Private Landlord Help Please

chocolatelover93

Hello,
Me and my hubby have been renting our house for almost two years now and have decided we would like to move somewhere bigger so we can start a family. We're currently with a letting agents however have changed over agents twice in the 18months we've been here. We've decided that ideally we would like to go with a private landlord so we don't have to pay agency fee's, I refuse to pay £400 just for a credit check and then pay another month and a half's rent as a deposit!!
Does anyone know the best places to find private landlords (other than Gumtree) or good letting agents with low fees.
Thank you

AdrianC

Any sensible landlord will want a deposit, which you will get back if you don't damage the place, and a credit check to ensure you can afford to pay the rent.

chocolatelover93

AdrianC wrote: »

Any sensible landlord will want a deposit, which you will get back if you don't damage the place, and a credit check to ensure you can afford to pay the rent.

I understand that and I am more than willing to pay a deposit, I just don't agree with all the "fees" that estate agents apply making it £1000's to move out. I know moving is not cheap but £300 just for a contract then £75pp then £50pp admin fee plus all the other bits they add onto it, I think it's just stupid, it means only people with a big disposable income can move and people that save like we do have to save loads to pay the greedy estate agents! When my parents were younger they didn't have to pay all these "fees" soon we'll have a fee for breathing!!

G_M

I charge what it costs me to do a credit check - around £30. Refunded from the 1st months rent.

But I do take a deposit = 1.5 months rent plus 1 month in advance.

Agents take the **** with fees of £200+, and that'son top of what they charge the landlord for the same service.....

Innys1

Use an online agent - fees should be much lower.

No landlord is likely to offer you a tenancy without a credit check.

downshifter

Local papers, shop windows, village noticeboards, word of mouth. Put up a wanted advert. Lots of landlords don't use agents or even online sources. Around here lots of people aren't even online and it wouldn't occur to them to advertise on the net. Maybe different in a city.

Word of mouth is a good way of finding out in advance, so let people know you're looking. A friend told me that her parents were thinking of renting out their house, they saved fees, I saved fees. I knew them, they knew me. Perfect.

I've rented for the past 15 years and have never given references or gone through agents. If you make a good impression personally then you should be fine. Deposit = 1 month's rent plus 1 month's rent in advance. I heard of one landlord who has a vast personal portfolio of properties but always goes to the prospective tenant's present home to see what it's like before letting her houses. Insists that gives more information about the tenant's lifestyle than any references though obviously the tenant could meet at a tidy friend's house etc, but the landlord knows the area well so less likely. Sounds a great idea to me if at all possible, though rather more work than any agency would ever put in.

Good luck, I really hope you don't end up having to pay an agent.

Wassa123

They always want a credit check.

Even though we offered to pay 12 months upfront they still wanted to do one and charge us for it. I even had to send then my own Noddle credit report!

jamei305

Openrent, Upad etc are advertising portals for private landlords.

chocolatelover93

I understand the landlord taking a deposit and credit check (they would be a bit stupid not to) but as G_M said it's around £30 not the £100's they charge you!!

A few years ago, before we moved into our current house, we looked at a place through a well known esatate agent and one day the fees were £200 and the next they had jumped up to £400!! We told him where to shove his house but I can't belive they can charge what they like, it just seems so wrong. And I think If we're getting them charges what are the poor landlords getting charged?!

Thank you downshifter I live in Norfolk but in a more rurual part so it might be wrth me having a look in the shop windows as you suggested so I will have a look in the local shops - may even put an ad in

ognum

chocolatelover93 wrote: »

I understand the landlord taking a deposit and credit check (they would be a bit stupid not to) but as G_M said it's around £30 not the £100's they charge you!!

A few years ago, before we moved into our current house, we looked at a place through a well known esatate agent and one day the fees were £200 and the next they had jumped up to £400!! We told him where to shove his house but I can't belive they can charge what they like, it just seems so wrong. And I think If we're getting them charges what are the poor landlords getting charged?!

Thank you downshifter I live in Norfolk but in a more rurual part so it might be wrth me having a look in the shop windows as you suggested so I will have a look in the local shops - may even put an ad in

I would also suggest not only looking in shop windows but also putting a small ad in yourself as its a rural area.

Do you know many people around and is their a parish magazine you could but a message in.

Word of mouth is a great thing in small rural areas. Try a chat with the butcher, baker and candlestick maker.

chocolatelover93

Thank you, didn't think of the local magazine there are a couple I will get in touch with them, I may place an ad in the local news paper too saying we're looking for somewhere.
Thank you everyone for your help!!