Struggling to find a place to rent..

emilybean

We've got a (nearly) 2 year old and another on the way.. we're in a 2 bed first floor flat at the moment and we feel like we've got no space as it is. Our landlady is fantastic, will be gutted to lose her when (IF) we eventually move. She does have more properties but we're wanting to move about 4 miles away where the properties are a lot cheaper, we can't afford to rent a house in the area we are in they're around £700+ for a 3 bed.
A bit of it is restricting ourselves, we are quite fussy.. found a perfect house last week (after 3-4 months of looking!) but somebody else got it.
I'm struggling to find anywhere private that we like in that area (needs to be that area because I work and my family live where we are now and can't be too far out)
Estate agents all seem to want a homeowner guarantor... we don't have one. A relative of mine that would do it is currently purchasing her house but by the time that's all finalized I'm going to have 2 children and it's going to be such a nightmare moving Don't want to be doing it whilst I'm heavily pregnant either.
I work, my partner is a full time student, we pay our rent on time and we are clean and tidy people. I wish they would speak to our landlady before writing us off completely, so annoying!


TL,DR - Is there anywhere else to look for private lettings bar the paper and Gumtree?

Is there a way around having a homeowner guarantor... one estate agent said to us 6 months rent upfront.... which is a bit like yes if we could afford that we'd be putting a deposit down but we probably could get hold of it which is even more annoying now I read on here that people think offering lump sums makes it seem like dodgey money? Cannot win!!


Just to add, the relative of mine who is purchasing the home is the ONLY person close to me that will be a homeowner. Some of my Mum's friends own their homes but it would seem very cheeky of me to even ask! Also an estate agent I just rang to arrange a viewing (when I explained) she asked if she was under 67... the answer to that is also a no, apparantly it's not an option even when she has purchased.

RAS

Hi

If you ever need to apply for LHA you will be restricted to the price of a 2 bedroom property in your area. What is the LHA rate in your area?

FR_262

I've not heard of EA wanting a homeowner guarantor for somebody who's working before.

Have you tried rightmove's website? Look for the estate agents you've never heard of. I'm a landlord and I advertise through an online estate agent. I don't charge EA fees, ask for one month's rent as a deposit and the rent's one week in advance.

You could try adverts in your local shops such as the Co-op.

emilybean

114 a week. I already know this by the way but there isn't many 2 bedroom houses at all in this area, which would limit us to a flat... we want a garden that isn't communal. Absolutely love the flat we're in so don't want to move from here unless it's the perfect place really... max we'd spend on rent is about 575 a month, we can afford it and don't have a problem with that (paying 495 for this flat at the moment) there are lots of 3 beds for less than that in the area we're wanting to move but we want somewhere that's not in a dossy area and it has to look nice inside.. we're not even ringing one's that aren't, but I imagine the way it's looking we'd still struggle with that.

19lottie82

1) You say you're fussy, and from your post it seems it too. You have a limited budget so chances are you will have to lower your standards based on your situation, I'm afraid.

2) Asking someone to be a guarantor is a very serious matter. You are in effect, asking them to pay your rent for the duration of your contract, if you can't. So yes, I agree, it would be VERY cheeky of you to ask your Mums friends!

3) If an agent says they will take 6 months upfront instead of a guarantor, an you can get it, great. Yes , many people on here have said that a lot of people aren't keen on taking this, but if an agent has said they will take this, this is an option available to you (if you can get the cash).

4) Try placing a "Wanted" ad on Gumtree, or in the local paper, rather that just looking at the offers.

5) Why can't you just wait until your Mother has completed her house purchase and can act as a guarantor, if she has offered? A toddler and a newborn in a 2 bed flat isn't that much of a squash, most babys sleep in their parents room for the first few months anyway. A lot of people live in much more cramped conditions.
I appreciate you don't view it as ideal, but it's liveable, surely?

PasturesNew

If you say which area, then it's possible somebody with local knowledge might know of a source of properties that's specific to your area. Asking people across the UK a question where the answer varies wildly from area to area just means you might just end up chewing the cud over unworkable ideas for ages.

RAS

FR_262 wrote: »

I've not heard of EA wanting a homeowner guarantor for somebody who's working before.

The OP is pregant with her second child so will be on mat leave soon (lower income). Can return to same job but will have child care costs.

The partner is a full-time student.

emilybean

FR_262 wrote: »

I've not heard of EA wanting a homeowner guarantor for somebody who's working before.

Have you tried rightmove's website? Look for the estate agents you've never heard of. I'm a landlord and I advertise through an online estate agent. I don't charge EA fees, ask for one month's rent as a deposit and the rent's one week in advance.

You could try adverts in your local shops such as the Co-op.

I've looked on Rightmove and also posted on a group on Facebook.. it's the first time we have even looked at going through an EA so just assumed this was normal? Maybe it's our ages? I'm 23 and my partner will be 25 next month.

Thankyou for the local shops idea I never thought of that.

Can I just ask how EA fees work by the way? The house we viewed on Monday that we really wanted, the EA said no bond if you've got a homeowner guarantor and I explained to him and said but a bond isn't a problem we've got a bond (that house was no fees either) I assumed though that the fees were charged by the agent and not the landlord? If I am correct in thinking that, do you (the landlord) then cover the fees? Also on Weds when I rang them up to ask about that house and they said somebody else had got it but when I come back to collect my application I could look at the other properties. I told her there was no fee but was again left confused because other agents I had looked at have pretty much said you won't get the fee back but you can apply fee-free for 3 months... Do things like this just vary from agent to agent?

RAS

Where are you? Scottish law is completely different.

emilybean

At the moment I'm in FY8 (Lytham, St. Annes) wanting to move to FY4 (South Shore, Blackpool) there's a broader bit of the postcode which I wouldn't be able to get a bus to work from when my partner isn't able to drop me off.

emilybean

5) Why can't you just wait until your Mother has completed her house purchase and can act as a guarantor, if she has offered? A toddler and a newborn in a 2 bed flat isn't that much of a squash, most babys sleep in their parents room for the first few months anyway. A lot of people live in much more cramped conditions.
I appreciate you don't view it as ideal, but it's liveable, surely?

It's not my mother. We feel squashed as it is at the minute, it is liveable yes but it's going to be a lot harder to move with 2 children. It is my grandmother purchasing her house and one agent has just told me they need to be under 67 to be a guarantor, which doesn't apply anyway.