Letting a Flat - What to Know

Ah, right.... don't know nuthin' bout that. 

oh sorry I forgot you were over there in Wales!

It is very important to remember that it is ILLEGAL to charge you for putting your name on a list. This thing about charging you for a credit check sounds very dodgy to me as well.

I was asked to pay something up front at an accomodation agency and i told the lady in no uncertain terms that it was illegal what she had asked me to do and that i would be reporting it to trading Standards. Which i did.

So....

Before I leave the USA, I need a letter of funds from my bank, and deposit funds in hand.

Is there anything else?

Thank you .

If you have lived in an apartment before and can bring over a letter from your landlord stating that you were a good tenent, that can only help you!

even though this post is old i might as well ask here and hope i get some answers..

my boyfriend needs to rent a place before i can move over there,  but he never has before. so we are not sure what to expect.  im pretty sure his credit is ok, so i dont think that will be a problem, but he doesnt have much for past rental history (although he did stay in student housing once).  he JUST got a job (he was in school) at 15,000 a year, but he wont start looking for a place until august. how long do they expect you to be working? ..how many paychecks do you need as proof of income? what kind of a deposit are we looking at on a 500 a month place (nw england)? lease options?  how long does this whole process take, given everything goes smoothly? need to know how much time to allow. helpppp!

I wasn't asked for paystubs but I did have to have my dad sign as a guarantor for my lease.  My deposit was first month and 6 weeks rent.. about 2100 quid.  It took about 2 weeks for me to get all sorted and moved in.  I could've moved in sooner though. 

I wasn't asked for paystubs but I did have to have my dad sign as a guarantor for my lease.  My deposit was first month and 6 weeks rent.. about 2100 quid.  It took about 2 weeks for me to get all sorted and moved in.  I could've moved in sooner though. 

 Yikes! Is 6 weeks rent pretty standard as a deposit? My husband and I will be moving over in a few months and I had figured the deposit to be 500 or so. If its more like 6 weeks, I'm going to need to redo my figures!

It is usually either a month's rent or 6 weeks, rarely less than that.

My last two places have been 6 weeks plus first months rent.  It's a TON of cash to need!

It is very important to remember that it is ILLEGAL to charge you for putting your name on a list. This thing about charging you for a credit check sounds very dodgy to me as well.

I was asked to pay something up front at an accomodation agency and i told the lady in no uncertain terms that it was illegal what she had asked me to do and that i would be reporting it to trading Standards. Which i did.

yeah, what is the deal with this!?! I choked when I saw one agency charging £135 for a holding deposit/credit check. Is it really necessary for them to check your UK credit if you've never lived in the country and no financial records?? Puhleeze! my word and my passport should prove some of that!

Thanks for the replies. I just love this forum!! I have learned so much here. Like I never would have guessed that a deposit would be that much. I would have been in for a big surprise!

Be prepared to pay cash too if you don't have a UK bank account.  Getting £2100 in cash wasn't easy but I got it thanks to Western Union, as my US bank wouldn't do an international wire transfer.