From Enquiry to Move-In: What Happens When You Rent with Loc8me?

Renting a student house can feel like a proper mystery the first time you do it. 

One minute you’re scrolling through listings with your housemates, and the next you’re being asked about viewings, holding deposits, guarantors, and move-in dates – all while you’re trying to juggle uni life and figure out who’s actually serious about living together.

That’s why it helps to understand the journey end-to-end. When you rent with Loc8me, the process is designed to be straightforward, with clear steps that take you from your first inquiry right through to picking up your keys. 

In this guide, we’ll walk through what happens at each stage, what you’ll typically need, and how to keep things moving quickly (especially when the best houses are getting snapped up).

Step 1: The Enquiry – Turning “We Like It” Into “Let’s Do This”

The enquiry step is where everything starts. You’ve found a property that looks promising, the location works, and you can picture the housemate group actually living there without drama. 

Now you need to register interest properly so you can get accurate info, confirm availability, and (most importantly) get a viewing booked before someone else does.

At this stage, you’ll usually be asked for a few basics: your name, contact details, which property you’re enquiring about, and sometimes your preferred viewing times. If you’re enquiring as a group, it’s worth having one main person who’s “leading” communication, just so nobody misses messages or duplicates enquiries.

A good tip here is to enquire with intention. If you’re only casually browsing, that’s fine – but if you’re genuinely interested, say so. The clearer you are, the faster the process tends to move, because the team can treat you like a group that’s ready to progress.

Step 2: The Viewing – Seeing the House Properly (Not Just the Photos)

A viewing is where a lot of groups make their decision, and it’s also where the “vibe” becomes real. 

Photos can be flattering, and listings don’t always show the practical bits that matter day-to-day – like storage, room sizes, water pressure, and whether the kitchen can actually handle multiple people cooking at once.

When you arrive for a viewing, treat it like a short inspection rather than a casual tour. Walk through as a group, but make sure someone is paying attention to details. Look out for things like: signs of damp or mould around windows, the condition of bathrooms, how secure the doors and windows feel, and whether the communal areas are actually comfortable to live in. 

What’s more, if bills are included, it’s also worth clarifying what’s included and whether there are usage limits.

This is also your moment to ask practical questions without feeling awkward. You’re not being difficult – you’re being smart. Ask about how maintenance works, what the move-in day looks like, and what’s expected from you as tenants.

If you can’t all attend, try to send at least two people from the group. It helps avoid the classic problem where one person says “it’s fine” and then the rest of the group sees it later and feels unsure.

Step 3: Reservation – Securing the Property Before It’s Gone

Once your group decides you want the house, the next step is usually reservation. This is the moment where you go from “we like it” to “we’re taking it,” and it’s often the stage that prevents the house from being offered to another group.

Reservation tends to involve confirming tenant details and progressing with the required payments and paperwork to lock it in. The exact terms can vary depending on the property and your circumstances, but the key idea is the same: it’s a commitment step that shows you’re serious.

This is also where your group needs to be organised. 

If you’re waiting for one housemate to decide, or someone keeps disappearing when it’s time to pay or complete forms, it can stall the entire process. If you’re a five-person group, you move at the speed of the slowest person – so getting everyone aligned early matters more than people realise.

To keep things smooth, agree on the decision before you reserve. Have the money ready. Make sure everyone knows what documents they may need. And be clear on timelines, especially if you’re trying to secure a popular house in a high-demand area.

Step 4: Contract – The Paperwork That Protects Everyone

The contract stage can sound intimidating, but it’s really about clarity. It sets out what you’re paying, when you’re paying it, what you’re responsible for, and what the landlord/agent is responsible for. 

It is worth remembering that it’s there to protect you as much as it protects the property.

At this point, you’ll typically complete tenant application details, confirm who will be living in the property, and work through the formal agreement. This is also where guarantor information may come into play (common with student lets), and where you’ll likely be asked to read and sign documents digitally.

The smartest thing you can do here is actually read what you’re agreeing to. You don’t need to become a legal expert overnight, but you should understand the basics: contract start and end date, rent amount and payment schedule, what happens if someone drops out, how bills are handled (if included), rules around guests, and what the maintenance reporting process is.

It’s also worth making sure everyone signs promptly. Delays at contract stage are one of the biggest reasons groups lose momentum  – and in competitive markets, slow progress can create unnecessary stress.

If you don’t understand something, ask. It’s far better to clarify early than to be confused later when it’s the middle of winter and you’re trying to work out what’s covered and who to contact.

Step 5: Move-In – Keys, Checks, and Starting the Year Right

Move-in day is exciting – but it’s also the moment where being organised saves you hassle for months. This stage usually includes collecting keys, being guided through how access works, and completing any initial checks like an inventory.

Your first job when you move in is to document the condition of the property. Even if everything looks great, take photos and videos of key areas: bedroom walls, carpets, furniture, kitchen surfaces, and bathrooms. 

This isn’t about being negative – it’s about having a clear record of what things looked like at the start of your tenancy. If there’s already a mark on a wall or a scuff on a sofa, you want that noted from day one.

It’s also a good time to learn the practical basics: where the fuse box is, how the heating works, what to do if the boiler loses pressure, and how to report a maintenance issue properly. Most problems in student houses aren’t “big disasters,” but they become stressful when nobody knows who to contact or what counts as urgent.

Finally, move-in is where you set yourselves up for a smoother year. Agree on simple house rules early (cleaning, bins, shared food), sort your rooms out, and don’t leave everything until the first deadline hits.

The Journey, Made Simple – And Easy to Track

From enquiry to move-in, the Loc8me renting process follows a clear path: you register interest, view the property, reserve it once you’re confident, complete the contract steps, then move in with everything in place. 

The biggest wins come from being responsive, staying organised as a group, and understanding what each stage involves before you’re in it.

And those clear call-to-actions at each step aren’t just helpful for students – they’re perfect for tracking behaviour and intent. 

When you can measure “enquiry submitted,” “viewing booked,” “reservation started,” “contract completed,” and “move-in confirmed,” you get a much clearer picture of what’s working, where people drop off, and which improvements will make the biggest impact.