to wonder how anyone manages to rent a property currently?

[jen083]

Having a nightmare trying to find somewhere to rent with DP. We're lucky I guess in that (currently) we're looking to moving through choice rather than necessity - our current place is far too small- but the market is absolutely ridiculous. This is a small town in the Midlands, not Central London or anything.

I left a message on Friday re one property; called yesterday to chase it up, they'd had 15 applications so weren't taking any more. Today I spotted one within half an hour of it going on Rightmove, called the agents who said we had to apply online - submit that application which asks for a whole load of info including credit scores, then call up again and they've already had 6 other applications, which they will sift before the viewings. We don't need to view (it's a new house, nothing to see that you can't see from the photos and it's an area we know well) but apparently 'them's the rules' and so we have to waste our time viewing in order for our application to be put forward, assuming that is we make it through the initial sift. No applications will go forward until after the viewings which are 'next week sometime'.

Is this how letting agents behave nowadays? It seems typical round here but I'm not sure if this is anomalous or it's become the norm. When we last moved 3 years ago it was a far more pleasant and less stressful experience, we did 12 viewings over a weekend (arranged with under a weeks notice) with no 'up front' applications either. After searching for 6 weeks this is the closest I've got to a viewing!

I have no idea how to get round this. There seems to be no way around this protracted process, we could pay 6 months rent upfront but that doesn't seem to help.

We've looked on OpenRent, nothing other than the odd 1 bed flat, and on social media (ditto) as basically 99% of landlords rent via estate agents. We're looking to buy in 3 years (there are other reasons we can't buy sooner) but at this rate we'll be stuck in the same house until then.

Honestly how does anyone manage if there's always 10 or more people fighting over 1 property? Clearly 9 of them will be disappointed every time.

There's a LOT of people moving in rented at the minute... supply is off the charts, so landlords can be fussy. And there's always been competition in most places, I think.

The application process thing seems drawn out - here you just register with an estate agent, and then book a viewing - but I guess different agents will be doing different things. I wouldn't be giving my credit score, though. It's a meaningless number, and a weirdly intrusive ask, at the same time.

Have you done the "register with all the estate agents" thing? You'll find most properties will have been sent out to people registered well before they go on Rightmove - that was true when I lasted rented years ago, it's even more true now.

Are you both employed? That'll help (rightly or wrongly). Six months upfront works sometimes, but it'll be common amongst people who sold for the stamp duty holiday and are now waiting for their next home, so it's probably not a dealbreaker unless one of you is unemployed. If you've got no pets, that'll probably help...

I'm Midlands too. It's bizarrely competitive, I have friends who have been through it in the last couple of months.

Best of luck finding somewhere!

Thanks - it felt like the credit score question was a bit OTT but we're so keen to secure somewhere we thought we'd roll with it.

Registering with agents doesn't seem to mean anything, we did register with a couple at first, gave them a load of info and never heard anything since although they've since had various properties in our price range (albeit they actually aren't right for us for specific reasons - hence we didn't enquire - but the agents wouldn't have known that as we'd been quite general with our critera, just a broad location and no of bedrooms) so if they were contacting renters on their books re every new property we expect we'd have heard from them.

It seems like you have to go through the same rigmarole every time a house crops up on Rightmove!

We are both employed, DP is a director/ employee of his own (ltd) company but I don't even think that's necessarily an issue as there are just so many other applications I'm sure from people who are in no better nor worse position to us.

I think when there are more people chasing fewer properties the agents don't bother getting in touch with folk who have enquired previously. For all they know they have found somewhere already.

I've been looking for a new house for ages and it just seems to be getting harder. I can find them online, but always in the already let section. I don't know how people find them so fast I have alerts set up and everything.
Everytime I contact agents I get the run around. I'm not asking for a lot, modest house - big garden for the dogs with reasonable rent.

We had an absolute nightmare trying to secure somewhere new to live recently when our landlord issued a section 21 so he could sell.

Previously the market was busy, but as a rule of thumb if you were first to say "yes please" then you could formally start applying.

For the latest madness I was spending almost all of my time trying to find somewhere we could view/apply for. I was even popping posts on social media "selling" ourselves as a family to potential private landlords (workers in secure industries, not been furloughed etc). Of the properties we managed to get inside we didn't make the shortlist to apply in 10 of them even though our budget was clearly reasonable based on our wages.

The property that we managed to secure I didn't even consult my husband after getting in for a viewing, I just immediately asked if we could apply and paid the securing fee because it was suitable. It's overpriced quite frankly, but clean, secure and in a good neighbourhood walking distance to our children's schools.

