Rental gazumping

[milki]

Hello, I’m hoping other renters or landlords can help give me some insight into what I can do to get an offer on a rental property accepted!
I live in Brighton and the market for rental homes is crazy. It’s super expensive, most 3 bed+ properties are HMOs and any decent family home that comes up seems to go within the day. A couple of times I’ve managed to be quick enough off the mark to be first person to view, expressed interest the same day, passed affordability checks etc, but landlords have still chosen another tenant over me. I’m wondering if other people offer over the rental price? Or an early move in date? I have to give a month notice where I am so always just give that as a move in date.
Just wondered if anyone had any ideas of how to put myself in the best possible position! Or is it all just a bit of luck and based on choices I couldn’t possibly have insight of?
Thanks.

move to London which according to posters here, seems to be the only place where there is a rental glut...

failing that, yes - it is a market same as any other. In London you can offer less, sounds like in Brighton you need to offer more.

beyond that don't smoke, have no pets and be able to show that you can afford the place.

I don’t know your family set up but basically the bigger the family set up eg pets and several children, the more wear and tear on the property. And the more work needed at the end of the tenancy to bring it back to a good standard for the next tenants. (That’s just a fact of life and isn’t a judgement on a family, but it stands to reason the more people using the home the more wear and tear will be suffered).
A professional couple, secure job/s, good affordability and no flags on their credit checks are the ideal, so if you’re competing against these prospective tenants you need to offer something more for the landlord to choose you over them.

We offered £50 or £100pcm over the rental price and taking the rental from the day it would be available (even though we wouldn’t move in for a couple of weeks afterwards). another person offered £100pcm more than we offered but insisted on 6 month break (also a family renting to be chain free) and we decided we would take the risk of no break.

I think landlords prefer most retired couples over families or younger people?

Second comment about London. There’s lots of flats available at the moment.

Rental properties are flying out the door where we live (SE). It seems to be standard to have to offer over the asking price. DS and his GF have just offered £800 pcm on a tiny one bed flat (asking price £750). Crazy prices.

A month is a long time to wait in a good market for a vacant property

Thanks all.
I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place with the notice issue, don’t want to give notice before finding somewhere because there is so few decent affordable houses coming up, but also don’t want to pay double rent for a month when pcm I’m paying nearly 2k 😱
I think our situation is pretty good for a prospective landlord- employed professional couple, two teen daughters, no pets. Maybe it is the notice period that’s stumping us. I’m starting to see that there is additional cost I have to factor in, whether that’s two weeks double rent or £50ish more a month, they kinda work out similar amount and I’ll just have to suck it up.
Rental market is madness. Maybe it’s people from London moving down here 🤔

It’s a bit of a perfect storm. Renters are leaving the cities and looking for somewhere big enough for home working at least part of the week, and with a garden/outdoor space.
Landlords (specially accidental landlords) are spooked by the recent policy changes eg must give 6 months notice, cannot evict unless 6 months in arrears, reduction in what charges can be offset against rental income, etc and are selling their rentals so reducing the stock available.
Homeowners are selling up & can’t find anything to buy, or are anticipating a price fall so are delaying their next purchase, so are looking to rent for 6-12 months.
It’s all putting huge pressure on any decent properties.