Looking to rent - Good Tenants?

jyonda

TBH you may have shown a bit too much enthusiasm to the LA and they could be trying to panic you into offering more or at least not haggling. They are acting in the best interests of the LL after all and there's nothing wrong with that but sales people are prone to exaggeration.

How long has it been on the market? Is it available immediately? What's the local rental market like at the mo?

Go and have look at it and if it's perfect, as you think it is, go ahead and offer the asking rent but don't seem too eager as otherwise you might end up bidding against yourself. You sound like a LL's dream compared to many other potential tenants and if you are flexible with your move in date then that could save the LL a void period too. If it's available immediately it could cost a LL up to a months rent waiting for a new suitable tenant to inhabit the property. Some of that saving could be passed on to you and you could both be winners.

Don't take down a credit report. They will do their own checks anyway and it just seems unusually desperate. Don't take cash for the same reason. A LL who manages their own properties might be tempted by a wad but to an LA it's more hassle than a debit card transaction. As long as you produce any info/documents in a timely manner WHEN ASKED everything will be fine.
You haven't even seen the house inside yet so there's no need to go overboard. If there genuinely is another interested party then it won't matter what you wave at them in the viewing. They are still going to show it to the other people. Whatever you take with you they will take you seriously because you have children and your professions.

Remember, if it doesn't turn out to be perfect there are other houses and the flexibility of your current situation gives you some leaway to wait for something else to come along if they start a bidding war with you and someone else. Finding the right house in the right area at the right price can take time.

Best of luck to you!

Flipped27

thanks Jyonda,

Thats all really good advice! I realise we are in a good situation, and will def not be getting into a bidding war with anyone! We won't be offering more than it is advertised for......

It is hard as we are desperate to have our own home again (we are renting from family at the mo) but we do not want to rent the wrong house!

I think it has only just come on the market - there are tenants in there until 10 June, and properties down here seem to get let quite quickly.

We will go and see it and then see what the letting agents are like as well as the house, if they say they are going to wait weeks for other people to view then i think we might leave it as that is just too much pressure waiting to see if we get it!

I HATE house hunting!!!

jyonda

Good point about the LA's they can vary wildly in service standards. It would be worth seeing if it's on with other LA's. I doubt they will let others see it once they have found good tenants at asking price. It means more work for them for no extra money.

It's really hard to find the time to view properties when you have kids and jobs to attend to. Moving is massively disruptive even when you choose to move. On top of that it's expensive and takes months to settle in.
I think LL's forget this when they defend their right to evict people with just 2months notice. Security of tenure is currently the only downside to renting for us at the moment.

Flipped27

Thats why we rented from family, so we wouldn't have to worry about having notice served......unfortunately the family member now wants to move back in!

:rolleyes:

They are in no rush, but it isn't very nice being somewhere when you know you're not really wanted, plus it has never felt like our house (we have only been here since Feb!)

We will just hope it is the right house and the people viewing after us don't want it!

jyonda

Since Feb! I realy feel for you, it must be a nightmare. I know what that's like. We moved out of our last house in November then stayed with family over Xmas. We were supposed to move in to another house in Jan but had a nightmare with a lying scumbag LA (that's another story, 'Sour Move'-Kingston upon Thames BTW). We finally moved into our current house in Feb. Hopefully we won't get turfed out any time soon.

Flipped27

its def the worst thing about renting - the fear of getting kicked out but I think alot of properties now tend to be long let (i hope anyway as it'll be a while before we can afford to buy!)

jordylass

I don't think a rented house ever feels like your own. I am looking at a place on Sunday, they say they want long term, but what if the couple who are moving out of the house split up, or something else in their situation changes and they decide to sell the house. Unless you can get them to sign a long term lease, you are on a rolling 2 month after the first 6 months.
Effectively you only have to have 2 months notice to find somewhere else.

How much do you do in a house you rent?
paint the walls - maybe
Hang paper - unlikely
Grow food in the garden - will you still be there when it's ready.
Change the carpets, etc...

It is very insecure, you hardly get unpacked in 6 months. If I was to rent privately again I'd want a minimum 2 year tenancy.

Flipped27

We were in our last rented property for 5 years, and it felt like my own.....we didn't change anything, but we know we could have never afforded to buy it so we were happy!
we also always ask about the landlord when viewing and how long the let is likely to be, but i know there is no guarentee..

I went to see the 4 bed house yesterday and fell in love with it (stooopid!) we put down £150 for references but apparantly another couple like it as well and the letting agents will be asking the landlord to decide - I am not very good at being patient and this is like hell for me - everey time the phone rings i run for it!!

The said they would let me know by Friday but I am terrified they will come back and say the other couple have offered more, it is at the top of our budget anyway..

Pure Hell, i could never go through actually buying a house!

Wish me luck!

catewithers

Just to add my tuppence...

I would be up front about the cat. We rent and have 2 dogs. We moved into a place in February and it is an absolute nightmare trying to find somewhere - especially with pets. But hang in there. We lost out on 3 others before we found the right one, mainly down to being gazumped by other prospective tenants who offered more than the asking price so the landlords jumped on them. The right one will come along. If it's not this one, it's still out there somewhere. That's certainly how it worked out for us - despite being sure about the others, this one is better than any of them and we're very happy.

Flipped27

Thanks.....

We were upfront about the cat (there is a cat living there now so....we figured be ok) and we plan to try not to be too upset if we don't get it, we'll just keep looking!

Wish they'd call though, I am the most impatient person EVER!!!

:rolleyes: