay.

#7. Make sure your house is safe. If you tenant ever gets injured in your house, you will be liable. You don’t want the guilty conscious of havig hurt someone and lawsuits like this will put you in debt for life!

#8. Always have a Rental Contract. It clears communication and makes sure your tenants understand your expectations. You may want give an orientation to go through the contract to ensure your tenant knows what is expected of them. The renters who needs this kind of orientation are the ones who least want it.

#9. You do not have to be nice when meeting a renter for the first time. You have to be firm, fair and observant. Being too nice may cause them to take advantage of you once they move in.

#10. Be careful of rental scams. Protect yourself by not giving any personal information away and you have done your research on the Renters. Make sure you visit the rental property monthly. Rentals scams include the renter selling the landlords house or renting it to lots of people and than skipping town with the rental money.

#11. If you do end up making money, give something back in return. Life is hard. Making money can be hard, but can also certainly be rewarding.

The first experience most of us have with living on our own is not with home ownership, but with renting.  The city you choose to live in will most likely be dictated by your job, school or family connections, but the actual address you decide to call home will most likely be chosen on the basis of what you can afford. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Know how much you can reasonably afford and never commit to more. Your verifiable income, that which can be proven, such as from your employer, should be at least three or four times the rent you are considering. This means you may not be able to qualify for a rental if more than 25 percent to 33 percent of your monthly income is to be used for your rent. For example, if you bring home $1,500 a month, you shouldn’t consider spending more than $500 a month for housing. Once you figure out how much you can afford, don’t be tempted to spend “just a little more.” $530 sounds pretty close to $500, but reaching for that extra $30 a month might turn into too much of a stretch.

Prepare for the search. Before you begin actually looking at rental units, take the following steps to make sure your search goes smoothly.

·       If you have a credit history, get a copy of your credit report. This ensures you are aware of its contents and won’t be caught off guard if there’s a negative item in your report. Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com. If the report contains a mistake, do what you can to correct it before your search begins.

·       It’s not uncommon for a young person to need help with their first rental experience, so you might want to consider this very carefully and line up your options. If you will not qualify for a rental unit due to lack of a credit history, for instance – a parent or other family member may be willing to co-sign or be responsible with you. Of course, if you get a co-signer, make sure you treat the agreement responsibly and take extra pains to pay the rent on time and in full.

·       Obtain permission from two or three people to use their names and contact information as possible references if asked.

·       Gather information you will need, such as current and former employer contact information, pay sub, Social Security and drivers license numbers.

·       Decide what you are looking for. What factors are most important? How much room do you need? Do you need a place that allows pets? Are some neighborhoods more convenient for your situation than others? Having an idea of what your requirements are will help you focus your search.

What to look for. In choosing the place that is right for you, knowing what to look out for is as important as knowing what to look for. You have to take the lead and ask the right questions.

·       Pay close attention to the neighborhood. Do you feel safe? Visiting the unit in the daytime will help you see what shape it’s in. If it becomes a real possibility, revisit it again at night. Notice the lighting in pathways, alleys, hallways and stairwells.

·       While it is common to view a similar unit or model to see if you are interested, eventually you need to look at the exact unit you would be living in. Never sign a lease for a unit sight unseen.

·       Take notes while you are searching. It’s easy to get confused after looking at several units for several days or weeks.

·       Find out what utilities are included in the rent. For instance, the water bill is often paid by the owner and not the separate tenants. Ask what the average utility bills cost to determine if your budget allows for this expense.

·       Make sure your questions are stated directly and to the point. It is considered misrepresentation if an owner or manager lies to you, but it is your responsibility to ask the questions that may be of importance. For example, you should ask “Has the carpet been professionally cleaned since the last tenant moved out?” instead of “Is the carpet clean?”

·       Is the asking rent in line with comparable units?

Your rental agreement. The last big consideration is the rental agreement or lease. It’s a contract. It spells out what the obligations are for both you and your landlord. It is in your best interests to make sure you thoroughly understand every word. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or to get help – and refuse to be rushed into signing. Signing the document is agreeing to it, so the time to request changes to the agreement is before you assume responsibility for its terms. If you accept the terms, but only if certain conditions are met by the landlord, such as the unit must be completely painted first, make sure to get the exact conditions in writing, with a date and the signature of the landlord or manager.

Trust your intuition. This may sound too simple, but if you’ve conducted your search in a prepared and thoughtful manner, found both a rental unit and a rental agreement that work for you, what your gut reaction is to the place may be the final and most important information you need to choose your first apartment— that’s right for you.

So everyone is talking about going green.  Sure, you’re not tooling a round the suburbs in an armored tank, but are you doing what you can to lower your impact on the environment?  There are lots of industries built around using your guilt over the state of the environment as a catalyst for their profit.  With all the things you can buy, there is almost always a green alternative.  But here’s another alternative – how about if you don’t BUY at all?  Any environmentalist worth their snuff will tell you that reducing your consumption is the best way to reduce your negative effect on our globe.  The less you buy, the less you waste; it’s that simple.  But sometimes, there are things you really need, or that you really want, whether you need them or not.  Here’s a novel idea – Rent!  Do you like spending a few weekends each summer on the lake?  Instead of buying a boat that you have to pay to store during all the times you’re not able to make it to the water, why not rent a boat when you want to get away?  Maybe you’re taking the kids and you need a pontoon boat, or you’re heading out for a waterskiing weekend and you need a high powered ski boat.  If you’ve got enough friends or family, renting a houseboat, might be a great weekend trip, too.  If you’re renting, you can tailor what you’re using to what you need in any given situation.  And, you can feel good about taking steps toward a greener world.If you’re traveling with a baby, you know how much baggage can come with it.  Now that airlines are charging for everything you want to bring on board, it can get pretty expensive, too.  And, if you buy baby items to use once you reach your destination, a lot of those get thrown away or left behind when you head home.  To avoid that excess consumption, take advantage of companies that you can rent baby equipment like cribs, swings, toys and strollers.  It’s not only less expensive; it also helps keep you greener.  Thinking of throwing a party?  Decorating for a 50th Anniversary or a super sweet sixteen party can be a lot of fun – and a huge strain on your budget.  You can save that money for the food & entertainment when you rent party decorations.  Renting decorations also leads to less cheap, disposable decorations which means your celebration won’t be a downer for the environment.  From some companies, you can even rent Christmas decorations – you can go all out and still afford to actually buy some gifts.It’s true that we’re a nation of consumers, but we’re also consumers who are starting to take a greater interest in the effect of our consumption on our planet.  It’s a great idea to cut back on purchases, and renting is an option that still lets you enjoy some of the finer things in life.  So the next time you’re considering a purchase, reconsider.  Renting is an option that can save you money, and can do at least a little bit to save the planet.

