A step-by-step guide to renting a home intended for people coming to live in the UK from overseas is now available in thirteen languages.

This is the first time in the industry such a guide has been produced and Leaders the independent letting agency have organised it in response to the number of people from overseas that they have assisted in recent years who have come to the UK to work, train or study.

The guide is available in languages as wide-ranging as Arabic, Malay, Japanese, German, French, Danish, Italian, Swedish, Tagalog (Filipino), Spanish, Greek, Chinese and of course English. It gives information on finding a suitable property; tenancy agreements; safety regulations; what is required in terms of references and guarantors; the costs and time-scales involved; insurances; the responsibilities of tenants (for example for utilities, council tax, rental payments and maintenance); and what happens at the end of the tenancy.

The 12 foreign languages selected by Leaders are those for which the company believes there will be most demand, based on their years of experience of renting to people from overseas.

Joint Managing Director, Paul Weller said: “We have produced this guide because moving to another country to study or work is a daunting experience in itself, not to mention finding a home and coming to grips with the process of renting and being a tenant in a foreign country, where the procedure may be very different to how things are done at home."

"Language can be a huge barrier and we hope that by making this information available in so many different languages we will make the experience easier for our overseas tenants, give them confidence in the process and prevent any potential misunderstandings.”

As well as being available from all Leaders branches, all 13 versions of the guide will be made available to local organisations, institutions, colleges and universities, such as Southampton Institute, hospitals, IT companies and language schools.

It will be used as a support for employers sourcing staff or to companies with employees from abroad who are staying in the UK for a temporary assignments or training, plus to the partners of these employees who’s understanding of English may not be as good.