Completely stressful from start to finish. Not remotely helped by our existing landlord refusing to budge on the period notice date because we'd secured somewhere new inside the 6 months issued. He insisted on sticking with rental date even though he wanted us to leave and it would leave us with a massive crossover of 3 weeks because we couldn't risk losing the new place to a tenant who could start tenancy quicker (eg we wanted to give one month's notice on 15th but it wouldn't take effect until 10th of next month). We of course repaid his helpfulness by refusing all access to the property for estate agents/viewings for the remainder of our tenancy - flexibility works two ways!

You and anyone else trying to secure an appropriate rental at the moment have my complete sympathy.

I was surprised when my son let his place in Jan at the demand. There were 2 couples to view it the DAY he completed the purchase and about 5 over the weekend and offers from a lot of them. We picked a teacher with a working wife as that seemed quite a stable job compared with one who had to have a guarantor and a couple who both had grown up children. it is just a supply and demand issue - they all were moving out of flats and wanted a small house with garden which was not particularly expensive (for SE England).

It's a landlord's market right now.

I know our landlord asked for a credit report because they CBA doing their own credit check and wanted to check for CCJs. I think a lot have twigged they can avoid paying for it if they ask you to do it.

As for viewings, some use it to vet their potential tenants. Which I don't think is unreasonable. Paying six months rent up front generally screams drug dealer, so most don't want to accept that.

Well the government thought it would a great idea to significantly increase tax on renting, to the point that it's now almost impossible for a small landlord to make a profit. Yet it's become ever so more difficult to evict. It's not a business worth the hassle any longer. Add sale prices that have gone off the roof and that was the chance to make a good profit selling.

Now people who need to rent don't have any option, and the lists for council homes are forever increasing whilst of course, cost of rental properties are going up, the only want to make a profit for many.

Whoever thought that was a great idea needs to be congratulated!

@Nothanksverymuch

It's a landlord's market right now.

I know our landlord asked for a credit report because they CBA doing their own credit check and wanted to check for CCJs. I think a lot have twigged they can avoid paying for it if they ask you to do it.

As for viewings, some use it to vet their potential tenants. Which I don't think is unreasonable. Paying six months rent up front generally screams drug dealer, so most don't want to accept that.

I'm not sure how they would know whether or not we are drug dealers (we're not!) based on a viewing - I know the stereotype is large flashy cars with blacked out windows but my old neighbours were (small time) drug dealers and drove a 15yo Fiesta!

When we rented the current place the landlord was swayed by the 6 months up front but I guess things have changed over the last couple of years.

DP thinks some landlords are looking for people to offer over the (advertised) rental price, this might be something we'll have to consider if it goes on much longer, but then I'll feel resentful if I'm effectively overpaying for a place.

Yeah, being a landlord is a bit of a ballache now, so loads of 1 or 2 property landlords are selling which is reducing supply.

Paying six months rent up front generally screams drug dealer, so most don't want to accept that.

Does it? My current tenants pay 6 months in advance due to one of them having a bad credit history. They've been really great. Previous tenant paid upfront as he couldn't work due to illness, he was fine too.

We are in an Airbnb till mid October then we have to move.

Cheapest place under the filters of Place, number of people and will take pets is £8000+ per month when I looked a few days ago.

We gave up on trying to rent anything longer term months ago as not only do we have pets which makes it virtually impossible to get anything but we also don’t fulfil the criteria of a F/T job. Even offering to pay up front is met with a no.

Looking for this place I saw fields (absolutely no facilities) at £1200 per month and a forest clearing (again no facilities) going for £76 per night. £2280 per month. Bring your own tent, toilet, shower etc

It really is madness out there

Meet the estate agents, wear something smart, look decent and respectable and they'll generally feed this general impression back to the property owners or keep you in mind for other properties.

Oh it’s wild. There’s just so much demand for renting currently and unfortunately that means that landlords/agents can be fussy and put in all sorts of processes.

The house over the road from me is up for rent currently and they’ve had about 20 viewings so far and there seem to be more this evening. I’m sure they must’ve received a decent offer already as it’s quite a popular area but they keep churning them out, not sure if they want to get as many offers as possible in case someone goes over the asking price to secure it.

We are in a similar position as yourselves, renting is a nightmare at the minute there is absolutely nothing out there!

We were due to buy a house this year but with the current market and covid eating in to our savings we had no choice but to put it on hold. We are in the same tiny 2 bed terrace that me and my Dd was renting before I met my partner, away from the school we want (I loved out of my local village years ago to get some space away for a while, multiple reasons) and the plan was to buy a house back in the village. Not happening now.

