Outlet 4 Homes. Find a flatshare or apartment. Let your property

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Frequently Asked Questions

answers to some of your most common queries


Contact us: Email us or give us a call on 020 7287 4244 Office Hours: 10am-6pm

Home seekers' FAQ

Cost and membership

Using the system

Use of personal information

Getting the best results

Practicalities

Cost and membership

Why is basic membership FREE?
We have discovered that there are two types of people who use our service. We offer FREE membership to those who only want to browse listings and have not yet committed to the idea of moving. We felt it was fair to provide them with access to listings and also give them limited access to contact details without charging them a registration fee. It gives users the chance to have a full experience of the site.

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Why do users have to pay for ‘fast track’ membership?
We think that a large volume of committed home seekers, paying a reasonably priced registration fee, is the fairest way of generating money for our business. Fast track members receive unlimited contact details of properties to which they are matched. They have a large advantage over basic members because they have a greater selection of properties from which to choose. This membership is designed for people who have committed to the process of finding a home. The registration fee also acts to filter out time wasters who are generally unwilling to pay for such a service.

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What is the difference between a ‘basic’ member and a ‘fast track’ member?
Basic members can browse matched listings and receive limited contact details.

‘Fast track’ members have unlimited access to contact details, SMS messaging, Free contracts, Email alerts and Home seeker reports.* (*during their membership period and for matched properties)

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Is the service open to all?
Absolutely! We pride ourselves on being an open and welcoming service. Traditionally we have attracted both high quality properties and home seekers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our system filters and matches ‘critical’ criteria reducing the stress and workload of having to filter lots of information.

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Using the system

Why do some properties appear on my lists with criteria I did not ask for?
We have designed a system that takes key criteria and matches them absolutely and excludes any that fall outside of them. There are other ‘fuzzy’ criteria that will reduce the matching % of the property but not exclude them from appearing on your list. These appear in red text on the property profile concerned

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Why do some property details appear in red?
This is how the system indicates which requirements fall outside your matching requirements. It allocates a % reduction in the match which appears on the property summary.

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How does the system work out the % of the match?
That question is like asking for a secret recipe. We have devised a unique way of gathering information and, using our experience, we grade a property's suitability for your requirements. Beyond that we’re not saying!

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Can I get assistance over the phone?
Yes. We are one of the few internet services that continues to provide telephone support and registration. Our staff have comprehensive training and experience in supporting users and are happy to help. (0207 287 4244)

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Why is there less accommodation outside London?
Metropolitan areas will always attract more accommodation. The larger the population of a city the more property ‘stock’ it has.

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Do you vet your members?
Our members are not ‘vetted’. It is virtually impossible for this to take place unless you work with an institution such as the police. However, our registration process is comprehensive and filters out ‘undesirables.’ In addition the fees we charge often act as a bar to those not seriously requiring our services. We also have a complaints procedure which is followed and, if necessary, we would actively co-operate with police enquiries.

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Why do you contribute some of my fee to charity?
Our philosophy is that we should contribute to the world we live in. We are proud to support the organisations and causes we have selected.

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What is a free listing?
A free listing is property information, about which you can receive contact details without having to pay and become a fast track member.

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Can I complain to Outlet about Landlords?
We do not act as a 3rd party arbitration service but do welcome communication about matters we can impact on. Discrepancies in the information provided on our site, illegal activity and serious breaches of reasonable behaviour should be reported to us. Where we deem it appropriate we will act on the matter and this could involve co-operating with the police.

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Use of personal information

Will I be contacted by Landlords?
Only if you have given permission on your profile. Traditionally landlords will wait for you to call them, but sometimes they choose to be pro-active, calling and sending emails to home seekers matched to their property.

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Where will the details of my profile appear?
They will be shown to registered landlords who match your requirements. If you have not given permission for contact information to be published then the landlord will not be able to communicate with you.

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Will I receive lots of spam?
Absolutely not. We have always prided ourselves on the protection of your information. We have always resisted commercial pressures to expose our database to spam and continue to uphold that rule.

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Are my details confidential?
The information you provide is securely stored and only released to the people you are ‘matched’ to. Throughout the process you are asked ‘permission’ questions relating to the use and publication of your data to ensure you feel happy and confident about how it may be used.

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What happens to my information once I have found a property?
We safely archive your information for use in the future. This can save you the job of re-entering your details every time you want to find accommodation. If you do not wish us to do this you are able to delete your file whenever you want.

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Getting the best results

Why should I add a photo?
This is very important to all our users. Photos illustrate far more effectively and accurately than a written description. They are trusted more, and can fully represent what words cannot describe.

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How can I increase matches?
By widening your housing criteria and increasing the amount of rent you can pay.

