Questions about moving to the UK (rent)

Pixie5740

Techno_Mystic wrote: »

You need to be aware that tenants rights in England are some of the worst in the developed world. much worse than France.

Thankfully things are far more civilised for tenants north of the border in Scotland.

Nebulous2

Are you a UK citizen?

A lot of agents and landlords are reluctant to let to people who don't have UK passports. A relative has just moved to a new place and they require a UK guarantor for overseas students, for example.

Generally the cheap places are more likely to be noisy or remote, with limited transport links. Ex - industrial areas with higher unemployment will generally be cheaper. Very rural areas may be cheap in quiet periods, but they may expect you out for holiday lets, so the tenure would insecure.

RagnarL

Wow thank you so much for all the answers, I really didn't expect that many, you guys are amazing. I don't know how to quote on this forum so I'll answer normally :

I do have some savings so paying 6 months rent in advance is not a problem, however I do not have a UK guarantor, nor am I a UK citizen. I do have a regular European Union passport, shouldn't that be enough? I did a quick research a while back and came to understand that it should be but I could be wrong.

I hadn't considered that a house may be cheaper than a studio, that seems really weird.

I am a professional online poker player (I know how that sounds that's why I wasn't planning on bringing it up as I was worried of not being taking seriously, but it's not what it seems, I'm a serious and realistic guy) and am making a modest living in France but it's one of the worst countries in the world for that job so I have to move and the UK are probably the best place to go to in that regard for several poker related reasons.

My plans are to just get a cheap place to live and spend my day grinding in front of a computer (sounds grim but it won't be like that forever). That's why I don't care if the place is small (that plus even though I have some savings I am by no means wealthy) and also why having a great internet connection is such a huge requirement since I'll need it to make a living. I don't want to risk renting a place and then realizing after moving that the internet sucks, that would be a huge problem.

I'm also not worried about getting evicted after 6 months, if that were to happen 2 months notice would be enough to find another place (although that wouldn't be ideal of course). I do not plan on experiencing a selection of places all over UK but I wouldn't mind if I were forced to.

I couldn't care less about being near or far from "entertainment", and I could compromise on living in a quiet place I suppose, since you're right there's no way of knowing beforehand. I really really don't want to live with other people though even if they are discreet.

So to summarize my requirements :
- I want a cheap place in the UK, doesn't matter where, doesn't matter if it's small.
- It needs to have a great internet connection.
- I only need a laundromat and a supermarket (or similar) within a 30 minutes walking distance, everything else is irrelevant I won't be going out.
- I want to be alone, I could compromise on that if I really didn't have a choice but I really don't want to.
- I can pay the rent in advance however I do not have a UK guarantor nor am I a UK citizen. I do have a European Union passport.
- I'm not worried about getting evicted after 6 months with 2 months notice.
- I'd like a safe and quiet environement although I can compromise on the quiet if need be (by safe I mean no risk of robbery, since I noticed buildings in the UK are usually small so lots of places are on the first floor where pretty much anyone can just smash your window and get in - although that may be a bit paranoid).

Thank you again for all the answers as well as the follow-up questions ! I hope this post makes my situation clearer

Techno_Mystic

Well, I will suggest Leeds. 2.5 hours from London by train but still relatively cheap. Also convenient for visiting Scotland. Trying to compete with London for IT companies, it has attracted Sky TV there so internet connection speed is a priority.

Lots of new flats in the city centre should have good internet connections, although staying a few miles out of the city centre can reduce your rent considerably. Nice countryside a short distance away.

I rent in Leeds and I am not aware of anyone who has had to pay six months rent, supply a guarantor etc. You will probably have to pay a security deposit of several hundred pounds, this will (probably) be refunded when you leave the property. Also you may have to pay letting agent fees, although these are going to become illegal soon. The city has a large student population, many from abroad, so landlords/agents are used to people turning up with few resources.

Yorkshire people are renowed for their friendliness and honesty, although this can be a double-edged sword in my experience!

mark55man

Interesting - have you considered somewhere more exotic, like Thailand or Singapore - very high tech in the cities, and significantly cheaper to live than UK. Not sure about quiet though!.

In the UK anywhere rural may have internet challenges, but you should be OK in anywhere Urban. Some of the south coast is quite cheap but not as cheap as Leeds. But you would be closer to home if that was important to you

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Techno_Mystic wrote: »

I may not be up to date with modern law, but I don't think it is illegal to rent a place without references, advance rent or a guarantor. All that is at the discretion of the landlord or their agent.

I think what that poster meant was that you should be careful of landlords bypassing the usual tenant check processes in case they are illegally subletting the property, or it's part of an even bigger scam.

OP, please read about known property scams and be very careful with deposits and your personal details: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-1700200/Top-tips-to-avoid-property-renting-scams.html

Note that you can never be sure how quiet a property is til you move in and find out how noisy the neighbours are.

Beetroot24

mark88man wrote: »

Interesting - have you considered somewhere more exotic, like Thailand or Singapore - very high tech in the cities, and significantly cheaper to live than UK. Not sure about quiet though!.

In the UK anywhere rural may have internet challenges, but you should be OK in anywhere Urban. Some of the south coast is quite cheap but not as cheap as Leeds. But you would be closer to home if that was important to you

Singapore cheaper than the UK?! It wasn't when I was there 6 months ago. My mate is a podiatrist over there, it's one of the most expensive cities in the world. Kuala Lumpur is much cheaper though, and not too far from Singapore. The food is loads better and the people are much friendlier there too.

steampowered

mark88man wrote: »

Interesting - have you considered somewhere more exotic, like Thailand or Singapore - very high tech in the cities, and significantly cheaper to live than UK. Not sure about quiet though!.

Just to clarify, prices in Singapore are in line with central London prices. You can easily drop £2,000 a month to rent a 1-bed flat in central Singapore.

Thailand on the other hand, would be much cheaper.

Beetroot24 wrote: »

Kuala Lumpur is much cheaper though, and not too far from Singapore. The food is loads better and the people are much friendlier there too.

Yes, but Malaysia is also a poor country, so living there would come with challenges that you don't get in a modern, clean and wealthy place like Singapore. GDP per capita is $50,000 in Singapore (making it a richer country than the UK which has $40,000), while Malaysia is on about $10,000.

mark55man

Fair point about Singapore - my brother works there and Thailand and got the two linked from that perspective.

Sorry OP if I misled you, but Thailand/Malaysia might be good for 6 months, and I think now is a good time of year weather wise (but I may be wrong about that as well)

RagnarL

Thailand is a good idea actually a lot of people in my situation do choose to go there, but I've never been there and the idea doesn't appeal to me. I've been to the UK several times though so I can see myself living there even though it will be more expensive.

I checked with my town hall and they think a regular passport is all that is needed to move to the UK at this time.

Thank you for the advice on Leeds and confirmation that it should mostly have good internet connection. Another poster suggested Wales earlier, but I'm guessing it was for the cheap price of the rural area so the internet might be a problem?

Thank you very much again everyone for all the answers and I'd still be very happy to hear about any further suggestions