Urgent renting help please

PrincessBubba

Hi,

I am in the process of looking into rental properties for my mum. She has been left by her partner and is in urgent need of a new place to live. He has said he will pay the rent on their property until the end of the contract - and has said he will get a solicitor's letter confirming this - but my mum is unable to live there. He hurt her so much she cannot face going back - when she has she has become hysterical.

Anyway.... my question is - what is the quickest we can get her in to a new rental house? I am looking at properties that are immediately available and she has enough for a deposit in her savings How long to credit checks, references etc take?

I was also wondering if there are any websites that detail private rentals - i.e. not through an agency.

Any help/advice would be appreciated!!!

Thank you for reading!

Leanne x

bitsandpieces

See the property sections of your local paper? Worth a look on gumtree - but remember that *anyone* can advertise on there (and most anyone can get an ad in the paper)

Might also be worth looking at e.g. local university website - some list some local landlords on their sites.

PrincessBubba

I can pick up a local paper tomorrow - I live an hour and a half away and will be going to stay with mum for a few days tomorrow. I'll check Gumtree out too - thank you

Any idea how long the process takes please? I need to know how long we need to sort out temporary accommodation

bitsandpieces

If she finds a place tomorrow, most landlords will at least want 1 or 2 references (though she may be lucky and find one who takes her on trust). Letting Agents may take a bit longer, and do credit checks etc. Depends how long that takes, and how efficient they are.

Remember, though, that she is likely to be signing at least a 6 month lease. She should be sure to check any prospective house out properly. Living in a dump is not generally good for one's state of mind...

PrincessBubba

We will be going to view the properties together - I think I may end up being the one who make the decision so may even see if I can get a 3rd person to come along.

A 6 month contract should be fine - well it will have to be to be honest. Once things are settled down for her she can think about moving after Christmas or getting back on the property ladder

I am emailing the agents at the moment to ask them to contact me asap about certain properties so fingers crossed we can get things moving!

Manual_Reversion

Good evening,

Your mother is fortunate that she has someone to look after like this when times are hard.

Given your rush to get things sorted it puts you in a weak market position i.e. it will cost your mother more or she'll have to accept sub-standard accom. You can mitigate this to an extent by installing Firefox and Property Bee (both free) and using these two apps to view potential rentals on Rightmove. It will give you info on price changes, length of time on market etc etc. Put you in the driving seat to an extent.

Don't ask the agents how long things take, tell them. You're their customer. If your Mum is in a position to pay 6 months upfront then this should negate credit checks by definition, and get her a discount on the rent. In reality the agents will still insist on credit checks ad nauseum as it's all a bit of a gravy train. Try it on. Tell them how it will work.

Don't email agents. Phone them tomorrow first thing and line up 6/7 places to view each day. If you are like we were you will write-off 90% without even going inside.

Fight fire with fire, and good luck.

jennyo

We were 3 weeks from viewing to moving in, could have been quicker, but we couldn't move in for 3 weeks.

We went through a letting agent, tenent finder, I found the man there to be helpful and efficient, although that might be just that branch, the credit checks were very quick.

Cannon_Fodder

If it helps her sanity, how about going into a cheap and cheerful B&B while it is being sorted out...?

PrincessBubba

Thank you for all the replies

I have lined up 8 viewings for tomorrow and I hope one of them will be the one!! I am off down there in a while - this is all complicated by the fact I live an hour and a half away!!

Fingers crossed we can sign a contract tomorrow and get things sorted for early next week

Thanks again!!

Leanne

adg1

With a pro-active agent you can move in within 24 hours easily - get things to hand before the viewings like the refs the require etc.

Also, contrary to what others have said, you are in a great position to negotiate rent with landlords of empty properties.

Offer an immediate move date and try to lower the rent as far as you can in line with this.

Good Luck!

estelle123

I went through a local LA,found a house loved it credit checks done in 24 hours.We could have moved in in 3 days but we needed 3 weeks.If you find a good LA it can be done.