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How can I guarantee people keep appointments?
If we knew the answer to that we’d all be rich! There are some common sense options to reduce the risk of wasting time on people who break or abandon appointments. Always insist on getting confirmation on the day of an appointment that it still stands. If you feel there is any reluctance from the other party to commit to an appointment ask them to contact you when they are happy to do so.

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Practicalities

Should I take cash to viewings?
Securing desirable accommodation can be difficult as the demand may be high. Ultimately offering cash to secure your claim to a property is usually the only way to ensure this. However be careful. Money should only be handed over if you are offered some form of official documentation confirming amounts etc. NEVER hand over monies without signed and witnessed documentation or if you feel uncomfortable about the situation.

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How do I ensure my personal safety?
Always view properties with a friend. This will give you another perspective and reduce the risk of anything untoward occurring. You should also tell people where you are going with address details and ask for the name and telephone number of the person dealing with the accommodation.

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Are rents negotiable?
Discussions about the level of rent being asked are always possible. Whether a landlord will negotiate is another matter. It will depend on many factors and you will need to make the judgement as to whether that is a route you wish to take. You may want to assess the market and compare the rent to that of similar properties in the area before raising the issue.

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Landlords' FAQ

Cost and membership

Using the system

Use of personal information

Getting the best results

Practicalities

Cost and membership

Why do landlords have to pay?
We ask landlords to pay an advertising fee to create income for our business. In return we think that a reasonably priced service like ours will create considerable income for our landlords. We do not charge a % of rents collected or charge any commission or ‘hidden’ extras. We believe in fair, clear pricing for our services. Additionally we do encourage FREE access into our system which allows landlords to see how it works, how many people we have matched to properties and what the chances are of successfully advertising BEFORE they commit any monies.

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Is the service open to all?
Absolutely! We pride ourselves on being an open and welcoming service. Traditionally we have attracted both high quality properties and home seekers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our system filters and matches ‘critical’ criteria reducing the stress and workload of having to filter lots of information.

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If I don’t let my property can I get a refund?
No. Your registration fee is paid in the same way as you pay for any other advertisement, it is not related to its ultimate success. Of course during the period that your advertisement is ‘live’ we will do out utmost to ensure it creates the greatest response, but we cannot guarantee a successful letting and cannot offer refunds should you fail in this aim.

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Using the system

Will I be contacted by home seekers not matched to my property?
Our system is designed, tested and secured to publish information only to appropriate ‘matches’ There is the possibility that a registered member of the service gives information to people who are neither registered or matched to your property. This is outside the terms and conditions we impose on users and is considered to be a serious breach of contract.

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Why am I not getting many matches?
The system uses the information you provide about yourself and your needs to match you up. If you have been very selective this may have limited the number of ‘matches’ you can view. Alternatively you may have inadvertently made a mistake in the registration process that has affected the amount of information you have received. If both of these scenarios are not applicable it may be simply the case that there are very few registered users / properties in the area you are considering.

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Why do some home seeker profiles appear on my lists with criteria I did not ask for?
We have designed a system that takes key criteria and matches them absolutely and excludes any that fall outside of them. There are other ‘fuzzy’ criteria that will reduce the matching % of the home seeker but not exclude them from appearing on your list. These appear in red text on the home seeker profile concerned.

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Why do some home seeker details appear in red?
This is how the system indicates which requirements fall outside your matching requirements. It allocates a % reduction in the match which appears on the home seeker summary.

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How does the system work out the % of the match?
That question is like asking for a secret recipe. We have devised a unique way of gathering information and, using our experience, we grade a home seeker's suitability for your requirements.

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Why do some home seekers keep reappearing on my list?
Home seekers need to be actively looking for accommodation on our site for their profiles to appear on your list. If a home seeker has not logged on for over 3 days we remove them. If, after a break, the home seeker logs on again, their details will re-appear on lists.

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Why is it some home seekers are not on my list?
Not all home seekers will appear on your lists. This is because they do not match to your requirements or because your property is not in an area they are considering.

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Why are there fewer home seekers registered outside London?
Metropolitan areas will always attract more prospective residents. The larger the population of a city the more home seekers it has.

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Can I use my advertisement for other purposes?
Your advert can be used only for the purposes it describes. Our site enables properties to be matched to people. Any diversion from this activity is strictly prohibited.

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Do you vet your members?
Our members are not ‘vetted’. It is virtually impossible for this to take place unless you work with an institution such as the police. However, our registration process is comprehensive and filters out ‘undesirables.’ In addition the fees we charge often act as a bar to those not seriously requiring our services. We also have a complaints procedure which is followed and, if necessary, we would actively co-operate with police enquiries.

