Sparkleydiva

Spacecake799, can i just ask which agents you used as this seems realy efficient? Tks� ����

mikelincs

Sorry, yes, the 6 months is not unusual, we had to pay that, and it's because you have no UK credit rating.

pondhopper2014

I hadn't thought to ask about a guarantor... I will do that! Even if we hand over a month or two rent to them as a security, it'll still leave us money to buy furniture so that our dog's travel money is hers again! I don't want to leave her here, even temporarily...

Thank you all for your excellent counsel!!

Pom_Chch

We had the same problem when returning from a year of backpacking. I provided the agency with my partners work contract detailing salary and also a separate print out of our savings account statement. They were happy with that and we didn't have to pay 6 months up front. Perhaps that could be an option?

pondhopper2014

Well, the agent basically has said we have no choice but to pay the six months, which leaves us on air mattresses with no furniture for a couple months. Maybe I can beg some nice freecycler to deliver a couch or a table. *sigh* It's gotta get better, right?

deepcpearl

You do have another choice. Don't use that agent.

Gillymonkey

I agree don't use that agent. With your husband already working I really can't understand why they are asking for 6 months up front etc. unless you have a really terrable credit score.

Maybe rent privately?

Spacecake799

Hi, sorry the agent was local to the town we moved to. We could have paid six months rent up front to prevent a credit check and them contacting employer and landlord but we decided we had nothing to hide so let them do the checks.
We arranged for my husband to pick up the keys a couple of days after arriving. It was very straight forward.
Good luck

pondhopper2014

Thing is we have NO credit score having just arrived... In fact only my Hunny is there right now. There are only 4 lettings in the town we're going to, no vehicle means we're limited to location within walking or cycling, and only two are within budget,mand only one has the bedrooms be are legally required to have because we have a son and a daughter over the age of six. So, ya... Limited. WHERE do you find private landlords?!?! We can't find one to save our lives!!!

Rosie Lee

Pondhopper, I understand your frustration. We rented in uk before moving out. The deposit is usual, you generally can expect to loose about half of it when you leave the property. The six months up front is also usual if you have a bad credit rating or in your case a non existant one. This is also advisable if your looking in an area where your requirements are not frequently met. We had the same problem, certain room requirements due to occupancy levels and approx 1 property every 2 months that fit the bill!!! We ended up offering £50 a month over asking and six months up front to secure!
The admin bill, you shouldn't really have to do more than once or possibly twice if you work with the agent to make sure they recommend you, over other possible tenants, to the landlord.
We are doing this too very soon!

pondhopper2014

I hate all this. Really. Seems like we're going to used and abused, despite what great tennants we'll be.

NiHao

Not having a car is going to be very limiting. Could you shift some of your furniture budget to buying a cheap second hand car? If it allows you a much wider choice in location and price of rental property it is going to be well worth it.

Personally, between the limitations on rentals and the expense I would reconsider bringing your dog since, if I remember correctly, you did have someone she could be happily re-homed with?

Private rentals can be found via the classified adverts in the local newspapers and online noticeboards for the area. I have also known people have success by posting their own classified advert in the local paper stating what property they are looking for and outlining what awesome tenants they would be.

Instead of signing a rental contract for a property you don't love and through a rental agency you feel is taking advantage of you maybe you could look for a holiday cottage that you could rent for a few weeks? You can frequently negotiate fantastic rates for winter rentals (apart from Christmas and New Year weeks) especially if you commit to a month or two. They can be great value since they come fully furnished and equipped and include all utilities. It would also buy you some time for your husband to have some UK credit history, payslips and bank statements to show letting agents which should make it easier to not have to pay 6 months rent up front.

Don't know if any of those ideas work for you but thought I'd throw them out there in case they help. Good luck.

MoshiMoshi

Thankfully, this is now much rarer.

The tenancy deposit protection schemes are quite heavily weighted towards tenants; if a landlord wants to make deductions from your deposit, you can contest it, and in most cases your side is upheld because it's up to the landlord to prove you damaged something, and not up to you to prove you didn't.

(The standard of proof is high, too: not just their word against yours. They can only really do it with an exhaustive check-in inventory, professionally prepared and with photo evidence, signed by landlord and tenants. Plus, they cannot charge you for reasonable wear and tear.)

Just a little bit of good news in the massive headache that is renting. Deposit situation not too bad; still getting screwed on admin fees. Know your rights, etc etc!

Tr1boy

I know everyone is different etc, but this has not been my experience at all. When we arrived in 2010 we had no credit rating ( I had been away for 25 yrs). When I secured a job we just looked at whatever places we cared for. None of the agents even mentioned 6 mths up front, just a copy of my contract and a contact at the company's HR dept.

Fees varied widly, but the most expensive 'all up' fee was approx £350. I'm not including bond or first mth in advance as you have to pay that anyway. We moved again last year with no great deal of fuss, in fact we negotiated £300 pm off of the rent. This was in a different county altogether than where we used to live. We've moved three times here and never lost a penny of our deposit.

IM not doubting anyone here but the experiences being told are very different to ours.

Sparkleydiva

Tks spacecake 799