Independent lettings and property comment · East Sussex
Hart ColemanThe Lettings & Property Journal
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Renting

For tenants. Deposits, viewings, break clauses and the paperwork that decides who wins an argument two years later. Written on the assumption that you would rather know the rules than be told to seek advice.

Renting Your First Flat: The Checklist Nobody Gives YouRentingRenting Your First Flat: The Checklist Nobody Gives YouThe paperwork, the money and the three things to photograph before you unpack a single box.2026-07-14Deposit Protection, and How People Lose TheirsRentingDeposit Protection, and How People Lose TheirsThe scheme rules are simple. Most disputes are lost on evidence rather than on the merits.2026-06-30Twelve Questions Worth Asking at a ViewingRentingTwelve Questions Worth Asking at a ViewingMost viewings last ten minutes and most people ask about the rent and the bins. These are the ones that change the decision.2026-03-22Break Clauses: The Detail That Undoes ThemRentingBreak Clauses: The Detail That Undoes ThemA break clause you cannot actually operate is worse than no break clause, because you planned around it.2026-03-05

The recurring theme

Almost every tenant problem we write about comes down to evidence rather than entitlement. The rights are reasonably clear and reasonably generous; what people lack at the point of dispute is a dated photograph, a signed inventory, or a copy of the email they definitely sent. Twenty minutes on moving day is worth more than any amount of subsequent argument.