[back to top]
Why do you contribute some of my fee to charity?
Our philosophy is that we should contribute to the world we live in. We are proud to support the organisations and causes we have selected.

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Why must I renew?
To keep our listings fresh and updated. Websites with out of date and ‘expired’ information are of little use to users. We are committed to providing the most accurate, up to date information possible. The only way to do this is to enforce a ‘renewing’ process that is as painless for our users as possible. This is the system we have developed. Experience has shown us that leaving this process to occur on a voluntary basis does not work.

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What does the referencing service entail?
We offer a professional and comprehensive referencing service that processes up to 12 checks on any prospective tenant. At the end of the service you will receive a written report and a recommendation of whether the person in question is deemed suitable. Contact the office for more information and the current charge for this service.

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Can I complain to Outlet about home seekers?
We do not act as a 3rd party arbitration service but do welcome communication about matters we can impact on. Discrepancies in the information provided on our site with the property concerned, illegal activity and serious breaches of reasonable behaviour should be reported to us. Where we deem it appropriate we will act on the matter in hand and this could involve co-operating with the police.

[back to top]

Use of personal information

Will I receive spam?
Absolutely not. We have always prided ourselves on the protection of your information. We have always resisted commercial pressures to expose our database to spam and continue to uphold that rule.

[back to top]
Are my details confidential?
The information you provide is securely stored and only released to the people you are ‘matched’ to. Throughout the process you are asked ‘permission’ questions relating to the use and publication of your data to ensure you feel happy and confident about how it may be used.

[back to top]
What happens to my information once I have found a tenant?
We safely archive your information for use in the future. This can save you the job of re-entering your details every time you want to let your accommodation. If you do not wish us to do this you are able to delete your file whenever you want.

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Getting the best results

Should I contact home seekers?
If you want to. They have already given permission to be contacted by whatever means you see published. Traditionally they will get in contact with you if they are interested in your property, but many landlords are using their home seeker lists as an effective tool to be pro active. If you are in a rush to let or are finding the response slow and taking time you may do this to speed things up.

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Can I get assistance over the phone?
Yes. We are one of the few internet services that continues to provide telephone support and registration. Our staff have comprehensive training and experience in supporting users and are happy to help. (0207 287 4244)

[back to top]
Why should I add a photo?
This is very important to all our users. Photos illustrate far more effectively and accurately than a written description. They are trusted more, and can fully represent what words cannot describe.

[back to top]
How can I increase matches?
By widening your home seeker criteria and lowering your rent

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Will home seekers contact me?
Yes. This is the way the service is designed to work. Home seekers matched to your requirements will see your advert on the site and via email. If they are interested they will contact you by whichever way you have indicated on your advert.

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How do I market my property?
Outlet markets your property for you through it’s website. Additionally we employ numerous other strategies to expose your advert to the widest possible audience. We have created a unique url, for you to use, if you also wish to proactively promote your accommodation.

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Why is my property on other sites?
We do undertake activity with other sites to promote properties on our service. We are committed to achieving the best possible result for you and this external marketing can make all the difference

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Why haven’t I received more calls?
We cannot take responsibility for the number of calls and email interest you receive. Our job is to effectively advertise your property to as many appropriate people as possible. Sometimes you can illicit more response by adding photos, more detailed descriptions or ultimately by reducing your rent. We can help you maximise your response and our advisors are always happy to take a look at your file and make suggested alterations.

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How much should I write in my description?
Write what is required – you are not limited to the number of words you use. Put yourself in the shoes of somebody looking for accommodation and edit your description to pull out the key elements.

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Practicalities

How can I guarantee people keep appointments?
If we knew the answer to that we’d all be rich! There are some common sense options to reduce the risk of wasting time on people who break or abandon appointments. Always insist on getting confirmation on the day of an appointment that it still stands. If you feel there is any reluctance from the other party to commit to an appointment ask them to contact you when they are happy to do so.

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How much do I ask for a deposit?
Traditionally a month's rent as deposit has been required. Some people ask for 6 weeks' rent as deposit and others negotiate a smaller amount. The final decision is up to you. Deposits are taken to safeguard the value of the internal furnishings and upkeep of the property and guard against the risk of tenants leaving without adequate or agreed notice. The risk assessment has to be that of the landlord. There are no hard and fast rules.

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What do I do with difficult tenants?
Conversation, negotiation and compromise are always preferable to confrontation and conflict. A good idea is to involve a calm and unbiased 3rd party who will help the conversation to avoid becoming inflamed or out of control.

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How is inappropriate behaviour dealt with?
Directly. Use straightforward communication with the person / people involved and express your view of the situation. Ask them agree to another way of behaving. If they refuse the ultimate sanction would be to ask them to vacate the accommodation within the agreed period of notice.

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