1. What is the value of Rendin for the tenant? What does Rendin protection mean?
Rendin allows the tenant to start renting with lower costs. The tenant can save 2-3 times more money than the traditional market standard.
Renting – always – without paying a security deposit.
If the landlord operates independently, there is no broker fee.
If a real estate agent using Rendin mediates the listing, then be aware of the additional fee set by them (usually one month's rent + VAT).
By using Rendin, the tenant can be sure that they can receive legal assistance if needed. For example, if the landlord behaves unfairly towards the tenant. Our goal is to help parties on fair grounds, based on evidence. If interested, read a blog article on how Rendin has helped tenants.
Additionally, the tenant doesn't have to worry about the legality of the lease. Our contract templates are prepared by competent lawyers.
Renting with | Renting with deposit | |
Legally accurate | Yes | Maybe |
Deposit required | No | Yes, 1-3x months' rent |
Free legal support | Yes | No |
Rent safely,
join Rendin
2. Can Rendin's service fee be refunded at the end of the rental period, similar to a security deposit?
Rendin's service fee is non-refundable, unlike a security deposit. It is a fee for the service we provide to the parties throughout the entire rental period. The Rendin service includes:
Access to a legally compliant rental agreement and other documents prepared by our lawyer.
Renting without a security deposit for the tenant.
Rent and utility payment guarantee for the landlord.
Property protection for the landlord.
Free legal assistance for both parties.
Support in three languages (Estonian, English, and Russian).
3. Will Rendin compensate the rent arrears and property damage caused by me to the landlord?
Rendin is not an analogue to liability insurance, meaning the tenant is responsible for damage caused by themselves. Similarly, the tenant is responsible for others staying in their rented home – co-tenants, children, pets, guests, etc.
If the tenant causes financial damage to the landlord by falling behind on rent or utility payments or damages the property in the rented home, they must be capable of compensating for that damage.
If the tenant refuses to compensate for the damage (or lacks the immediate financial means to do so) to the landlord, Rendin will cover it, but a claim is then filed against the tenant.
In case of problems, our goals are:
Achieve the best possible compromise between the tenant and the landlord.
Assess the composition of damage claims – whether the claims are proven and justified.
If the tenant is cooperative in the case of rental damage, we are willing to offer flexible options for compensating for the incurred damage, even if a claim has been filed. For example, a tenant in serious distress may repay the debt over an extended period without interest.
4. If I accidentally cause some mishap in the rental home, will Rendin compensate the landlord instead of me?
If an accident occurs in the rental home, it is crucial to inform the landlord as soon as possible. Only in this way can the damage be kept to a minimum. The Law of Obligations Act, which regulates lease relationships, states that the tenant has an obligation to inform the landlord.
The responsibility lies with the tenant to compensate the landlord for the damage caused by the accident if it is proven that the accident occurred due to their fault. If the evidence supports this, but the tenant disagrees, the case moves on to Rendin. Rendin will compensate the landlord for the damage, but then we will file a claim against the tenant.
In the case of an unforeseen accident, it may, in some instances, be covered by home insurance. If home insurance is in place, the tenant's responsibility is only the deductible cost specified in the insurance policy.
In any case, the tenant should inquire whether there is home insurance (including liability insurance) in their rental home or not. If it is absent, it is advisable to recommend to the landlord to consider obtaining insurance (useful reading material on home insurance).
5. Why are there rental listings on Rendin that ask for contract or agent fees?
Through Rendin, tenants can rent without paying a security deposit – asking for this is prohibited on our platform.
However, we do not restrict the asking of contract or agent fees because Rendin's platform is used not only by independent landlords but also by real estate agents representing landlords.
If a tenant wishes to rent directly from the owner, it is advisable to carefully read the listings to ensure that they do not include contract or agent fees.
6. Why are there rental listings on Rendin that ask for a security deposit?
Asking for a security deposit is not allowed on the Rendin platform.
If someone notices that a rental listing includes a security deposit, they should inform Rendin customer support. We appreciate any hints, as this allows us to contact the landlord and clarify our platform's principles.
