We know the big move to a new home can be daunting and at times it can feel more appealing to prod a sleeping lion; especially if you’re looking to move to a new city. So, we’ve tried to break down navigating the Edinburgh flat rental market to help with securing that dream new home.
I’m relocating to Edinburgh. Do I really need to view the property?
At Umega we require our properties to be viewed before interested parties can put in an application form and offer. So even if prospective tenants fall in love with a property online, they will need to schedule a physical viewing before they can apply. This is our company policy to ensure tenants are happy with the property as we understand that, even with the best photos and a floorplan things can look different online than in reality.
Can someone else view for me?
Yes! We’re happy for prospective tenants to instruct someone else to view the property on their behalf. This can include local friends, family, partners or anyone else a tenant may trust to be their eyes and ears in the property search. Another option is using a relocation agent.
What’s a relocation agent?
Relocation agents are popular in Edinburgh – likely due to how multinational our amazing city is. They’ll attend viewings, assist with advice on applying for properties, support through the application and referencing stage & with the big move. They do charge a fee; however, this can often be much cheaper than arranging transport and accommodation in Edinburgh (alongside an added time pressure to secure something during the days spent in the city!).
What’s a guarantor?
If a prospective tenant is moving to Scotland and doesn’t have a UK credit history, a larger deposit or a guarantor may be offered in order to secure a property.
More information on this can be read in this blog.
What’s the script with Edinburgh rents?
Edinburgh’s rental market is HOT!
There’s a huge demand for properties in the city from tenants and just not enough to go around. We really feel for tenants during the searching phase as we understand how frantic everything can be. Umega flats are advertised at the price the landlord expects for their property so prospective tenants should assess properties with the understanding that the price advertised is the price the property will be rented for. On our Offer to Let form we ask, how much monthly rent an applicant can pay. This is the monthly rent a tenant can excluding bills, so the figure put on the application form is the one our Letting Negotiators will send to the landlord to consider an offer. We wouldn’t expect or require prospective tenants to offer a higher rental value for properties they view with us however if it a particularly popular property it might well be offering a little bit more to secure it.