I have been looking every day for a year and there hasn’t been anything suitable since we viewed a house early last year - sadly it wasn’t first come first served like it used to be, landlord got to pick the cream of the crop and we was pushed out. It would have been perfect.

Recently we heard that someone was doing their house to rent in the village we wanted but not the location but it would have done for space until we could buy, and so have been holding on to that for months (was supposed to go for a viewing in July but things got pushed back) and we have heard this week that they have given up and just put it on the market to sell. Our plan B out of the window.

It’s nothing like it was years ago when I first started looking for rentals, no opportunity whatsoever but it could be worse. We have a roof over our head and that’s all we can ask for now!

Haven't rtft but I've been trying to find a place to live since JANUARY. Even if I'm first to enquire, landlords don't want housing benefit. It's really getting me down. Even offering over the price they want doesn't help.

We have just been told our tenancy isn’t being renewed in November. I have 6 weeks to find some where to live.

We have been asked every question going to even be considered for just a viewing, honestly I swear one question was going to be my bra size at one point. It’s ridiculous.

We also have a elderly dog so are being turned down straight away with every property we have tried to view.

There isn’t hardly any in our area in our price range as it is. We honestly have no idea what we are going to do in 6 weeks time. It’s a very worrying time.

@Flowerlane

We have just been told our tenancy isn’t being renewed in November. I have 6 weeks to find some where to live.

We have been asked every question going to even be considered for just a viewing, honestly I swear one question was going to be my bra size at one point. It’s ridiculous.

We also have a elderly dog so are being turned down straight away with every property we have tried to view.

There isn’t hardly any in our area in our price range as it is. We honestly have no idea what we are going to do in 6 weeks time. It’s a very worrying time.

You sit tight, keep paying the rent and keep searching. Make clear to the landlord that you do intend to leave, but you're not going to make yourself homeless to vacate the property. Section 21 is notice to leave, and may not even be valid. Shelter can help you figure that bit out. You don't have to legally leave until the court says so. Far from ideal but with the backlog you have some breathing space.

Also contact your council's housing team for advice. Ours were realistic about the chances of gaining a council/social housing property but outlined all of the possible support and options.

We were fortunate to find somewhere before the section 21 was up but the guidance from the housing team was very helpful.

I know this isn't a popular opinion on here with landlords but do not shift until you have somewhere to go, if that means waiting until the council will emergency house you then do that. In the meantime take practical steps to get your stuff all sorted ready to move.

Best of luck!

My sister works in an Estate Agents and has said that so many landlords are now selling up, which is creating the current shortage of private rentals. A lot of mumsnetters should be happy though, as they’ve been campaigning on here for months for private landlords to sell their properties, as apparently all the renters will then be able to buy those properties . Hopefully you will get lucky OP - you’re doing everything right.

Sorry to those of you who are up against the clock because landlords are selling. At least we don't have that additional pressure.

Sounds like unfortunately this situation is not uncommon. It's so frustrating though, can only hope that eventually we get to make a successful application but at the moment just feel like giving up on the idea of finding anywhere unless we double our budget.

It may be because landlords are selling, but that explanation seems rather odd because there is also a shortage of houses to buy at the moment!

Why is there so much extra demand for housing all of a sudden? Maybe people splitting up after lockdown?

I think there are also a lot of people who have sold their houses but have been unable to find somewhere suitable to buy, so have moved to rented temporarily.

I guess that it may also be down to the size of the house required. People who were previously happy in a one or two bed might now be looking for extra bedrooms for home offices etc, which puts more pressure on the market for larger 3 beds.

Yes that's a fair point, we are looking to move so that there's room for us both to WFH (there isn't currently) so need an extra bedroom. I'm sure we're not the only ones who are moving for that reason.

Good luck.

I was looking for some where around Stoke on Trent a couple of years ago. When we missed out on our fourth property because once again someone had beaten us to it, I decided to be a lot more determined.

I refreshed my online property search every 15 minutes. This worked as we finally got somewhere to rent after two months of looking and flogging back to our rental in the fens every weekend.

Good luck.

It is frustrating, I'm currently working away part of the month so am only back in the area at certain times. So for example I knew I was going to be here this week - last week, nothing we could arrange to view whatsover, this week ditto. I was expecting to be able to get at least a couple of viewings over the course of the week but nothing, and I'm going back at the weekend. DP can obviously view without me, but at this rate we won't get to view anything then either.

Am now on Rightmove hourly but in a 20 mile radius of our chosen area only 1-2 properties that are in theory the right size come up each day, and often they are an instant no - either in an area with poor internet connection (we need a good connection in order to WFH) or have no parking, or are too expensive. And of course any house that does tick the boxes has inevitably had loads of applicants. Aargh!