It's important to note that, in most cases, it's not a result of the landlord's cunning or malice. Instead, the situation is likely due to oversight, as the rental listing may contain outdated text from a time when the landlord did not yet use Rendin.
7. Why can't I get in touch with the landlord after applying for a certain listing?
Since Rendin does not regulate communication between tenants and landlords, it's not straightforward for us to explain why some rental candidates do not receive feedback from landlords.
In general, the reason is often that the landlord has numerous applicants and may struggle to manage communication with all of them.
If the landlord has already entered into a lease agreement with another tenant, all candidates receive a corresponding notification from Rendin.
In any case, during the home-search phase, we recommend considering more than one appealing listing to avoid depending solely on one landlord.
Additionally, every tenant should be aware that not all landlords may respond or initiate contact. It's important not to be discouraged and to persevere in the search process!
8. How does Rendin conduct a background check on tenants?
Every tenant wishing to rent through Rendin must undergo a background check. Rendin's background check is based on the examination of payment defaults, credit score assessment, and past customer experience.
The results can fall into three categories:
The check is successful, meaning the result is positive.
The check is pending, requiring manual verification.
The check fails, indicating that the system has detected a candidate with a problematic payment history.
Individuals can review their public data on the Minucreditinfo.ee and Taust.ee portals.
9. What does the "pending" result in a background check mean?
The background check categorizes a rental candidate as "pending" when there is insufficient information available.
In this case, the candidate should reach out to Rendin customer support and provide necessary details about themselves.
If the candidate does not contact us, the "pending" status will not change.
Our specialist may request additional information, such as an identity document and an employment contract (which must be valid, permanent, and signed with a local employer). The purpose of the additional check is to ensure that the tenant has a stable income sufficient to cover monthly living expenses.
Individuals often end up in the "pending" status, especially foreigners who have likely recently arrived in Estonia. Their personal identification number is still very new, and they may lack a credit history.
10. Why did my background check fail?
A tenant candidate's background check fails if the system detects a problematic payment history (such as debt collection claims and debts to service providers) or insufficient financial capacity (for example, active payday loans and a rental property disproportionately expensive relative to income).
Additionally, the statistical models in the system indicate when an individual who passes the check has a very high risk of facing difficulties in fulfilling their financial obligations in the future.
Furthermore, Rendin has its own database of tenants who have caused headaches and can no longer rent a home through our platform.
11. If I have payment defaults, does that mean I cannot rent an apartment through Rendin?
When renting through Rendin, tenants cannot have active payment defaults and/or debt collection claims. At least six months must have passed since their resolution for a tenant to apply for the desired rental property.
12. How does billing work?
The payment process for rent, utilities, and Rendin's service requires agreements between the tenant and the landlord. These matters should be discussed and precise decisions documented in writing in the rental agreement before signing.
Rent payment
Rendin does not handle rent payments between the tenant and the landlord. The parties must agree on this through the rental agreement.
The rental agreement should specify the due date for rent payment and outline the billing process (recipient details with bank account number).
In case rent payment is made in cash, it is essential to have a written record of the transaction. For example, the landlord confirms receipt of rent payment to the tenant via email.
Payment for additional costs
Rendin does not facilitate payments for additional costs between the tenant and the landlord. The payment process for these costs should also be documented in the lease agreement.
Typically, there are two options for organizing these payments:
The landlord sends a consolidated invoice to the tenant each month, including all additional costs, with a specific due date.
The landlord sends separate invoices for each additional cost.
Rendin's service fee
From the company's perspective, it does not matter whether the tenant or the landlord assumes the responsibility for paying the service fee. This is a mutual decision that must be specified in the rental agreement.
Rendin's fee is 2.5% of the rental price, paid monthly by either the tenant or the landlord until the end of the lease agreement. For example, if the rent is €650 per month, our service fee is €16.25.
At the beginning of each month, Rendin sends an invoice to the payer with a payment deadline of the 15th of the month. Since the invoiced amount remains constant, we recommend setting up automatic payments through online banking. This ensures that the transfer occurs automatically each month on the chosen date.
Cover photo: Pexels, Karolina Grabowska
Other images: Canva