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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Rental properties - is this normal?

103 replies

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 10:50

Partner and I are looking to rent a place together in his town; he currently rents in the area, I own my home 4 hours away. New house is going to be mostly his, I'll be paying about 25% of the rent/bills and staying there about 10 days a month.

Which all sounds fine EXCEPT that the rental market in his town is mental. I check Rightmove every day...call or email agents...and they're not accepting viewings or the houses are already let every time. One went on this morning, I just called and was told they've already closed applications on it!

I have limited experience of the rental market - I helped my partner find his current home, and the one before that, and never had any of this, at that time (2 and 4 years ago respectively) it was a good 2 weeks between him spotting the property online, viewing and signing any paperwork. Now it seems to be happening in hours!

There are about 10 agents in his town; all also seem to be operating a fee system for applications (again, not a thing previously) where they want 150-200 for you to apply as a tenant, which they'll refund within 21 days if you're not successful. Again, is this a thing now?

If all of this is just how it is, how do we actually get a house we want? Clearly somehow others are getting in ahead of us - how do they do it?

At the moment I can't even get us a viewing on any other than 1 which we could go and see (but the agent has already warned me that applications are being made, so it might well be let before we've even seen it!)

OP posts:

Palavah · 18/06/2021 10:55

Why are you doing all the admin?

It's 10 years since I applied for a tenancy so I'm not sure about the fees. Have you asked the agents what you need to do to get a viewing?

Shoxfordian · 18/06/2021 10:56

Have you registered with all the agents and told them what you want? Why are you paying towards a house you’re not going to live in?

NeedingAGoodNap · 18/06/2021 10:57

This sounds insane, especially the application fee!

Original poster

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 10:59

I'm sat in front of a computer all day so it makes sense for me to periodically check Rightmove and make a few enquiries.

The move is for a bigger property; his current home is fine for a single man but too cramped for a couple, so my contribution effectively makes up the additional cost of somewhere larger. I'll be living and working from there about 1/3 of the time.

OP posts:

LakeShoreD · 18/06/2021 11:00

That was my experience when renting in London 10 years ago. We once rented a flat we hadn’t seen after seeing an identical one in the block and it going whilst we were at the viewing. Back then the done thing would be to register with all the local agents, pick a day when they take you to anything they have available that meets your criteria (generally none of them would be online as it moved too fast for that) and at the end of the day pick your favourite and hope no one had beaten you to it over the last few hours.

Dishwashersaurous · 18/06/2021 11:06

I'm afraid that when the market is as hot as it is at the moment this is the reality.

You need to take a few days off work and then focus on finding a place , going to see what is available and making a decision there and then.

You simply cannot wait until weekends.

Original poster

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 11:11

The problem isn't that houses are going before our viewing - or that we're arranging a viewing and it's getting let in the meantime. They're going sometimes before they even pop up on Rightmove. The house that we can view - albeit applications have already been made - was listed yesterday and has viewings fully booked for the next week, I took the earliest date that was offered (as partner can go if I'm not able to be there).

I just don't know how to get ahead of others! Is registering with letting agents going to make a difference? I know that when I was buying a house I'd always see properties online before the agent contacted me, so I'm not sure if that will help?

OP posts:

AintPageantMaterial · 18/06/2021 11:14

Round here I believe tenants secure properties by offering more than the advertised rent.

Juno231 · 18/06/2021 11:14

Bear in mind by the time you contact them off the back of a rightmove ad - they'll have already peddled the property to their list of prospective tenants that have signed up with the agents. So really you need to pick an agent and suck up the if you want to get anywhere I think!

Definitely check openrent as well btw, lots of landlords don't use agents.

Dishwashersaurous · 18/06/2021 11:15

I see that lakeshore has the same experience. You need to pick an agent or two and then go and see everything that they have.

And remember that you only need to gt somewhere for six months initially and then you can always move on again

Original poster

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 11:17

I have been looking on OpenRent but it doesn't seem very popular in the town, there's only been 1 property added on there in the last couple of weeks.

Problem is that there are 10 agents at least, not overjoyed at having to pay all of them upfront in the hope of getting a tenancy out of it. We can afford to do so, but that's not the point.

OP posts:

Original poster

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 11:23

At the moment in the town there are 17 rental properties listed on Rightmove that are either to let or let agreed which are the right size and within the right price range.

About half of those are either in the wrong part of town, or unsuitable (no parking, no gas central heating etc).

All the rest I have been beaten to it and although they are not all let yet, all but one is closed to applications, and that one may well be by the end of the day.

