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Renting a property for the first time can sometimes be overwhelming. Therefore we have created a list of general tips to help you through the process.
For a full explanation of your rights as a tenant, you can find the Private Residential Leases Act here.
Prior to viewing
Message the owner of the property you’re interested in. Ask the most important questions to you before a viewing, maybe there is an absolute no-go for you which wasn’t clear in the listing, but would be answered by asking the owner and end up saving you time.
Be on time for your viewing. Being late for an appointment isn’t a great first impression.
During the viewing
Checklist:
Are all the amenities you expected there?
Are all rooms air conditioned? Summer gets very hot.
How’s the water pressure?
Check outside noise levels, especially from the bedroom - no one wants to be woken up at 7am by honking trucks!
Signing the contract
Make sure the mandatory lease contract requirements are all in the contract.
Read the full contract, make sure everything that is in it, is as you have discussed prior.
Make an inventory list together with the owner. Write down all the interior of the property to make sure everything is accounted for. This helps you check everything you saw during the viewing is gonna be inside the property while you're renting it.
Get your own signed copy of the rental contract and all attachments.
Make sure the rental contract is submitted to the Housing Authorities for legal registration. When the owner has submitted the contract for approval you should be notified via email directly from the Housing Authority that your contract is under review.
During the rental period
On the day of moving in: Take pictures of everything. Every wear, tear or broken thing you find. Save these pictures for when you are moving out and the deposit needs to be settled.
Check the inventory list matches what is at the property.
Pay your rent on time and be respectful to the property and its interior. Treat it as if it was your own - or even better!
Contact the owner if you have any questions along the way and work together to iron out any issues, ie. things that aren’t working as they should or damage to items caused by accidents. Open and polite communication is key, even in frustrating situations! Should your landlord not live up to their responsibilities you can file a complaint with the Housing Authorities here.
Renting out your property is a process with multiple steps and since time is precious, we have gathered some tips for you as an owner to save time and make the process of finding the right tenant for you easier.
Creating your listing
Fill in the required information as detailed and accurate as possible, this includes especially the exact location of your property, amenities and description. All these things will help refine the tenants interested in your property and avoid potential tenants messaging you for knowledge about lacking information in your listing.
Take good pictures. This is key - spend a few extra minutes taking level pictures with a clear view of your property and its interiors. Include a copy of the floor plan if you have it.
Speaking to interested tenants
Answer their questions with good detail, it might end up saving you time in case there are things which could’ve been clarified before a viewing that makes either party not interested.
Vet tenants profile - read their bio about themselves on their profile. Are they the kind of tenant you’re looking for?
Prior to a viewing, verify the tenants are in fact who they say they are. Exchange phone numbers, Facebook or WhatsApp.
Viewings
If you have multiple interested tenants, schedule viewings on the same day with thirty minutes in between. That way you can find a tenant in an afternoon rather than spending multiple days on showing the property.
Make sure the property is clean and tidy - it’s always the better first impression.
Creating and submitting the rental contract
Use our How to Submit a Rental Contract guide to help you create and submit the rental contract.
Add anything you and your tenant agrees on to the contract, go through the inventory list together and sign it.
Submit the contract via Rent Registration within thirty days of commencement of the lease to avoid late penalty fees.
During the rental period
On the day before handing over the keys, take pictures of the property and its interior. Make sure to get every wear, tear and breakage to have a reference for when the tenants eventually move out and the deposit needs to be settled.
Prompt, clear and reliable communication is key - be available to answer any questions the tenants might have about the property and act fast on any issues that might arise with things not working or any other problems.
Should your tenant not live up to their responsibilities as agreed and are ignoring your attempts to solve this, you can submit a dispute with the Housing Authority here.
You’re an owner and want to list your property for rent or sale - great! Simple as this:
Click up in the right corner.
Follow the steps: Fill in your property’s info as detailed as possible. The more info you can give potential tenants/buyers now, the less questions you have to answer later.
(Optional) Verify your property - help us help you. By providing us with proof (deed or ARMS bill) that the property belongs to you, we will give you a Verified -badge that gives extra authenticity to your listing and shows potentially tenants/buyers that you are in fact the owner of the property. This step is optional.
Submit your listing and wait. We will check the information and pictures you have provided and notify you when your listing is approved.