First-time landlord? Learn landlording fundamentals in this primer. The declining U.S. economy has forced many homeowners to make tough decisions about their property. If you’re one of the millions of Americans affected by the credit crisis, struggling to make your mortgage payments, and are considering renting out your home to make ends meet, you’ll need to learn the basics of being a landlord. Let First-Time Landlord show you how to start your landlording business and maintain it in your spare time. Get the concise information you need to start making money with a single-family home, written for property owners with little business savvy — and even less time and patience. Learn how to rent out your property lawfully and safely with valuable information on: how to determine whether or not the property will turn a profit landlord business basics finding the right tenants preparing and signing the lease handling repairs complying with your state’s rental laws (more…)

Of all the various markets that have been hit by the recession, few have been as totally and utterly decimated as the property and mortgage markets. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight and intense scrutiny by everyone from politicians to journalists to local shopkeepers as to the reasons for the economic collapse, it is far from a new theory to suggest that it was the unrealistic borrowing and lending in relation to, particularly, the property and mortgage markets that led to the recession. Broadly speaking, that can be taken as simple fact. However, whilst many are still debating the nuances of the economic collapse we experienced the rest of us have simply picked ourselves up and tried to cope with it as best we can. The good news is that, according to many in the property and mortgage industries, the first signs are recovery are now in sight. Although the recession is far from over – and the effects of it will certainly be felt for many years to come – there are some particular indications and trends in the housing market that show promising things, and some argue that one of these indications is the increase in renting. Whilst certain studies that have been recently published show that there is still plenty of interest in buying houses – viewing figures, for example, are increasing at a steady pace – it is no longer the buyer’s market it once was. This is generally because there is still a vast deficiency in mortgage credit, which in turn means far less sales. As a result of this many more properties are being put on the market for rent. London, which is often a reliable indicator of what is happening in other cities around the country, has seen an increase of one hundred and twenty eight percent (128%) in owners who are renting out their homes. For those unable to sell, letting out a house at least provides an income whilst the housing market takes its time to get back on its feet. One of the consequences of this increase in property available to rent means that rents have gone down almost across the board. The implications of this can be seen on a top property website, which has shown that the average amount in weekly rents in London can be seen to have steadily decreased over thirteen months, with each month showing a lower average than before. Whilst this is great news for renters wanting to negotiate a lower price with landlords, some economists say that this increase in rental property does not necessary mean that such activity levels will help to stabilise the house prices in the coming months. Unfortunately, a mixture of high unemployment levels and reluctance on behalf of buyers to purchase property seem to back up this notion. Other economists, however, are more positive and insist there are signs to show improvement. There have been, for example, steady rises in the number of house purchase loans approved since the end of winter, and, equally importantly, a number of banks are beginning to boost the mortgage market with new ranges of mortgages. The increase in renting, on the other hand, means little to most in the property market except for the fact that the journey back to the heights enjoyed just over a ago by the property and mortgage markets is going to be a very slow and arduous one. This article is free to republish provided the authors resource box below remains intact.

Moving to a new house should be exciting.  Unfortunately the hassle of finding the right house can spoil all of the fun.   No matter how you feel about the prospect of moving; driving all over town trying to find  the right rent flat or house is expensive.  Especially if you are moving to a new town, travel expenses can really add up.  Now you can search for property to let online. How do you use the internet to find property online?  It’s easy. First you use a search engine to find a list of ‘property to let’ websites. There are lots of sites to choose from so there will certainly be one that focuses on the area to which you are moving. Next you choose a site and start to look. Many property rental websites will have a search engine just for their site.  Enter in the search criteria that will narrow down the number of homes you must look through. Now is the fun part.  When the list of homes appears you get to look for the one that will meet your needs. With so many homes to look through online you will need to narrow it down to a short list of rent houses that you wish to look into further.  No Matter what your budget you will be able to use the internet to find houses to rent.  While you can find large homes online you can also find small flats.  Because you can search for your new rent house from the comfort of your computer you will save money, time and fuel.  These days who can afford to drive around looking for houses to rent, few people have the time for that anyway.  If you have a big budget or you need to live cheep, using the internet to find houses to rent will make life easier.  A six bedroom rent house can be very hard to find using conventional methods of searching.  You would have to drive all over town, call home owner until you find a house for rent that would fit your needs within your budget.  The same is true for a very small efficiency flat under ?350, you would have to search high and low spending your precious time traveling around town or talking to a realtor. Why lose your sanity when there is a better way available. All you have to do is type in your budget and the size of rental house you need and the ‘property for let’ website will narrow the search for you. Finding a property to let should be fun and exciting.  Now that you know how to search online it really will be.  No more traveling to look at houses after house that won’t work for you.  Now you can find the rent house of your dreams from the comfort of your computer room.