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renting a flat

Started by the science eel, May 16, 2018, 04:06:46 PM

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the science eel

I'm looking for a flat in Glasgow for at least the summer months (probably longer) but it's kind of a headache.

I was looking at private ads but it seems the agencies are involved anyway, and then charge you a fee once you've moved in. There's also all kinds of background checks, references required. Three months' rent upfront is standard.

Anybody done this recently? Any advice?

shiftwork2

Quote from: the science eel on May 16, 2018, 04:06:46 PM
Three months' rent upfront is standard.

I beg your pardon?  Does that include a deposit?

nedthemumbler

Coincidentally I put down the first 330 on a flat this very morning.  Still 800 odd to pay before moving in, which include some 550 of security deposit, and a months rent in advance.  Not too experienced in this all but seemed pretty typical compared to others agencies down here.  Bang on the seafront, but the quieter end, and handy for work. 

Three months seems excessive to me.


the science eel

Quote from: shiftwork2 on May 16, 2018, 04:08:49 PM
I beg your pardon?  Does that include a deposit?

Yeah - the agency I talked to said they take one month's rent as a fee, then a month as deposit, and the first month's rent on top of that.

The deposit can be more than the rent - often (it seems) if you're not going through an agency.

the science eel

Quote from: nedthemumbler on May 16, 2018, 04:12:11 PM
Coincidentally I put down the first 330 on a flat this very morning.  Still 800 odd to pay before moving in, which include some 550 of security deposit, and a months rent in advance.  Not too experienced in this all but seemed pretty typical compared to others agencies down here.

How did you find the place? Whereabouts are you?

Icehaven

https://www.openrent.co.uk

No agents involved, although I've not rented through it myself yet so can't vouch for it. It's a bit limited too, I'm looking in Birmingham at the mo and found a whopping 3 properties that matched my criteria (but then my search radius is about 1 square mile.)

Danger Man

Quote from: shiftwork2 on May 16, 2018, 04:08:49 PM
I beg your pardon?  Does that include a deposit?

Wait until you hear about letting agents asking for twelve months in advance and then releasing the money to the landlord on a monthly basis.

Still quite rare but it's the future, granddad.

Blue Jam

Estate agents' fees are illegal in Scotland. Don't let anybody fleece you.

nedthemumbler

Quote from: the science eel on May 16, 2018, 04:18:15 PM
How did you find the place? Whereabouts are you?

I found it via an estate agents website.  Their fees, less as a single bloke, were about 200 I think.  Reference checks, inventory etc.

I'm in Weymouth, and it's a single bed with separate bathroom and kitchen, for 425 a month.  Seemed like a good deal, tends to be fairly expensive here. I feel lucky to be by the sea where people save up to come on holiday for a fortnight.

phes

Quote from: icehaven on May 16, 2018, 04:19:01 PM
https://www.openrent.co.uk

Yes, if you have time and patience this is an option (they have fewer properties and they go quickly). I have twice found my home through here and had good landlords and each time saved several hundred pounds in the process. This time around I didn't even stump up a deposit.

Put out an advert yourself on any popular site you can find saying what you are looking for. There are still plenty of non-agency landlords and they do scour the wanted sections.

Icehaven

Quote from: Blue Jam on May 16, 2018, 04:19:37 PM
Estate agents' fees are illegal in Scotland. Don't let anybody fleece you.

Soon* to be in England too apparently.



*I'm not holding my breath though.

Uncle TechTip

A month of rent as the fee. That's just outrageous.

phes

Quote from: icehaven on May 16, 2018, 04:24:51 PM
Soon* to be in England too apparently.
*I'm not holding my breath though.

At which time the agents will increase their costs and landlords increase their rent accordingly?

Icehaven

Quote from: Uncle TechTip on May 16, 2018, 04:25:00 PM
A month of rent as the fee. That's just outrageous.

Just had a long discussion about the current shiteness of renting on another thread so trying not to repeat myself but; yeah, it seems absolutely perverse to ask/expect someone looking for the cheapest possible one bedroom studio or bedsit to stump up a month's rent in advance (which is fair enough but still not easy when you're already paying rent elsewhere), and at least that again or possibly more as deposit, and another several hundred quid on fees. If you can just about afford the rent on a tiny bedsit, where the fuck do they think you're going to find north of £1000 to just hand over on the spot?

Danger Man

Quote from: Uncle TechTip on May 16, 2018, 04:25:00 PM
A month of rent as the fee. That's just outrageous.

My wife has just moved flats in the uae and because it's the start of Ramadan they told her she could have the first month free.

What a backward culture islam is, with its acts of random kindness.

the science eel

Quote from: phes on May 16, 2018, 04:24:40 PM

Put out an advert yourself on any popular site you can find saying what you are looking for. There are still plenty of non-agency landlords and they do scour the wanted sections.

What kind of site, tho'? Gumtree and the likes?


Quote from: Uncle TechTip on May 16, 2018, 04:25:00 PM
A month of rent as the fee. That's just outrageous.

It is, but I don't think that's unusual.

Icehaven

Quote from: phes on May 16, 2018, 04:27:58 PM
At which time the agents will increase their costs and landlords increase their rent accordingly?

