In case you have read the section on buying property and are wondering why there is a large amount of repetition in this section, it's because may of the factors that influence the decision of where to buy a property can also be relevant to those wishing to rent.
Some people have a very clear idea of where they want to live.
They may be moving near to or in with friends or relatives, moving to a bigger or smaller home near to where they already live, or maybe moving to be close to work. Having a fixed area that you want to live in is great if there are suitable properties for rent in your price bracket. But if your tastes or needs are unusual, or there simply aren't many suitable proeprties available, your lack of flexibility could become frustrating. Either way, it certainly removes one of the major early activities in the househunting process - deciding where you want to live. For those that are able to be flexible, the right choice of area can make the difference between happiness and horror, so think carefully about what you want from an area and why.