AIBU to ask renting advice?

[Asthenia]

Hi everyone, just hoping for some advice from people who know a bit more about the world than I do! My partner and are I moving at the end of May - he was offered a job in a city about 4 hours from where we currently are, so at the moment we can’t keep going back and forth.
We had some flat viewings last week and found a 2 bed that we loved for £800 a month. We had the viewing on Friday and submitted an application for it on Monday (to an agency). We didn’t receive a confirmation email, so I rang on Tuesday to ask if they had received it and they said yes, they would be speaking to the landlord soon.
I’ve been feeling really anxious about this as I love the flat - it’s perfect for us in size, location, everything. Been trying not to get my hopes up but it’s so hard. Both mine and my partner’s credit score is perfect, we haven’t rented before but we have three solid references each and are both in full time work plus have guarantors if needed, but I can’t help but keep wondering if our application will be rejected and why. The only reason I can think of is I don’t yet have a job in the new city, but I do have some interviews lined up.
Anyway, this anxiety was exacerbated this morning when I saw that the flat has been reduced today on Rightmove from £800 to £775. As I said I have no experience of renting and I’m panicking that this means our application has been rejected or that they haven’t even looked at it yet (as mentioned above we need to be down there in two weeks, which I did tell the agent and was assured was fine).
AIBU to ask if someone could please advise me if this is normal/OK, or if it seems as though our application has been rejected? If the latter then we will have to start looking elsewhere ASAP. Thank you!

Firstly if you paid for a credit check and your application was rejected then the letting agent needs to give you your money back.

Secondly, unfortunately landlords can reject whoever they want, seemingly for whatever reason they want.

It could just be that the agents are slow, or the landlord is slow in getting things moving. It’s Thursday now so another two days have gone by so I’d definitely be ringing again. Keep looking on Rightmove and Zoopla just in case. Depending on where you’re moving to housing might be tricky to get. Where I live we have a real problem. There’s not enough to go around, the rents are through the roof and people come in with months of rent up front so they get everything.

Thank you! I rang them and they were very vague, saying “oh I think someone has been trying to get in touch with the landlord”. For 3 days?! It sounds to me like they dropped the ball on this and didn’t start processing our application before they dropped the price. Praying it gets moving fast.

I think it's very unlikely that you will get your money back if you fail a credit check. The agent will be paying a third party to perform it and won't want to be out of pocket.

If you don't have a job then a great credit score is no good unfortunately so you'll either need to go through on your partners income alone or get yourself a guarantor. If all else fails you can offer 6/12 months up front although I realise that's not achievable for most people.

Some landlords can't insure their property for people who are not working
Try offering more money up front, eg rent paid in advance

Hi op have you paid a holding deposit? Or an application fee?

My understanding is that if you have paid these then no one else can make an application for the property, however if you fail the credit checks then you won’t get to back.

Do you have any saving? That you could offer to pay 3/6 months in advance?

I found the checks very stressful and only just past them

So my partner has a full time job in the new place so would be able to pay rent alone. I’m just moving with him and obviously will be contributing once I have a job.
We haven’t paid anything yet, I would be more than happy to but I think the agency is just being particularly slow. Worried about seeming pushy if I keep calling but I really want to get this going.
I don’t think the company is charging fees for things like this because of the new law - however I am a little hazy on this. When I asked them at the viewing they said they wouldn’t be charging fees.
Thanks for everyone’s feedback...feeling slightly less anxious because I’ve talked about it but still a bit worried. Still I suppose whatever will be will be!

That’s good hadn’t realised that had changed.
Afe they managing the place? As currently you are trying to give them money and they are not responding, imagine when you want them to fix something that could take weeks.

Not sure the fees thing comes in till June. I’ve just signed the tenancy agreement on a new flat and I got stung for £260 for the credit check. If you fail the check you don’t get it back. You say you’ve both got guarantors and good credit ratings so it shouldn’t be an issue. If the landlord for whatever reason rejects you then you would get your money back, although you’ve not had to pay anyway so it doesn’t matter. The new rules are coming just too late for me.

Fee changes don't start until June 1st. I am totally booked out in the run up as LLs and LAs try to get as many properties filled as they can before the cut off point!

Some agents don't charge tenants fees, never have. It just depends on how they chose to set up!

And for thos eof you who have missed the bus... when you are asked to sign a new contract , after your 6 / 12 months AST finishes, no fees!!!! But I suspect that many LLs will choose to opt out of repeated fixed term contracts now, just allow tenants to go onto a rolling contract as a matter of course!

Under the new laws the landlord pays for any credit checks. They can however take a holding deposit and if you fail the checks deduct it from that. However if you pass the holding deposit goes towards the proper deposit or first month's rent.

On my new tenancy agreement, due to come into force in July, it says that renewals will cost £95. Will that be legal, or shall I tell them to do one?

Tell them to do one!

They can charge a reasonable amount, e.g. £50 for the admin to change a tenancy, like adding a pet ets. But are specifically not allowed to charge for renewal, just as they can't charge for one in the first place!

They should know this as the only additonal fees they can charge are set out specifically:

• a change or early termination of a tenancy when requested by the tenant
• utilities, communication services and Council Tax
• payments arising from a default by the tenant such as replacing lost key

Point it out to them, and the fine they would be opening themselves up for creating a financial penalty with a fine of £5,000 for an initial breach of the ban with a criminal offence where a person has been fined or convicted of the same offence within the last 5 years. Financial penalties of up to £30,000 can be issued as an alternative to prosecution

hey can however take a holding deposit and if you fail the checks deduct it from that I think that's only if the failure was due to false information having been given by the prospective tenant!