Yes but I'd actually prefer that, as I said above it's the initial outlay that the most difficult for a lot of people (me included). I'd find it much easier to pay an extra few quid a month than have to magically find hundreds of pounds on the spot to give to an agent (to do precisely nothing anyway.)

the science eel

I've heard from a few people now that the UK rental market has changed dramatically over the last few years. There are more short-term tenants, landlords are more wary, rents are higher (partly as a consequence of these two things). More people are looking.

A couple of clowns have suggested I go for Airbnb but you're looking at thousands of pounds for a month in a basic flat.

All the Facebook groups I've joined are posting about ROOMS almost exclusively.


phes

Quote from: the science eel on May 16, 2018, 04:36:18 PM
What kind of site, tho'? Gumtree and the likes?


It is, but I don't think that's unusual.

I can't remember which sites but I think I had luck in the past on spareroom or rightmove or whichever ones let you post your own ad.

the science eel


Zetetic

I wonder how the short-term rents and higher prices stuff relates to the half-a-million foreign students, concentrated in various cities.

In more than a few places I've seen a huge amount of newly constructed locked shitholes targeted at them - terrible build quality, tiny single bedrooms, abandoned community rooms (visible from the street as the main function of the pool tables and beanbags are advertising), and rents 25-33% higher than my actual flat.

I can't work out if they're actually being filled or if it's a particular bubble.

Paul Calf

Quote from: the science eel on May 16, 2018, 04:15:27 PM
Yeah - the agency I talked to said they take one month's rent as a fee, then a month as deposit, and the first month's rent on top of that.

The deposit can be more than the rent - often (it seems) if you're not going through an agency.

One month's rent as a fee? Non-returnable?

Excuse me for asking, but did you fall off a fucking Christmas Tree?

Steven

Quote from: Danger Man on May 16, 2018, 04:34:55 PM
My wife has just moved flats in the uae and because it's the start of Ramadan they told her she could have the first month free.

That's what she told you, the Landlord and her actually came up with their own arrangement.

.. It involved sex.

.. And wearing a dog mask.

the science eel

Quote from: Paul Calf on May 16, 2018, 05:06:58 PM
One month's rent as a fee? Non-returnable?

Excuse me for asking, but did you fall off a fucking Christmas Tree?

Like I say, it's standard.

I haven't committed to anything yet - I doubt I'll be paying them.

Icehaven

Quote from: the science eel on May 16, 2018, 04:40:53 PM

All the Facebook groups I've joined are posting about ROOMS almost exclusively.

I had a brief email discussion with someone at one of the big property sites, Zoopla or similar, a few months back about this. One of the search options allowed you to specifically omit certain property types, so as I was (and still am) trying to get out of housesharing I selected the option to not show shared properties. Guess what a good 80% of the results still were? Because the cheeky cunts listing them just call one room a 'flat' then further down in the details say something like ''shared facilities include bathroom, kitchen, communal dining area'' etc. So I contacted the site to ask them what the point in having an option to omit shared accommodation was when it was so easy to circumvent and got some pathetic non-answer about ''we try hard to make the experience as convenient as possible and strive for accuracy although we can't guarantee...'' and blah blah in other words we really don't care. So yeah be careful of that. 

Dr Rock

Rented in London for 30 years, changed a lot over the last five. Moved in here two years ago, had to pay three months rents in advance as well as a deposit and fees. Four grand. Of course you then don't have to pay rent for a while.

Never heard of a month's rent in fees though, I would tell them to fuck off, that's not standard yet. Unless it is.

Icehaven

**VAGUELY HELPFUL POST INSTEAD OF MY USUAL RANT** If you're searching within a certain rent per month range, it's sometimes worth putting it higher than you actually want to pay as this could bring up places where some bills are included in the rent. I can't really afford more than £450pcm at an absolute stretch for just rent, but I search up to £600 as this occasionally throws up ones where e.g. council tax and/or water is included for say £550pcm, which as council tax is at least about £100 a month can work out about same or even cheaper than somewhere with no bills included but cheaper rent. 

Paul Calf

You could also try http://www.openrent.com
http://www.spareroom.co.uk

Both have quite a few options that don't require agent involvement.

im barry bethel

Quote from: Zetetic on May 16, 2018, 04:47:27 PM
I wonder how the short-term rents and higher prices stuff relates to the half-a-million foreign students, concentrated in various cities.

In more than a few places I've seen a huge amount of newly constructed locked shitholes targeted at them - terrible build quality, tiny single bedrooms, abandoned community rooms (visible from the street as the main function of the pool tables and beanbags are advertising), and rents 25-33% higher than my actual flat.

I can't work out if they're actually being filled or if it's a particular bubble.

It's always been like that though, students get milked more than any other class of rentals this is just the fruit of the 50% in higher education policy 

Icehaven

Quote from: Paul Calf on May 16, 2018, 05:31:07 PM
You could also try http://www.openrent.com
http://www.spareroom.co.uk

Both have quite a few options that don't require agent involvement.

Ahem...;)

Quote from: icehaven on May 16, 2018, 04:19:01 PM
https://www.openrent.co.uk

No agents involved, although I've not rented through it myself yet so can't vouch for it. It's a bit limited too, I'm looking in Birmingham at the mo and found a whopping 3 properties that matched my criteria (but then my search radius is about 1 square mile.)