Difficulty finding a place to rent?

n1guy

After some advice guys. We've been renting 15 years, the last 2 properties came about via family, previously back in the 00's I don't remember it being that difficult to find a place.

This time around though I'm noticing a trend, the estate agents have there fancy websites with plenty of options the only problem is they don't actually have 90% of them, they don't keep the rentals updated, anything we've phoned about is gone.

Last night we thought we found the perfect house, a new build, 4 bedrooms, large garden, it looked perfect and was only up the road so we drove up to have a look, people living in it and they had been there some time by the look of it, we phoned the letting agent this morning "Oh that went last year" i thought to myself WFT??? Why is it still on your site then? I think they keep them up to make the website look full, remove them and there sites empty.

Is it this difficult across the country or just around here? Any other advice for finding a rental?

SuboJvR

Use the likes of zoopla, rightmove etc, order them by "recently added" and move quickly!

aneary

Are these properties still on Rightmove?

n1guy

aneary wrote: »

Are these properties still on Rightmove?

Rightmove isn't available in Northern Ireland. Property Pal is the same idea but they are on it yes.

aneary

Sorry I have no idea with NI

Maybe contact the bigger EAs and say you are looking for x,y,z and ask if they can contact you if anything comes up?

I still get automated emails from two EAs after my last search.

AimHigh

Make sure when you search for properties you don't include 'LET STC' etc also.

n1guy

Well in 1 weeks searching guys the grand total of no houses to rent have been added by any of the 5 local agents. This is certainly going to be more difficult than I thought.

I've not rented a house through an agent since the 00's and how things have changed, each and every one has required us to fill in a lengthy form covering everything under the sun plus a reference from my last 2 landlords plus a further 2 written character references, plus a guarantor. I mean really? All this before you even get to view a house. Apparently it's due to the "influx" of people in the area. Meaning basically foreign nationals have rented houses and wrecked them and ruined it for everyone.