Renting a new flat

LifeInsurance

Girlfriend is from Cyprus (and has debt in her name there) but has lived in the UK for three years.

She's rented the same property for three years (never had a late payment) - I was added onto the lease last year.

She failed a credit check for a phone contract two years ago.

I presumably have good credit - I got a credit builder credit card when I realised my credit was non existent four or five years ago, plus phone contracts are in my name (no late payments on either).

I left my job several months ago (I don't and haven't claimed any benefits since my last job).

She has a full time, well paying job.

We have an excellent reference from our current landlord.

We have her payslips, work contract and personal references if required.

All the properties we are looking at can be paid for on my girlfriend's wages alone until I find work in whatever area we decide to move to.

Given the following points, is there any advice on how we could best approach new landlords/letting agencies?

Also, if we sign up to equifax or experian to check our credit files will she even have one given that she's an EU citizen?

Any help and advice appreciated.

HappyMJ

Just look around inspect properties then when you like one say you'll take it. There's no need to go into detail when you approach LL's and LA's. They'll ask the questions. Do you work? The answer is yes it doesn't matter that only one of you works as long as either of you work and you'll be using that income to pay the rent then that's the correct answer. That's pretty much all that is required. You need to prove it which you can. If neither of you have CCJ's then you'll be fine.

marksoton

LifeInsurance wrote: »

I left my job several months ago (I don't and haven't claimed any benefits since my last job).

Why ever would you leave a job if you didn't have another one to go to?

The former probably precludes the latter...

haf1

Also, if we sign up to equifax or experian to check our credit files will she even have one given that she's an EU citizen?

Is she on the electoral roll? If not, she might want to change that. If she has a UK bank account, mobile phone contracts etc. she will have a credit score. In particular if she has been here for 3 years there will be data about her with the credit agencies, this does not depend on citizenship. There is no need to sign up to anything, if you are worried just get a credit check for £2. A landlord will not check (or care) if her Experian score is close to 900 or below 700, or whatever.

If neither of you have CCJ's then you'll be fine.

Exactly.

Cyprus being part of the European Union, she may need to show her passport as proof of her right to reside in Britain (which she has, no doubt about that).

LifeInsurance

Thanks for the help guys.

marksoton wrote: »

Why ever would you leave a job if you didn't have another one to go to?

The former probably precludes the latter...

Before my girlfriend got her new job she worked at Starbucks. The manager was horrible and she hated it, so I told her to quit and that I would support us until she found a job her field (which she loves).

A few months later she had a great new job that she loved and when she saw how miserable I was at my job told me to quit, so I did. We work as a team and want to do what makes us happy, not just what pays the bills.

AnotherJoe

haf1 wrote: »

Cyprus being part of the European Union, she may need to show her passport as proof of her right to reside in Britain (which she has, no doubt about that).

Won't the OP as well?

LifeInsurance

We have a flat viewing today and we're taking:

A copy of my girlfriend's passport
A copy of my passport
A copy of our landlord's reference
Copies of her last three payslips
A copy of her contract (which shows her yearly salary and that she'll be employed until 2017)

I hope the property is a good one and that everything we take is enough.

HappyMJ

LifeInsurance wrote: »

We have a flat viewing today and we're taking:

A copy of my girlfriend's passport
A copy of my passport
A copy of our landlord's reference
Copies of her last three payslips
A copy of her contract (which shows her yearly salary and that she'll be employed until 2017)

I hope the property is a good one and that everything we take is enough.

Bank statement? Proves how much you have, pay being credited and your address.

theartfullodger

That's all good Lifeinsurance & HappyMJ is right about bank statements but, as a landlord, I always insist on seeing (then I copy..) the originals of said documents.. Clearly I cannot enforce that request, if the applicant declines I thank them & bid them good day.

And yes, easy for forge originals of most also...

LifeInsurance

theartfullodger wrote: »

That's all good Lifeinsurance & HappyMJ is right about bank statements but, as a landlord, I always insist on seeing (then I copy..) the originals of said documents.. Clearly I cannot enforce that request, if the applicant declines I thank them & bid them good day.

And yes, easy for forge originals of most also...

We also took the originals along with us, but it was to no avail. When we arrived at the property and stood in the pouring rain for ten minutes we decided to phone and after three attempts got through to someone.

The woman we spoke to laughed and said the viewing had been cancelled (despite my girlfriend having called at 5:30pm the night before to confirm and being the first person to call about the property in the first place).

We went home and researched the letting agency (Murray & Currie) and it turns out, from the majority of reviews, that they are not trustworthy or professional (stories of how they let themselves into properties without asking/notifying tenants beforehand, losing people's deposits, not using the safe deposit scheme and claiming people aren't paying rent when Murray & Currie haven't actually processed things property) - so we feel we've dodged a bullet not renting a property with this company.

Back to searching and hopefully we'll find something soon and it will meet our needs and we'll meet the needs of the landlord/letting agency.