OP posts:

Pinotpleasure · 18/06/2021 11:23

It might be worthwhile joining some Facebook groups in the locality of where you want to rent. Maybe even put a postcard up at the local Post Office/newsagents/convenience store?

Some of the locals may know of places coming up soon - or planning to vacate where they are renting, and would be happy to pass your details onto their LL - especially if they want to break their contract early if say, they are buying their own home or moving away from the area.

Good Luck!

Danikm151 · 18/06/2021 11:25

It took me 8 months to be able to find a property to rent last year. I'd see a property, call and it was usually already gone. I'd get a viewing and it wasn't suitable or the criteria for renting was so out of each for the average person. I booked an appointment to view one property and there were at least 50 other people queuing up to view(I walked away!)
I registered with estate agents and when they did contact me it was usually out of my budget. Half of them never did because places were going quicker than they could advertise. I did find a place directly through a landlord and then the current tenants decided to stay on.

Eventually I was really lucky and applied directly through a housing association for a property I'd seen and was successful.( that was first come first served though)
5 years ago when I moved into my original flat the process seemed a lot easier. I went directly through the landlord and had a few places to choose from. Last year it was a free for all!

I would advise looking on places like open rent or gum tree. Can filter out the estate agents and deal with landlords directly, this might improve your chances.

PattyPan · 18/06/2021 11:26

Are you in England? This doesn’t sound like it complies with the law. They can ask for a holding deposit but it should be refundable regardless of if you get it, and capped at 1 week’s rent. Fees are capped at £50. www.gov.uk/government/collections/tenant-fees-act

khakiandcoral · 18/06/2021 11:28

hey're going sometimes before they even pop up on Rightmove.

well, yes, that's absolutely normal, especially with rental.

You MUST register with agents, to at least be on their least. You will never find anything if you don't.

The agents contact the people on their list and arrange viewings, it's likely the first one takes it. If you come after that, you have no chance.

Pick a couple of agents and pay the fee, as long as you are certain it's refundable obviously.

khakiandcoral · 18/06/2021 11:29

About half of those are either in the wrong part of town, or unsuitable (no parking, no gas central heating etc).

that's why they are still available.

It's not the landlord or agent interest to leave a property empty. If they have enough people interested, they might as well accelerate the process.

What is shit is the new mandatory fee you have to pay, that's relatively recent.

Dishwashersaurous · 18/06/2021 11:30

Remember almost all the rental properties don't make it onto the Internet because they are rented before any details are taken.

You need to decide which agent looks like it will have most places and then take a day off and go and see anything they have. But you won't get details or anything in advance

milinhas · 18/06/2021 11:30

My experience of renting in London is that if it’s on Rightmove it’s already gone - you generally register with estate agents and they email you properties before they go on the market. Ideally you then have to view them that day / at the next opportunity they are allowing viewings to have a chance of getting them. Charging you as a potential tenant to register is definitely not normal though.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/06/2021 11:30

It sounds a bit odd that you’re paying for what is essentially his house for the pleasure of staying with him, when you already own a home!

LittleGwyneth · 18/06/2021 11:33

Have you looked on Open Rent? Often better. The fees are 100% unreasonable, I rented in central London for ten years and never had to pay as much as that.

Dishwashersaurous · 18/06/2021 11:34

you might actually be better moving down into his place so that you can see things immediately.

Phone agent Monday morning, anything new on in our budget, yes, OK ill come and see it now etc.

You are really going to struggle being four hours away as places will have gone while you travel down.

Remember if it makes it onto rightmove.co.uk in 99 per cent of cases its because there is a problem with it.

Its not like selling. For rental properties agents don't need or want to go to the difficulty of producing details.

Original poster

vfb14 · 18/06/2021 11:38

The numbers are small though - so those 17 properties are split between a number of different agents; 9 in total. So most have only 1-2 suitable properties on their books. Based on that it's hard to know which one or ones to go for; and there's also not a constant supply of properties either. This week there have been 3 or 4 suitable ones on Rightmove. There were none last week or the week before, but a few the week before that. I could take a day off to do this and there's nothing available!

I think we'll have to pick a couple of agents. Might see if any of them are not doing this fee thing and register with them too.

OP posts:

InTheDrunkTank · 18/06/2021 11:38

It's like that in my village. You need to try and get in with the estate /letting agents or ask directly on local Facebook groups. I don't envy you OP it's so bloody stressful!

khakiandcoral · 18/06/2021 11:38

You also need to be available on the day, people are moving very fast.

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