Simple as that!
Great! Now that you’ve found a tenant, you need to sign a rental contract and submit it to the Housing Authority to register it legally.
Registering the rental contract has to be done within thirty days from the commencement of the lease. For your convenience, we have linked the official rent registration template contracts below, made by the Housing Authority:
Rental contracts from the Housing Authority
The contracts available are standard contracts, but you can add paragraphs and clauses of your own, as long as they are in full respect of the laws of Malta. Should you wish to amend the standard contract by changing some paragraphs or clauses or use a contract of your own, you will need to annex the Standard Form to your contract before submitting it. Submitting an inventory form is also mandatory.
Fill out the contract. Make sure the mandatory lease contract requirements are all included.
Fill and annex the Standard Form (if needed).
Fill and annex the Inventory Form.
Sign the contract together with your tenant.
Go to: Rent Registration’s website and follow their step-by-step guide on how to submit your contract and attachments.
Wait for approval. This may take up to 10 working days.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Rental Contracts
All lease contracts for a primary residential purpose signed after 1st of January 2020 must be registered with the Housing Authority by the owner, within thirty days from the commencement of the lease.
All private lease contracts drawn up after 1st of January 2020 must be done in writing and must include:
The property which is being leased.
Intended use as agreed.
The period covering the lease.
Whether, and how, the lease can be renewed.
The lease amount and how this should be paid.
Any amount deposited by the lessee by way of security, for the performance of their obligations.
An inventory list attesting the condition of the premises as well as the state of any furniture and domestic appliances supplied by the lessor.
The lessor self-declaration officially provided by the Housing Authority confirming details of the property.
You can find a link to the rules and other useful info on the Housing Authority’s website here.
To register your contract with the Housing Authority via RentRegistration you will need to pay a registration fee:
Normal registration fee: €10
Normal registration fee applies if you submit your rental contract within thirty days of commencement of the lease.
Late registration fee: €120
Late registration fee applies if you submit your rental contract later than thirty days of commencement of the lease.
Renewal of Agreement Fee: €5
Lease agreements which upon termination are renewed need to be re-registered.
You can find a link to the official quotes here.
As a tenant, how long you’re bound to the rental contract, depends on the length of the contract. There are two types of contracts; Long Let and Short Let.
Long Let contracts cannot have a duration of less than one year.
1 year contracts:
The first six months are mandatory for the tenant.
After six months the tenant may be released from the contract by giving at least one month notice to the lessor by means of a registered letter.
If the owner does not intend to renew the lease, the tenant must be informed three months prior to the termination of the contract by means of a registered letter.
If the owner fails to notify the tenant within the established period, the lease is automatically renewed for another year unless stipulated otherwise in the rental contract.
2 year contracts:
The first nine months are mandatory for the tenant.
After nine months the tenant may be released from the contract by giving at least two months notice to the owner by means of a registered letter.
If the owner does not intend to renew the lease, the tenant must be informed three months prior to the termination of the contract by means of a registered letter.
If the owner fails to notify the tenant within the established period, the lease is automatically renewed for another year unless stipulated otherwise in the rental contract.
3+ year contracts:
The first twelve months are mandatory for the tenant.
After twelve months the tenant may be released from the contract by giving at least three months notice to the owner by means of a registered letter.
If the owner does not intend to renew the lease, the tenant must be informed three months prior to the termination of the contract by means of a registered letter.
If the owner fails to notify the tenant within the established period, the lease is automatically renewed for another year unless stipulated otherwise in the rental contract.
Short Let contracts have a duration of six months.
The first month is mandatory for the tenant.
After the first month the tenant may be released from the contract by giving at least one week’s notice to the owner by means of a registered letter.
The contract cannot be renewed.
If your rental contract has run for more than one year and has a clause within it to do so, the owner can increase the monthly rent in proportion to the yearly adjustment of the Property Price Index (PPI), published by the National Statistics Office, provided that this increase does not exceed 5%.If there is no such clause in your contract, the rent remains fixed for the duration of the lease.
Should you be in the unfortunate situation that you disagree with the tenant or owner and it can’t be solved between you, you can submit a dispute claim with the Housing Authority here.
Chapter 604 of Maltese Law is the Private Residential Leases Act which you can find here.