How Should We Do This?

EmptyPockets

Good morning all. I'm after some advice please - and so I've come to the place where I always receive sound words of wisdom

I shall try to make this short and to the point:

My husband and I are viewing a house for rent this weekend. We currently live in Derby, but are relocating to North Wales, and have been looking for Private landlords as we have been on a DMP for the past five years and most agencies will not look at us with our current credit score/past history, even though we have a guarantor.

So, my husband has a job (position being held open for him until we find accommodation) we've found a property (actually, the landlord found us, through a 'wanted' ad we placed on Gumtree) and we're going to view it this weekend.

The rental price will be £550 pcm, and the landlord would require 1½ months rent as a deposit, plus one months' rent in advance.

Totalling £1375 upfront.

My husband must give four weeks' notice to his current employer, meaning it would be four weeks before we could move to North Wales and require the new tenancy to start. But we don't want to lose out on this property as it is ideal for us.

We are concerned about handing over money and then never seeing the guy again. But we're worried if we don't go with cash to secure it straight away, he might not hold it for us...

Do we hand over the 1½ months' deposit and just ask for a receipt? Do we hand over the deposit but insist on having the keys? Do we hand over more money? Less money?

Eek!

It has been many, many years since we moved, hence, we feel quite anxious about the best way to do this. When I spoke to the landlord on the telephone, he sounded very nice, very upfront... however I'm aware that in this day and age you have to keep your eyes wide open

Any advice would be much appreciated x

Fire_Fox

Ask for proof of identity/ proof that he is the owner and supply the same to him (the original plus photocopies). If you feel shy of asking for proof he owns the place you can check on land registry for a few quid. Don't pay in cash, use a traceable method like bank transfer or personal cheque. Sign an AST if you are handing over your deposit and a full months rent. Is your guarantor going with you?

EmptyPockets

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Ask for proof of identity/ proof that he is the owner and supply the same to him (the original plus photocopies). If you feel shy of asking for proof he owns the place you can check on land registry for a few quid. Don't pay in cash, use a traceable method like bank transfer or personal cheque. Sign an AST if you are handing over your deposit and a full months rent. Is your guarantor going with you?

Thank you for your reply. I would not be shy about asking for proof of identity/property ownership, before handing any money over. We were planning to pay by cash, but we do have a check book so can put the cash back into our account before going to view the property and then either pay by check or do bank transfer (would prefer bank transfer).

Our guarantor is unable to come with us to view the property. We were hoping that, being a private landlord, he might not undertake credit checks*, etc..., so we wouldn't need the guarantor... :undecided

*although we are not planning to try and hide anything, should he ask...

Fire_Fox

If you intend to ask for ID you need to forewarn him of this, the landlord is not likely to be carrying around proof he own the property plus photocopies of his passport or drivers license. He also may not bring the AST for you to sign unless you ask.

thelem

What has the landlord asked for? My landlord (shared house) asks for about a week's rent as a holding deposit, then the remainder when moving in, which is also the date that everyone signs the AST.

I've not got experience of renting with a poor credit rating, but I'd be asking why this landlord has come looking for you when you're suggesting that it's difficult to find a suitable property. If that's true, and the place is half decent for what he's charging, then he'd get plenty of responses from a simple accommodation available ad on Gumtree or similar.

EmptyPockets

thelem wrote: »

What has the landlord asked for? My landlord (shared house) asks for about a week's rent as a holding deposit, then the remainder when moving in, which is also the date that everyone signs the AST.

I've not got experience of renting with a poor credit rating, but I'd be asking why this landlord has come looking for you when you're suggesting that it's difficult to find a suitable property. If that's true, and the place is half decent for what he's charging, then he'd get plenty of responses from a simple accommodation available ad on Gumtree or similar.

He's told us he usually asks - and his previous tenants for this property paid - the amounts I've already stated in my first post.

This landlord saw our 'wanted' ad on Gumtree as he was preparing to advertise this property which only came available on the day he contacted me. He does not, as yet, know anything about us apart from the fact that we're looking for a rental property. He doesn't know about our poor credit; not because we have chosen to keep it from him, but because we haven't had the opportunity or cause to bring it into conversation.