Accepted rental offer - what to look out for/include in contract

[mousemole]

We have finally rented our house out and have received the draft contract from the agent. It is for a years rental with the option to extend to 2 or 3 years.What should I look out for/ inlude ?
TIA.

Don't quite understand if you are landlord or tenant.

oh sorry, we are the landlord ( for the first time). I want to know what pitfalls to look out for both from the agent and the tennant

I'm a serial tennent.

Ensure that you cover yourselves in the contract for hanging pictures, redecorating etc. As a long term let it is not unreasonable for your tennents to want to do things but make sure that they are contracted to check any work with you first and to return it to original state if required to do so by you (eg if they have a teenager who wants to paint their room black they can but only if they paint it magnolia again when they leave). You may also want to put something in about having work done to professional standard.

If you don't want them doing things make sure it is all specified, no paint, no wallpaper, no changing carpets, no hanging pictures.

Most of my past contracts have had a clause about having carpets cleaned at the end of the tennancy. What I would personally love from a landlord is proof that they have been done before moving in as they generally have not been (usually filthy) and I end up feeling a bit ripped off having to do them when I move in to get them to a nice standard and then when I move out.

Hi indith, useful stuff. Thank you.

Get a good inventory done professionally (cost to be shared); make sure that there are decent get-out clauses on both sides. Make sure that your tenant pays for any problems that you cannot be held responsible for (eg: vermin, windows broken during argument or to get in when keys have been lost). Ensure that there is a clause not allowing locks to be changed without giving you copy of the new keys.

bump - anyone else ?

Nothing on the lease front as I am sure your agent will have everything covered but please make sure you have sufficient insurance. Not just the standard insurance but add on accidental damage and mallicious damage by a tennat which means if they trash the place you will be able to claim on your insurance. Without mallicious damage cover (which many insurers don't offer as standard) you will need to foot the bill for any repairs.

True inscotland.

Also, the agent I rented through this time wouldn't actually let us sign until we showed proof of having our own contents insurance which I had never encountered but is perhaps a good thing to stipulate as most insurance aimed at renters will cover accidental damage of landlords furnishings.