Has anyone found a tenant through Gumtree?

sitesafe

nick_ wrote: »

I really don't think that is confined to gumtree or even property rentals! If you've ever recruited for a job at work you'll know the amount of applications you get from people who will never match the description but who will apply anyway.

If you're going to let properties out yourself, you have to be prepared to deal with the sh*t that comes with it - i.e. unsuitable tenants. If you don't want to deal with it, hire a letting agent.

The OP asked for people's experiences - I gave him mine.

End of

Not really interested in your aggressive response - and goading doesn't work with me hun xx

nick_

sitesafe wrote: »

The OP asked for people's experiences - I gave him mine.

End of

Not really interested in your aggressive response - and goading doesn't work with me hun xx

sorry, absolutely no offence was meant by that....perhaps trying less swear words next time might make me seem a little less aggressive.

i can only apologise for how that came across.

p.s. i've toned down the original response a bit

property.advert

I've been both a tenant and landlord via Gumtree. Loads of scammers out there when a tenant and even more as a landlord.

Lots of quasi agencies offering to up your rent (i.e. you advertise at £1000, they come back offering £1150 etc.) to rip off mainly Eastern Europeans but very often you can see they will be loading the place up with multiple tenants and just destroy your place. Avoid like the plague.

You'll have to sift through hundreds to find some decent ones but they are there, just harder to find than they were. As a landlord, you'll need to know how to weed out the crap.

If you take lots of pictures, put up a map, list the place well, your phone will not stop ringing.

Miss_Poohs

The first time I rented out my property I done so through a letting agency, they were money grabbing lazy robbers who done nothing to help me.

Im now trying the gumtree route - but it's very early days.

If it doesn't work out this time I'm just going to try and sell it.

*fingers crossed*

Sharon87

I've found 2 flats through Gumtree, and also advertised for room mates when others moved out. To be honest, the scammers are pretty obvious, most have broken English in their emails.

Gumtree is usually my first option to find a house or housemate.

PoisonIvy

I found my current flat in London through Gumtree. My landlady is brilliant, and I love the flat. I'll be sad to leave (buying a flat as mentioned in other threasds). She used to use a letting agent but she had bad experiences with them, so she's used Gumtree to rent out this flat for the last three tenants. She said she never had a problem.

As tenant, I've noticed tons of scammers on it thought.

mchale

fridaypassion wrote: »

Gumtree is completely useless for property rentals.

Really, it's my sole source of advertising and i'm currently running with a 98% occupancy rate and with decent tenant's

fridaypassion

I guess it could be area dependent. All I have got from gumtree is calls From dss tenants when the adverts states no dss and calls in broken English asking daft questions which were covered in the ad such as how many bedrooms.

Our properties are in a small town near Leeds I don't think gumtree is as popular as it might be in bigger cities. An ad in our local free press is the best for us. People have to call rather than email which I think in itself weeds out the genuine prospects.

robbo1948

kmmr wrote: »

I used to use Gumtree for my London flat, but now they have started charging it's no longer worth it. I have also in the past rented flats through gumtree and it is a good way of finding private rentals if you want to avoid estate agents, but as I said, I think it has changed.

I used UPad's basic service, and that puts you flat on Gumtree, as well as the better portals - Rightmove etc. I hate to say it but you do get a 'better' type of tenant. More professionals, young couples, and less DSS and students. It depends what market you are looking for.

I think the cost of putting an ad on gumtree and regularly refreshing it (which is necessary) is getting close to UPad, so for me it was a no brainer.

eta: And it is full of scammers, which may be less now though with the charging. Easy to avoid if you know what they do - ie anything that involves western union.

Really mixed responses re gumtree. Personally I've found it a complete waste of time for selling items (loads of time wasters, etc) and the responses to my rental advertising were generated exclusively through rightmove and none through either gumtree or findaproperty.... so I'm with the poster above and now use upad who have all the links. (I also didn't get any scammers, rogue agents or timewasters)

sitesafe

nick_ wrote: »

sorry, absolutely no offence was meant by that....perhaps trying less swear words next time might make me seem a little less aggressive.

i can only apologise for how that came across.

p.s. i've toned down the original response a bit

Thank you Nick - just you have to be so guarded on here sometimes - generally it's a helpful and welcoming place but often there are one or two that appear to be out to cause mischief....I can see you're not one of them...J